Nossaman Recognized for Infrastructure, Environment, Renewable Energy and Land Use Work

Nossaman was recognized by The Legal 500 in four practice categories for 2021. The Firm was recognized in the Environment: Litigation category; the Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power category; the Land Use/Zoning category; and the Project Finance: Advice to Sponsors category.

In the Environment: Litigation category, Nossaman was noted for being “sought after by corporations, public agencies and trade associations in civil and administrative litigation throughout the US.” The Legal 500 stated that the group “led by Paul Weiland in Irvine…stands out for its ability to handle complex contentious matters involving endangered species and conservation issues. In addition to assisting clients in government clean-up claims and enforcement actions, the practice has particular strength in permitting matters, notably in the defense of public infrastructure projects against state and federal environmental litigation challenges. Mary Lynn Coffee is [also] a notable practitioner in Irvine.”

For the Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power category, the Firm was praised for having its “sweet spot…in its ability to help energy clients navigate the environmental and wildlife permitting issues associated with solar, wind, hydro and battery storage projects throughout the country.” It was also highlighted for “providing advice in the context of transactions, for example, to investors on environmental and land use due diligence issues…regularly advising wind and solar developers on standalone environmental compliance matters, as well as in the context of any litigation that may ensue (including as it relates to the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act).” Seattle-based “team head” Svend Brandt-Erichsen was called out for being “frequently engaged in contentious and non-contentious renewable energy-related matters, including the representation of clients participating in rule development.”

The Legal 500 stated that in the Land Use/Zoning field, Nossaman’s practice “stands out for its support to both private development and public infrastructure clients on innovative and complex residential, mixed use and public facility projects in California.” The publication also said, “Precondemnation planning is a particular niche area of expertise, with [practice group leader] Brad Kuhn leading advice in that respect on the Metro Gold Line foothill extension,” and “John Erskine [advising] on compliance, CEQA, state resource agency issues and the California Coastal Act [while] Bernadette Duran-Brown is a leading contact for passenger rail projects in California, and Steven Kaufmann in LA is noted for coastal land use matters.”

The Infrastructure Group—which was ranked in the Project Finance: Advice to Sponsors category—was lauded for having “one of the most impressive offerings in the U.S. [It] advises on substantial and innovate projects at all stages of development, and is particularly noteworthy for its work with public authorities.” The Legal 500 also said that recently, the group has “acted for clients such as the City of Los Angeles and the Port Authority of New York, in infrastructure projects involving ports, toll roads and railways from the procurement stage through to construction and maintenance. [Practice group leader] Patrick Harder advises on both private and public infrastructure projects across numerous jurisdictions, and is frequently consulted to assist with particularly complex and novel issues relating to P3 structures.”

The Legal 500 is a law firm-ranking body that has been analyzing the capabilities of law firms across the world for more than 30 years, with a comprehensive research program revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market.