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Description of Practice:
Jim is a partner in the firm's San Francisco office, where he specializes in environmental and land use law. He manages the permit entitlement process for proposed projects, and specializes in federal, state and local permits involving environmental and natural resource issues. This typically includes compliance with CEQA, NEPA, wetlands, endangered species, streams and rivers, stormwater discharges, and coastal development rules and all related enforcement actions. For large-scale projects, Jim's responsibilities will include development of a permitting strategy, managing environmental consultants and engineers in assembling permit support analyses, and negotiations and appearances before the various permitting agencies.
Jim also stays active on a broad range of environmental, health and safety rules and regulations. Among other things, this includes advising clients on asbestos, lead, hazardous waste cleanups and notification requirements, and leaking underground storage tanks.
Previously, Jim served as the General Counsel for the California State Resources Agency (1994 - 1996) and Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (1996 - 1997). He was directly involved in developing strategic actions in response to the listing of several federal and state endangered or threatened species and was responsible for two major revisions to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. During this time, he also served as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, was a Member of the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy, and a Commissioner ex officio for the California Coastal Commission. Throughout, Jim continues to write and lecture on environmental law and regulation.
Educational History:
Jim completed his undergraduate work at Whitman College and received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif. | 