CityNorth developer suing law firm

A prominent Phoenix law firm is the target of a lawsuit claiming its actions put the developer of CityNorth out of business.

The developer, a subsidiary of the Klutznick Co. called Northeast Phoenix Partners, also controlled development rights throughout the 5,700-acre Desert Ridge development in northeast Phoenix.

But Northeast Phoenix Partners, or NPP, lost both CityNorth and Desert Ridge in a lawsuit with another developer, Gray Development Group, resolved earlier this year.

The new lawsuit, filed last week, claims Gammage & Burnham was NPP’s attorney when it advised Gray on how to proceed with an effort to increase residential density on a Desert Ridge parcel north of Desert Ridge Marketplace. The suit says Gammage gave NPP conflicting advice, urging them to oppose Gray’s effort.

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