Attorneys

Richard Terzian is a partner of Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP. 

Since admission to the State Bar of California in 1960, he has continuously been engaged in the practice of law, specializing in the representation of public agencies.

For over forty years, Mr. Terzian has almost exclusively represented local government agencies, in virtually all legal capacities.  He has handled complex litigation for public agencies in state and federal court at the trial and appellate level and before local and state administrative agencies in the areas of government operations, constitutional law, civil rights, torts, personnel, contract, and land use matters.  During that time, he has also served as the City Attorney of Rolling Hills Estates, Malibu, South Pasadena, and Azusa, participating in hundreds of city council and planning commission meetings.  He has regularly rendered advice to public agencies on zoning, planning and other real estate matters.  He has also advised clients on public-private partnerships.

Over the years, Mr. Terzian has lectured at seminars and panels conducted by the League of California Cities, City Attorneys' Association of Los Angeles County, and other organizations on a variety of legal subjects including federal and state constitutional law, federal procedure, municipal antitrust liability, handicap discrimination in employment, First Amendment rights of public employees, rights of discovery in litigation from public officials, and religious freedom.

Mr. Terzian has also published articles in Los Angeles Lawyer, Public Law Journal, Fiscal Report, and Western City on municipal antitrust liability, the binding effect of administrative agency decisions in subsequent court proceedings, the validity of Buy American ordinances, and charter schools.

He has served as a member of the State Bar Disciplinary Board (1976-1979), the Executive Committee of the Public Law Section of the State Bar (1993-1995), and as president of the City Attorneys' Association of Los Angeles County (1995).  He has also served on the State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (1985-1988). 

As an appointee of two successive Governors, Mr. Terzian served on the Commission on California State Government, Organization and Economy, commonly known as the “Little Hoover Commission” from 1986 to 2003 (Chair 1994-2001).