Land Use / Environmental

With experience in virtually every jurisdiction in Southern California and beyond, the firm’s Land Use/Environmental Department excels in all aspects of land use. The firm's expertise is unprecedented. Whether it is a commercial, industrial, residential or institutional development, the firm’s land use attorneys’ navigate clients through every step of the frequently complicated and complex entitlement process. From initial due diligence, application submittal and public hearings to post-approval compliance matters and construction, our clients benefit from the firm’s specialized, yet pragmatic, legal advice. The Land Use expertise of the firm's attorneys extends to development on federal lands as well as in mining and federal regulatory practice.

The firm also has extensive experience in representing both private and public clients in the entitlements transfer and development of property with redevelopment project areas.

Finally, the firm also has extensive experience in the environmental and regulatory arena. Our attorneys have advised clients in the remediation and development of contaminated land, Brownfield redevelopment, preparation of hazardous material compliance plans and negotiations with regulatory agencies for potential or existing violations. The firm's attorneys are versed in all aspects of practice before the California Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Water Quality Control Board's Air Quality management Districts, and Department of Toxic Substance Control.

Areas of Land Use practice include:

Brownfields
California Department of Toxic Substance Control
California Environmental Quality Act
California Federal Endangered Species Act inverse condemnates and regulatory takings
California Fish & Game (state streambed alteration and species)
California Integrated Waste Management Act (solid waste)
Clean Air Act
Clean Water Act
Community Facilities financing
Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation Liability Act (CERCLA)
Development Agreements
General Plan, Zoning and Development Code amendments
Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory
Hazardous Waste Control Act
Hazardous Waste Management
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Local Governmental Formation Commissions (LAFCO)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Nuisance and penal code violations
Owner Participation Agreements
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act
Proposition 65 (hazardous material in public)
Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Underground Storage Tank identification and disposal
Water rights and groundwater adjudication
Water supply assessments and water supply planning
Wetlands

Federal Land Use expertise:

Mineral Leases
Mining plans of operation
Mining joint venture agreements
Negotiating and drafting mineral sales agreements
Plans of operations
Rights of way
Special use permits