A new Ventura County law firm will greet the new year: The father and son team of Chuck and Tom Cohen are forming a new firm called Cohen Land Use Law, LLP, leveraging their expertise in real estate and development.

The Cohens announced the formation of their new Thousand Oaks-based firm on Dec. 29. They were previously with Cohen Begun & Deck, LLP, and the decision to form a new firm was “difficult,” Tom Cohen said in a statement. He said the new firm will allow the pair to focus on “services unique to property development, redevelopment” and “ownership needs” of clients.

Chuck Cohen is a former mayor of Thousand Oaks, and has been active in representing clients from Santa Barbara to the Conejo Valley.

The decision to start a new firm comes amid a boom in commercial construction in Thousand Oaks related to biotechnology and signs that redevelopment on Thousand Oaks Boulevard could shift into a faster gear. However, the ability to move from design to building permits can still be a long and costly process across the region.

“It is an honor to work with a legend who also happens to be my father,” Tom Cohen told the Business Times in an email. “We have decided to whittle down our law group so that we can focus on other endeavors in addition to serving our clients, big and small.”

Both Cohens are well known in community circles. Tom Cohen is immediate past chair of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and Chuck Cohen has a long affiliation with many area nonprofits. The elder Cohen is on the boards of KCLU public radio, the CSU Channel Islands Foundation and Casa Pacifica Centers for Children & Families.