Arnold & Porter Hails the Victory in Street Vendor Lawsuit Against City of Los Angeles

Arnold & Porter joins its co-counsel, Public Counsel and Western Center on Law & Poverty, in announcing a settlement with the City of Los Angeles that concludes a year and a half of litigation challenging the City’s unlawful restrictions blocking its sidewalk vendor community — nearly all of which is low-income and has no other means to support their families — from vending in or near many of the City’s most iconic and lucrative retail areas, including Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the like.

“This first-of-its-kind victory was made possible by California’s adoption of state-wide legislation which protects sidewalk vendors from, among other things, undue restrictions imposed by local authorities on where vendors can operate,” said Matt Heartney, a pro bono attorney leading Arnold & Porter’s team. This success also was made possible, he added, by the tireless efforts of three community organizations: Community Power Collective, East LA Community Corporation, and Inclusive Action for the City, and two local vendors that represented the City’s sidewalk vendor community throughout the lawsuit.

Earlier this year, following lengthy litigation including favorable judicial rulings, the City Council voted to terminate seven of the City’s largest no-vending zones. Thereafter, through further negotiations, the City agreed to eliminate nearly all remaining vendor exclusions throughout the City and, very importantly, to cancel all past citations issued to City vendors for vending in the now eliminated exclusions areas and to refund in full all fines that such vendors had been forced to pay for these citations. In the present settlement, the relief that this settlement affords is fully equal to that sought by the lawsuit as originally filed.

In addition to Mr. Heartney, the Arnold & Porter pro bono team includes associates Kristina Iliopoulos, Somin Lee, Ally Myers, Daniel Shimell, Noor Takidin, and Jillian Williams.