Complex litigation practice with emphasis on construction, environmental, real estate, and business matters.

Diverse construction and environmental experience handling a range of complex matters in federal and state courts, including defense of claims involving CERCLA, soil and groundwater remediation cost recovery, natural resource damages, construction, and real estate litigation. Litigated to settlement before trial a massive forest fire natural resource damages claim relating to a 50,000+ acre fire in two National Forests and a federally designated Wilderness Area. Recent success stories include a $3.7 Million termination fee recovery for our architect client and complete defense of the related $6.2 million professional negligence claim. I also frequently provide counsel to parties with potential environmental liabilities on a wide range of legal and technical risk management options.

Extensive environmental litigation experience, focused on CERCLA, RCRA and state law cost recovery for soil and groundwater contamination remediation expenses, as well as environmental insurance coverage matters for CGL and excess liability policy holders. Predominately focused on insurance and cost recovery and liability shifting environmental litigation. Key trial team member for seven-week excess liability environmental insurance coverage trial for coverage on dry cleaners’ PCE releases at shopping center.

Broad range of environmental, construction, and real estate experience (litigation, transactional, and regulatory), with claims including CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, CAA, Prop. 65, and state law torts for VOC releases, USTs, brownfields and toxic torts. Also, significant construction and business litigation experience. Secured real estate land sale specific performance judgment for plaintiff-client as second chair following a one-week bench trial in California Eastern District Court.

Senior Project Manager with increasing business development responsibility for soil and groundwater contamination sites, including project lead for multiple Santa Clara Valley District flood control infrastructure projects. Environmental due diligence assessment, investigation and remediation of significant fuel leaks and PNA contamination from former PG&E coal gasification plant at the San Jose Arena site for the San Jose Redevelopment Agency.

Wide variety of environmental engineering assignments, including investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater VOC, TPH, metals, PNA, PCB and pesticide contamination at numerous Bay Area sites. Environmental investigation and remediation of multiple sites, including proposed NPL site, VOC, circuit board fabrication facilities, and UST sites. Lead role in pre-purchase environmental assessment of 50+ miles of railroad track and surrounding properties for the Joint Powers Authority/Cal Train purchase of the SP rail line between San Jose and San Francisco.