Monthly Archives: July 2023

Owners’ Counsel of America is pleased to announce that OCA Honorary Member Michael Berger, Senior Counsel with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, will be honored with the receipt of the Jefferson B. Fordham Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the American Bar Association (ABA) at its’ 2023 ABA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado on Friday, August 4, 2023. As one of the top land use and condemnation attorneys in the United States, Berger will be recognized for his outstanding contributions to the practice of state and local government law over the course of his career. Mr. Berger has argued four cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as cases before appellate courts throughout California, numerous federal courts of appeal and other state supreme courts. He is also a frequent author of amicus curiae briefs in various appellate courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court, pressing client interests in important pending cases. Mr. Berger has spent more than 50 years as a practicing lawyer, adjunct professor, faculty member at various continuing legal education courses and author of both practical and scholarly articles in the fields of land use and eminent domain law. The Jefferson B. Fordham Awards are the highest honors given by the ABA Section of State and Local Government Law.