Leaders of Influence: Nonprofit & Philanthropy 2024 – Matthew Umhofer and Elizabeth Mitchell

MATTHEW UMHOFER & ELIZABETH MITCHELL
Partners
Umhofer, Mitchell & King LLP

There is no more pressing issue in Los Angeles than the homelessness crisis, and no case has had a greater impact on this issue than the LA Alliance case, brought by Matthew Umhofer and Elizabeth Mitchell.

On behalf of a coalition of unhoused individuals, community members, service providers and businesses, Mitchell and Umhofer brought a first-of-its-kind case against the city and county of Los Angeles alleging that local government officials had failed at a constitutional level to address the crisis of homelessness playing out on the streets of LA. Over the course of the ensuing three years, Mitchell and Umhofer secured a massive $1 billion preliminary injunction against the city and the county, inked a $700 million interim settlement agreement, argued an interlocutory appeal, and fought the case to a settlement requiring a $4 billion increase in funding for shelter, housing and services for those experiencing homelessness.