SMW Attorney Presents on Disaster Response to the Association of California Water Agencies
Severely eroded portion of the California Coastal Trail. All photos courtesy of City of Half Moon Bay. SMW attorney Catherine Engberg presented on the topic of disaster response to the Water Quality Committee of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). The 2023 winter storms / atmospheric river severely impacted SMW client City of Half […]
Sara Clark Leads Panel Discussion at Yosemite Environmental Law Conference About Beneficial Fire
At the fall 2022 Environmental Law Conference, SMW partner Sara Clark moderated a panel titled “Restoring Beneficial Fire in California.” The conference, sponsored by the California Lawyers Association, is held every year at Yosemite National Park. Panel participants Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Craig Thomas, and Don Hankins discussed the history of fire exclusion in California and the […]
SMW Attorney Contributes to Journal of California Supreme Court Historical Society
SMW attorney Pearl Kan was recognized by Rob Mullaney, clinical director of the Aoki Water Justice Clinic at @UCDavisLaw, for her help in an article published in the Journal of the CA Supreme Court Historical Society related to the Clinic’s foundation.
SMW Attorneys Speak at National Land Trust Conference
At the Land Trust Alliance’s annual national conference in New Orleans in September, SMW firm members Sarah Sigman and Tamara Galanter shared their expertise with land trust representatives and others in the conservation community. Sarah presented on best practices for preparing the baseline reports that document the condition of the conservation property at the time […]
SMW Halts “Underground Regulation” Threatening Solar and Storage Projects
In a settlement with SMW client the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA), a state licensing board rescinded regulations that would have prohibited solar contractors from installing solar panels paired with batteries for energy storage. The regulations would have been devastating to California’s solar contractors and their workers, as well as to consumers who are […]
Changes Coming in 2023 to State Energy Code and Green Building Standards
In late 2021, the California Energy Commission approved updates to California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Energy Code), which regulate energy and water efficiency for newly constructed buildings. The Commission also approved energy-related updates to the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), which both mandates and encourages sustainable construction practices. Both sets of updated standards take […]
SMW Serves as General Counsel to Ladera Recreation District
In 2022, the firm began serving as General Counsel to the Ladera Recreation District. The Ladera Recreation District is a Community Services District in the unincorporated Ladera neighborhood of San Mateo County. The District has provided exceptional recreational services since its establishment in the 1950s.
LA Times Op-Ed: Why Forest Managers Need to Team Up with Indigenous Fire Practitioners
SMW attorney Sara A. Clark co-authored an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times calling for increased support for beneficial fires, especially in partnership with Indigenous fire practitioners, and for an update to our national approach to wildfire management. The partnership between cultural fire practitioners and western scientists, which Clark is facilitating, calls for change […]
SMW Prevails in Fight Against Sprawl Development in the Hills of Contra Costa County
SMW helped non-profit group Save Mount Diablo strike a blow against environmentally damaging, sprawl development in Contra Costa County, and as a result staved off massive grading and development in the hills between Pittsburg and Concord. Earlier this year, the Contra Costa Superior Court agreed with SMW’s argument that the environmental review for a proposed […]
SMW Serves as General Counsel to Highlands Recreation District
In 2022, the firm began serving as General Counsel to the Highlands Recreation District. The Highlands Recreation District is a Special District in the unincorporated Highlands neighborhood of San Mateo County. The District has provided exceptional recreational services since its establishment in the 1950s.