Dave Rand

Founding Partner, Rand Paster Nelson

Rand has carved out a niche for himself as the go-to-guy for builder’s remedy cases. representing developers like Leo Pustilnikov. 

He was one of the first attorneys to successfully employ the California law that allows developers to bypass local zoning rules and fast-track housing projects if a city fails to meet its state-mandated housing goals. 

Specializing in land use law and governmental regulatory matters, Rand’s practice focuses on various aspects of the planning and entitlement process and navigating residential, industrial and commercial clients through the local land use approval and California Environmental Quality Act, aka CEQA, compliance process. Rand has obtained governmental approvals for thousands of market-rate and affordable housing units throughout Southern California.

Rand launched the firm with fellow land-use experts Elisa Paster and Todd Nelson in 2022. He gravitated toward housing law when a lack of student housing exposed the city’s restrictive housing approval process. Rand previously served as a partner at Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac. He was the political director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where he managed the bipartisan lobbying group’s political affairs in California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Rand had an unsuccessful run for Davis City Council on a pro-density platform in 1998. He is regularly consulted by policymakers and elected officials on housing law and novel land use theories and approaches.