Rickson Galvez founded Law Laguna, a Laguna Beach law firm serving California businesses and property owners. His practice focuses on business contracts, corporate governance and compliance, transactions, real estate matters, and other non-litigation advisory work.
Through Law of the Landlord, Rickson brings that business-minded approach to rental-property decisions. He identifies the facts and rules that matter, explains the practical tradeoffs, and develops documents or a plan the owner can use.
A practical approach to property-owner decisions
Rental-property issues often arrive as an urgent question: Can the owner change a term? How should a repair demand be handled? Is a notice appropriate? Does a local ordinance apply? What should happen before a tenant-occupied sale?
Rickson’s approach is to slow the problem down enough to identify the controlling facts without losing sight of the owner’s deadline or business objective.
That may include:
- Reviewing the lease, addenda, notices, communications, and property records.
- Identifying state and local rules that may affect the decision.
- Separating a documentation problem from a legal-coverage problem.
- Explaining available paths, likely dependencies, and material risks.
- Drafting or revising the agreed document.
- Building a compliance, negotiation, evidence, or handoff plan.
A clean file makes the next decision easier. It can also help another professional—such as litigation counsel, tax counsel, insurance counsel, a broker, or a property manager—understand what has happened and what remains to be done.
Relevant professional background
Before founding Law Laguna, Rickson practiced at Lagerlof, LLP in Pasadena, where his work included corporate governance, commercial contracts, transactions, general advisory matters, and corporate and real estate disputes.
Earlier, Rickson worked with Cypress Creek Renewables, a national renewable-energy developer and owner. He supported M&A, project-finance, portfolio transactions, corporate approvals, and cross-functional deal teams. That experience informs his practical view of how contracts, title, ownership structure, financing, development, and operational risk interact.
Rickson also spent more than two years with the New York State Science & Technology Law Center. His work involved intellectual-property positioning, licensing, commercialization, regulatory considerations, and translating technical issues into business decisions. His background also includes experience at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC.
Real estate and owner-side focus
Rickson advises real estate investors, developers, construction companies, investment vehicles, and project-specific entities. Through Law of the Landlord, he organizes that experience around the decisions rental-property owners and managers face.
The work may involve:
- Residential lease drafting, review, and property-specific addenda.
- Portfolio and property-manager document systems.
- Screening, rent, deposit, privacy, occupancy, and repair issues.
- Fair-housing and accommodation processes.
- Rent-control, just-cause, and local-law coverage analysis.
- Notice and pre-litigation strategy.
- Demand response, negotiation, settlement, and buyout counseling.
- Commercial landlord leasing and default strategy.
- Tenant-occupied acquisitions and sales.
- Due diligence, title, escrow, ownership, and development-related decisions.
The For California Property Owners hub explains the owner-service path. Real Estate Law for Property Owners and Investors addresses transactions and adjacent property matters.
For issue-specific examples, see Residential Lease Drafting and Review and Pre-Litigation Eviction and Possession Assessment. Use the Local Landlord Law Center to identify county, city, and property overlays.
Prevention and pre-litigation work
Law of the Landlord focuses on counseling and pre-litigation work. Many possession and dispute problems are shaped by the lease, coverage analysis, notice, evidence, local prerequisite, or communication that comes before a court filing.
Rickson reviews the tenancy, documents, local requirements, available options, and pre-litigation strategy. If a filed court action becomes necessary, Law Laguna can organize the file and coordinate a transition to appropriate litigation counsel.
That boundary allows Rickson to focus on:
- Identifying the correct legal and factual path before escalation.
- Improving the owner’s documents and decision record.
- Preserving evidence and clarifying the relief sought.
- Exploring negotiated solutions where appropriate.
- Preparing a coherent handoff when another lawyer must appear in court.
Direct attorney involvement
Law Laguna is built around direct access to the attorney responsible for the work. For a property owner, that means the lawyer analyzing the lease, local rule, or negotiation problem also understands the property context and the owner’s objective.
Matters begin with conflict, scope, and availability review. If the matter fits, the proposed engagement identifies the work to be completed and the information needed to begin. The exact process depends on whether the owner needs a document, written assessment, compliance plan, negotiation strategy, or transaction review.
Admissions and education
Rickson’s admissions and education include:
- Membership in the State Bar of California.
- A J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law.
- A B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
- A Certificate in Leadership & Negotiation Techniques from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
How Rickson reviews a new property matter
An efficient first review usually begins with:
- Parties and property. Identify the legal owner, manager, tenant, known counsel, and property address so conflicts and jurisdiction can be checked.
- Decision and deadline. State what must be decided and identify any known notice, agency, transaction, or court deadline.
- Operative documents. Locate the signed lease, addenda, amendments, notices, payment history, communications, and relevant property records.
- State and local coverage. Check the property type, tenancy dates, exemption facts, city or county jurisdiction, and possible local overlays.
- Requested work product. Define whether the owner needs a document review, written assessment, compliance plan, negotiation strategy, or organized litigation handoff.
Do not send confidential facts or documents until Law Laguna confirms that it can evaluate the matter.
Questions property owners often ask
Will I work directly with Rickson Galvez?
Law Laguna is built around direct access to the attorney responsible for the matter. Each engagement letter identifies the responsible attorney, scope, and communication process for the specific work.
What kinds of property owners does Rickson advise?
Rickson advises California rental-property owners, housing providers, property managers, and real estate investors. The work may involve single-family, multifamily, high-value and furnished, commercial, investment, and development-related property, subject to conflict, scope, and availability review.
Does Rickson represent owners in eviction court?
Rickson’s work through Law of the Landlord centers on counseling, document review, negotiation, compliance, and pre-litigation strategy. Any courtroom representation must be confirmed for the specific matter. If separate litigation counsel is required, Law Laguna can organize the file and prepare the handoff.
Can Rickson review a matter outside Orange County?
Yes. Law of the Landlord by Law Laguna serves property owners throughout California, with a focus on Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties. Local requirements depend on the property’s jurisdiction, so Rickson confirms which rules apply to each matter.
Can Law Laguna advise on real estate transactions as well as landlord matters?
Yes. The Real Estate Law section covers commercial landlord leases, acquisitions and sales, tenant-occupied transactions, due diligence, title and escrow, ownership planning, property disputes, and development-related decisions.
How do I know whether my matter is a fit?
Start by sharing the parties, property, broad issue, jurisdiction, and any known deadline. Law Laguna will check conflicts, scope, and availability before requesting confidential details or documents.
California bar information
Rickson is admitted to practice in California. Current license information is available through the State Bar of California Attorney Search.
Request landlord counsel
If you need a lease, compliance, local-law, developing tenant-problem, or real estate decision reviewed, start with the property, parties, broad issue, and deadline.