A Different Kind of Lawyer
Cynthia Morgan-Reed went to law school to be a different kind of lawyer. Cynthia found her legal passion practicing land use, lobbying, and real estate transactional work. She loves how land use intersects law, policy and politics. She drafts, negotiates, and processes development agreements; conditions of approval; amendments to ordinances; general plans, specific plans and community plans; zone changes; conditional use permits; variances; development entitlements; leases; purchase and sale agreements; easements; licenses, letters of intent, and memorandum of understanding.
Cynthia Morgan-Reed with her family
She delights in helping clients be comfortable with the government approval process and satisfied with the time and costs invested in obtaining those approvals. Ms. Morgan-Reed frequently appears on behalf of clients in front of elected and appointed government officials regarding government approvals. She maintains strong relationships with government officials and staff throughout public agencies in the County of San Diego and California.
Ms. Morgan-Reed also analyzes and advises clients on environmental impact reports, mitigated negative declarations, negative declarations, initial studies and statutory and case law under the California Environmental Quality Act. She negotiates with public agencies on federal, state and regional development requirements; and assists individuals and community members challenging governmental and third-party land use decisions.
Ms. Morgan-Reed’s background has allowed her to represent a diverse clientele that includes developers, small business owners, community groups, public agencies, and non-profits. Entrepreneurial in nature, she founded Vanst Law LLP, a virtual law firm named after her two children. Ms. Morgan-Reed was also a partner in two large San Diego-based law firms. She was also a Deputy City Attorney in the Oceanside City Attorney Office and in the Criminal and Civil Trial Unit in the San Diego City Attorney Office.
Ms. Morgan-Reed was a Municipal Legal Fellow for the League of California Cities and a Georgetown Law Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow where she was placed with the National Association of Women Judges and taught a law course as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University.
Ms. Morgan Reed graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School and the James Madison College at Michigan State University with a BA in International Relations. She decided the climate in the Midwest was too cold and, after graduating from law school, moved to California where the weather is perfect.
Representative Matters
Represented hotel developers in obtaining entitlements for LEED Certified and urban in-fill hotels;
Negotiated the purchase of property and entitlements for a 100-unit, mixed-use condominium project with affordable housing and historic designation;
Opposed an addiction and treatment center from relocating to a commercial area;
Negotiated favorable traffic, parking and environmental conditions of approval for a commercial property.
Obtained Clean Hands Waiver in County of Los Angeles Code Enforcement case
Negotiated agreements between two public agencies to reimburse Development Impact Fees for public improvements constructed by developer
Current Affiliations
Voice of San Diego, Board of Directors, Secretary and Member
San Diego Policy Forum
Lambda Alpha International San Diego
San Diego County Bar Association
Prior Affiliations
Board Member and Public Policy Committee member of the San Diego Downtown Partnership
San Diego Chamber of Commerce, Public Policy Committee Member and Advance Mentor
Civic San Diego, Board of Directors, Chair
San Diego County Taxpayers Association, Executive Committee and Board of Director
Lawyers Club, Member, Women’s Resource Fair Co-Chair, Mentoring Committee Co-chair
East Village Association, Member and Past Vice President
Run Women Run, former Executive Committee and Advisory Board
Equinox Center, Board Member
Awards
2018 and 2019 San Diego Super Lawyer
2017 San Diego County Bar Association Community Service Award
2015 Civic San Diego’s Director Award
2015, 2016, 2017 San Diego Daily Transcript Best of the Bar
2012 San Diego Metropolitan Magazine Women Who Impact San Diego
2011 San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business
2009 San Diego Metropolitan Magazine 40 Under 40