Spotlight Feature: Brandon Young
Graduation Year: 2011
WLR Position: Articles Editor
Brandon Young is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and currently leads the Government and Regulatory practice group. Prior to joining Manatt and after graduating from law school, Brandon was an associate here in Seattle at Oles Morrison Rinker & Baker, specializing in government contracts.
As a WLR alumnus, Brandon attributes his growth as an attorney to his journal experience, which has honed his ability to identify emerging legal issues critical for clients’ understanding. In addition to learning how to cite correctly, Brandon’s time as an Articles Editor allowed him to communicate with clients and direct them on legal issues in the future.
Brandon’s experience on spotting emerging legal issues has guided him in two different aspects of his practice at Manatt. First, Brandon deals with businesses at the intersection of law, policy, and government, representing companies providing services on behalf of the government, including public goods relating to infrastructure, telecommunications, and transportation. Additionally, Brandon undertakes policy work addressing regulatory, constitutional, and public interest matters, notably focusing on constitutional regulatory issues concerning homelessness.
Given his commitment to addressing homelessness at Manatt, Brandon started advising the HHH Citizen’s Oversight Committee, which aids in the development of housing units for low-income people and people who are homeless. In collaboration with the Committee, Brandon developed regulations to expedite housing development and reduce costs for rent-subsidized apartments for people who are homeless in LA. Following his work with the Committee, Brandon also served as special counsel to the LA County Blue Ribbon Commission on Homelessness as he developed recommendations for reforming the region’s homelessness governance system.
Brandon’s exemplary contributions have also earned him recognition, including placement on the Daily Journal’s “Top 40 under 40” list in 2020 and acknowledgment as a “Rising Star” in Government Contracts by Law360 in 2019.
Outside his professional endeavors, Brandon actively engages in civic leadership, serving on the Board of Directors for Discovery Cube LA and the LA Chamber of Commerce.
To balance work, Brandon believes in the power of passion-driven practice areas and encourages students to be curious and get involved to find their passions. This is especially important in law school as there are a lot of diverse opportunities to explore. For example, Brandon was on the Moot Court Honor Board and participated in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition in addition to being on WLR.
Washington Law Review would like to thank Brandon Young for his unwavering commitment to public service and civic engagement.
