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 […]
Land Trust Best Practices Presented at National Conference
At the Land Trust Alliance’s annual national conference in New Orleans, SMW firm members Sarah Sigman and Tamara Galanter shared their expertise with land trusts 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 the landowner enters […]
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 Attorney Teaches Land Use Law at UC Berkeley School of Law
SMW Partner Andrew Schwartz taught Land Use Law at UC Berkeley School of Law for the Spring Semester 2021-2022 and will repeat the class Spring Semester 2022-2023. Mr. Schwartz also teaches Land Use Law at Stanford Law School.
Coastal Open Space Protected in Half Moon Bay
Catherine Engberg, a partner at SMW and City Attorney for Half Moon Bay, led a team of SMW lawyers to acquire nine vacant lots on a bluff overlooking the California coast for the City’s open space program.
SMW Attorneys Chair and Present at Land Trust Conservation Forum
Shute Mihaly & Weinberger partner Tamara Galanter chaired the California Council of Land Trust’s (CCLT) Conservation Forum in December of 2021, where partner Robert “Perl” Perlmutter presented on recent legislation threatening the permanence of conservation easements.
SMW Helps Land Trust Acquire Property to Augment Coyote Valley Preserve
Continuing its work with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority to protect the Coyote Valley in south San Jose, the firm assisted the Authority to acquire the 10-acre Ocean Queen USA parcel, a property slated for development. The property will be added to the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. Read more.
SMW Attorney Teaches Land Use Law at Stanford Law School
SMW partner Andrew Schwartz is once again teaching Land Use Law at Stanford Law School for the fall quarter 2021-2022. The course focuses on the pragmatic (more than theoretical) aspects of contemporary land use law and policy, including the tools and historical/legal foundation of modern land use law; zoning and General Plans; the process of land development; affordable housing; growth […]
SMW Attorney on Faculty of Land Trust Alliance Advanced Legal Symposium
On June 10, 2021, Tamara Galanter spoke on amendments to conservation easements and the use of building areas in conservation easements at the Eighth Symposium on Advanced Legal Topics in Land Conservation sponsored by the Land Trust Alliance. As a faculty member, Tamara joined seven other leading legal experts and practitioners to educate more than […]
Rancho Jamul Land Exchange Defeated
SMW and its client Endangered Habitats League scores a major victory in 2020 in its battle to save the Proctor Valley in San Diego County. The Wildlife Conservation Board voted down a proposal to convey a 220-acre state ecological reserve to a private developer as part of a 1,200-unit upscale housing project. Read more here: […]