Michael Gruen has been involved in preservation related law for decades. He first became aware of historic preservation while living in Los Angeles when the fate of Watts Towers was being debated. In New York, he’s worked directly on preservation cases through the Municipal Art Society where he was a volunteer on the law committee, including such prominent cases such as Lutheran Church v. City of New York, and Penn Central Transportation Co v. City of New York. He also helped to draft the 1973 Amendments to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law. More recently, he was involved in Stahl York Avenue LLC v. the City of New York, In the Matter of Allison v. the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the cases focused on Pier 55.