Foley & Lardner LLP Partner Byron McLain has received the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award (CLAY) for his work in securing victory in the historic Bruce’s Beach case.
McLain led the Foley team that represented the County of Los Angeles in defending against a lawsuit to prevent the transfer and return of this property to the Bruce family. Bruce’s Beach was a popular Black-owned resort in the City of Manhattan Beach that catered to Black beachgoers, before it was wrongfully condemned in an act of racial discrimination by the City. In an effort to rectify this profound historical wrong, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation into law which enabled the County to take appropriate actions to return the property to the Bruce’s legal heirs.
A County resident then filed suit to block the transfer of the property, arguing that the transfer of the property violates Article XVI, Section 6 of the California Constitution, which prohibits the Legislature from giving public funds to private citizens.
In his capacity as lead counsel for the County, McLain persuaded the court that returning the property to the Bruce family is not an improper gift because this act would enable the County to “rectify the historic injustice that was done to the Bruce family by returning the land…from whom it was taken in an act motivated by racism.”
In the Daily Journal’s article “Restoring a family legacy while righting a historic wrong” recognizing McLain’s CLAY award win, he said, “This wasn’t just about the Bruce family. This would give future Los Angeles County citizens, particularly minorities, particularly African Americans, confidence that there was recourse if property from them was taken wrongfully in the future in any way.”
To read Foley’s full press release on the Bruce’s Beach victory, click here.
