News & Insights

Daily Journal Features Honorees in Special Supplement Oct. 28

SAN DIEGO (October 29, 2026) – Recognized for their outstanding legal work and contributions to California’s commercial real estate industry, Dorothy Groza and Joseph von Meier, partners at Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3), have been named among the Daily Journal’s Top Commercial Real Estate and Development Lawyers in California for 2026.

The annual recognition highlights leading attorneys shaping the state’s commercial real estate and development landscape. All are profiled in a special Daily Journal supplement which published Oct. 28.

At CGS3, Groza and von Meier bring sound legal counsel and deep industry knowledge to complex transactions and development projects. Their recognition underscores CGS3’s commitment to delivering innovative, business-minded legal solutions for real estate owners, developers and investors throughout California.

Both advise clients on a range of sophisticated commercial real estate matters – and each has an impressive industry track record. Groza joined CGS3 as senior counsel in 2024 and was promoted to partner in 2025. She brings particular expertise in structuring and negotiating high-value deals involving real estate finance, secured lending and regulatory compliance – including international and multi-state development, foreign investment and joint venture projects. She previously served as general counsel to Empire, a leading California-based retailer, manufacturer and distributor, overseeing all legal functions of the company and managed its external counsel. Concurrently, she also led her own independent law practice, Groza Law, for nine years, where she facilitated the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and development of over $900 million in real estate transactions across the hospitality, food and beverage, retail, multifamily and technology sectors.

Since joining CGS3 in 2017 and rising to partner in 2019, von Meier has been instrumental in the firm’s rapid growth and recognition. Known for blending sharp business insight with strategic legal counsel, he specializes in the residential development process – representing leading developers, investors, and construction firms in high-profile, complex real estate transactions.  His practice spans construction and development across sectors including student housing, multifamily, luxury residential, retail and mixed-use projects.   An active industry voice he speaks regularly at industry conferences, recently Bisnow’s Multifamily Housing Summit, and holds ICSC and NAIOP memberships.

About Crosbie Gliner Schiffman Southard & Swanson LLP (CGS3)

CGS3 is a recognized leader among a new generation of commercial real estate law firms with practice areas covering the entire commercial real estate life cycle, including finance, acquisition/disposition, entity formation, tax, construction and development, land use, leasing, distressed asset workouts and dispute resolution.  Earning a reputation as one of California’s leading commercial real estate law firms, CGS3 recruits some of the state’s top real estate attorneys from both large corporate firms and senior in-house positions.  For more information, visit http://www.cgs3.com.