Vedder Price achieved a significant victory when a California court found in favor of its clients in connection with claims filed against them for failure to provide affordable housing to seniors.

Vedder Price represented Melvin Lee, former San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) commissioner, and Teresa Wong, the owners of The Avenue Assisted Living, in the breach of contract and unfair business practices claims made against them by the San Francisco City Attorney’s office for breach of a 2006 agreement to provide a total of 25 below market rate residential care units to low-income seniors. 

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow ruled in favor of the defendants on the claims that they failed to provide affordable housing to seniors, concluding that “there is no substantial evidence defendants turned any eligible person away.”

“The court’s ruling in favor of our clients shows that the claims that were brought against them were unfounded and Mr. Lee and Ms. Wong are understandably very pleased to be vindicated,” said Vedder Price Shareholder Michelle Landry, who led the team.  “The widely reported claim that they had withheld low income housing to needy seniors has been very harmful to them both personally and professionally.”

The City and County of San Francisco filed suit in 2018 against Vedder Price’s clients with additional claims of failure to submit annual monitoring reports, building code violations and public nuisance related issues. 

In addition to Landry, the Vedder Price team also included attorneys Mindy Wong and Peter Walrod.