SMW Advises on Adoption of State’s Delta Plan
Assisted by the firm, the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) adopts the state’s Delta Plan in 2013 to further the coequal goals of a more reliable water supply for California and protecting and restoring the Delta ecosystem while preserving the Delta as a place, and adopts amendments in 2018. The firm defends the DSC’s actions in […]
California Supreme Court Upholds Significant Regulation of Emissions from Paints
The California Supreme Court upholds the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s authority to adopt “technology-forcing” rules in a challenge to the District’s regulation of paints, the second largest source of smog-forming emissions after motor vehicles. Dan Selmi and firm partner Matt Zinn receive the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award for this […]
Agreement Enables Redevelopment of Naval Air Station Treasure Island
The firm negotiates an exchange agreement with the state, and helps defend a development plan, adopted by the Treasure Island Development Authority in 2012. (Citizens for a Sustainable Treasure Island v. City and County of San Francisco.) The approvals, authorized by legislation drafted by the firm (SB 1873), enable the redevelopment of Yerba Buena Island […]
Historic Settlement Saves Open Space in Solano County
In response to litigation challenging an estate subdivision in rural Solano County, in 2012 a developer sells the 1,500-acre “Rockville Trails” property to the Solano Land Trust, preserving some of the most precious open space in the County. (Green Valley Landowners Assn. v. Solano County.)
Conservation Victory for the California Gnatcatcher in the West Coyote Hills, City of Fullerton
Blue-gray gnatcatcher, a closely related species to the California gnatcatcher. Photo credit: Becky Matsubara, Flickr, CC BY 2.0 Voters in Fullerton pass a referendum, drafted by the firm, that overturns the City’s approval of a development agreement for a sprawling subdivision in the West Coyote Hills, home to the threatened California gnatcatcher. Following subsequent litigation […]
SMW Protects Parks and Greenbelt Along San Joaquin River
The firm successfully challenges in court Fresno County’s approval of 5,000 homes adjacent to the San Joaquin River Parkway. The firm is then able to negotiate a settlement that forces the developer to mitigate its project’s impacts on the parks and other public resources within the Parkway. (San Joaquin Parkway and Conservation Trust v. County […]
Local Land Use Rules Upheld
The firm obtains an appellate ruling upholding the City of Morgan Hill’s land use restrictions against a claim they unconstitutionally discriminated against an individual property owner. (Arcadia v. City of Morgan Hill, 197 Cal.App.4th 1526 (2011).)
Ninth Circuit Upholds Tribal Court Jurisdiction over Non-Indian Trespassers
The firm represents the Colorado River Indian Tribes in tribal court actions to regain lands from non-Indian holdover tenants, resulting in a watershed Ninth Circuit ruling upholding tribal court jurisdiction. (Water Wheel Camp Recreation Area, Inc. v. LaRance, 642 F.3d 802 (9th Cir. 2011).)
Defending the Public Purse Against Unfair Claims
On appeal, the firm secures the reversal of a potentially devastating attorneys’ fee award against the Silverado Modjeska Recreation and Parks District. (Silverado Modjeska Recreation and Parks District v. County of Orange, 197 Cal.App.4th 282 (2011).)
SMW Sues to Force County to Implement Voter Initiative
The firm prevails in a lawsuit forcing Solano County to comply with Measure E, an initiative that prohibits the importation of solid waste into the County’s landfills. (Sierra Club v. Solano County (2011).)