July 18, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Up Front With Tom Larmore: Principal Of Harding Larmore Kutcher & Kozal, LLP:

For almost 40 years, Tom Larmore has practiced real estate finance law, representing domestic and foreign commercial banks and other institutional lenders. He has also represented major property owners and developers in real estate transactions and land use matters.

Prior to moving his practice to Santa Monica, Larmore spent almost 30 years at large law firms in downtown Los Angeles, the last 10 of which were with Pillsbury Madison & Sutro where he co-chaired the national real estate practice.

Larmore has also worked in Washington, D.C. as a staff attorney for the Federal Reserve Board and served as a law clerk for Judge Shirley M. Hufstedler in the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

As a Santa Monica resident for more than 35 years, what have been your highlights participating in civic affairs?

The real highlight has been all of the people I’ve met over the years. If I hadn’t been involved in community and political matters, I would still be working in downtown Los Angeles with little knowledge of Santa Monica and its fascinating residents.

The two most memorable political campaigns were the first and the last. In 1983, I joined with many Santa Monica homeowners and other residents to form the All Santa Monica Coalition, which swept three Council seats in a major upset. Last year I co-chaired the campaign to pass Propositions Y and YY which, thanks to the leadership of City Manager Rod Gould, will help provide desperately needed funding for our local schools.

In addition to politics, my involvement with the Chamber, as a member of the Executive Committee for many years and as Chair, it opened up a new world of people who make the City function as it does. I’m enjoying my service on the School District’s Financial Oversight Committee because of the fiscal challenges presented to local public schools around the State.

As a specialist on real estate matters, I understand you regularly speak and write on related topics. Can you give us some examples?

My primary area of expertise is real estate related transactions – purchasing and selling real estate, financing construction, and other lending arrangements, and commercial leasing. Over the years, I have lectured on various legal and practical issues presented by these transactions. For three years I was an adjunct professor in a graduate program at USC covering legal issues relating to real estate development. For a UCLA graduate, this was a bit of a challenge, but the students made it an enjoyable experience. I also gained an appreciation for the amount of work required in order to be an effective teacher.

What type of practice areas does your company offer?

Virtually all of our practice involves real estate matters. Most of our business is in the land use arena where we advise property owners in dealing with government, frequently the City of Santa Monica, but also other cities as well as State and Federal agencies such as the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Coastal Commission. While I get involved in these matters on occasion, my transactional practice generally keeps me busy. For example, we represented one of the major landowners of the 52,000 square foot parcel at the corner of Fourth and Arizona, which the City’s Redevelopment Agency acquired last year.

Why did you decide to go in business for yourself?

During the 1983 election, I met and worked closely with Chris Harding. He and I worked on various other campaigns and land use matters over the years so when I decided to leave the world of large downtown LA law firms in 1999, joining with Chris and his partners was a natural step. It has been a delightful change for me to have an opportunity to live and work in this vibrant city.

Harding Larmore Kutcher & Kozal, LLP has represented hundreds of clients before the Santa Monica City Council, Planning Commission, Landmarks Commission, and Rent Control Board. How have you dealt with regulations proposed and adopted by the City?

Very carefully. We try to follow developing issues important to our clients and provide feedback as significant land use measures are being considered. A good example is the recently adopted Land Use and Circulation Element. Our firm participated in many of the workshops held by the City and provided extensive comments as the drafts were being discussed by the Planning Commission and Council. Once new regulations are adopted, we advise clients of the likely impact. Understanding the regulations and, more importantly, the public policy which underlies them, is a way we provide value to our clients.

As a member of the School District’s Financial Oversight Committee, what was your opinion of the recent Board decision to centralize fundraising with the Education Foundation?

Naturally, the FOC’s major concern revolves around maximizing revenue to the District and spending it wisely. At the same time, I fully recognize the concerns about the great disparity in the amount of money currently raised by individual PTAs and booster clubs. While some see these two concerns as being in conflict, I see an opportunity to greatly enhance the overall fundraising for the District while maintaining a high level for each individual school. But it will be critical that the Education Foundation be able to move, not only the next level, but several levels above that, and I believe this will take some time. So while I strongly support the centralizing fundraising policy and the Board’s action to adopt it at this time, I’m concerned that there is insufficient time being given to the Foundation. I’m hopeful that this approach will result in a strong community-wide effort, which will result in a substantial increase in funds available for additional staff at each school rather than being seen as a zero-sum game in which some schools suffer a loss of funds.

in News
<>Related Posts

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays at...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Film Review: Superman

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

“This movie is packed with storyline, Superman lore, meaningful objects, and action.” writes Kathryn Whitney Boole Rated PG-13129 MinutesReleased July...

Multiple Drug Arrests Reported in Palisades Park in Recent Weeks

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

SMPD Reported Several of the Arrests Between June 29 and July 5 The Santa Monica Police Department reported several drug-related...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

SMPD to Conduct Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Operation on Friday

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The focus will be on speeding, illegal turns, failing to yield or provide right of way to cyclists or walkers,...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

LAPD Seeks Missing 63-Year-Old Man Known to Frequent Playa Vista

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

His family last heard from him via a group text on June 22 The Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons...

Santa Monica Offers City-Owned Properties for Affordable Housing Development

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The move aims to address the city’s Regional Housing Need Assessment of 8,895 units, with a goal of producing at...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...

Venice Beach to Host First Medal at 2028 Olympics

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Venice Beach, known for its vibrant boardwalk, will kick off the 844 ticketed events, hosting the triathlon along its coastline...