Robert Friedman and Alon Lagstein Named to Daily Journal’s 2026 Top Real Estate & Development Lawyers List

LOS ANGELES, CA – Robert Friedman and Alon Lagstein were selected for inclusion in the Daily Journal’s 2026 “Top Real Estate and Development Lawyers” list. They are recognized for their legal accomplishments, professionalism, and contributions to the real estate and development industry.

Friedman leads Carlton Fields’ Los Angeles real estate practice and advises commercial developers, property owners, and businesses on complex transactions. He is known for his ability to anticipate and adapt to market shifts, which currently include changes in the retail environment driven by the ongoing impact of remote work, transit-oriented development, and increased regulatory oversight. With more than 40 years of experience, Friedman has structured high-stakes transactions, ranging from the nearly $500 million sale of partnership interests in nine shopping centers; two major Los Angeles mixed-use development projects; a $98 million acquisition of a shopping center in Panorama City, including joint venture equity and debt financing; and the $83 million sale of a spec residence in Pacific Palisades (which set a new record for the highest price per square foot in the area).

For more than 30 years, Friedman has served on Culver City's Turning Point School board of trustees, playing an integral role in its expansion and development and now serving as board president. Most recently, he assisted a nonprofit dedicated to providing housing and workspaces for artists displaced by the California wildfires.

Lagstein is known for his deep experience and strategic insight in navigating complex transactions for a diverse range of clients, including property owners, operators, tenants, landlords, borrowers, lenders, investors, and developers. With a focus on acquisition and disposition, leasing, financing, and joint ventures, he serves high net worth individuals, family offices, startups, private equity firms, financial institutions, and project sponsors. Lagstein represented an investor group including John Mayer and director McG in the acquisition and leaseback of the historic Jim Henson Company lot, and handled the debt and equity financing for the January 2026 deal that rebranded the property as Chaplin Studios. He, along with Friedman, also represented Primestor Development on a $140-million construction loan for The Walk, a mixed-use project in Norwalk expected to become the largest modular development in North America, navigating a manufacturer switch from China to Mexico to mitigate tariff exposure.

Beyond his legal practice, Lagstein volunteers his legal expertise for NoHo Home Alliance, supporting the organization's mission and initiatives to build community-based solutions to homelessness in Los Angeles.

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