Updates and Articles
Best Lawyers Names Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger to 2026 Best Law Firms List
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger has been recognized for excellence in the 2026 edition Best Law Firms rankings. Best Lawyers, a peer-reviewed guide to lawyers and law firms in the U.S. and internationally, has once again recognized Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger as a Best Law Firm. The firm was previously recognized in 2025, 2024, 2022, and 2020. For the second year in a row, the firm received the highly prestigious...
Read MoreMatthew Zinn Invited to Join California Academy of Appellate Lawyers
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger partner Matt Zinn has been admitted to the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Founded in 1972, the Academy is the nation’s oldest lawyers’ organization dedicated to appellate practice. New members are invited to join based on their contributions to appellate law and commitment to effective appellate practice. Academy members are frequently counsel of record in the most complex and...
Read MoreAfter a Trip to SCOTUS and Back, El Dorado County’s Traffic Mitigation Fee Is Still Not a Taking
After review by the US Supreme Court, California’s Third Appellate District held that the traffic mitigation fee the County of El Dorado imposes on new development projects is not an unconstitutional taking. The court held that category- or formula-based fees can be imposed provided fees are developed using a “valid method” that “establish a reasonable relationship between the fee charged and the projected burdens” of...
Read MoreFilling a Vacancy on the City Council
When a member of the City Council resigns, retires, or passes away, the position is left vacant. This article explains how to navigate the process of filling the vacancy while also complying with state law and avoiding potential pitfalls.
Read MoreSMW Partner Richard Taylor Named a Lawyer of the Year; Eight SMW Attorneys Again Named to Best Lawyers in America List
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger partner Richard S. Taylor has received the prestigious “2026 Lawyer of the Year” designation from the Best Lawyers Awards. This award is presented to a single lawyer in each practice area and geographic region. Mr. Taylor received this recognition for the environmental litigation practice area, in the San Francisco region. Mr. Taylor joined the firm in 1991. His primary practice areas...
Read MoreWhat Now? Opportunities remain for local government building code changes after AB 130
AB 130 put the brakes on many local residential building code changes, but there are still opportunities for local governments to adopt modifications to the state building code. This article provides guidance for cities and counties pursuing such efforts via the exceptions in the new law.
Read MoreTahoe Champion and SMW Co-Founder Clem Shute Honored with Dianne Feinstein Award
Clem Shute, a founding partner of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, has received the prestigious Dianne Feinstein Award. Much of the work for which Shute was recognized with this award was done during his decades at the firm. The news release below, from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, has the details.
Read MoreCalifornia Enacts Major Changes to CEQA and State Housing Laws
Governor Newsom recently signed two bills that include wide-ranging changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and notable amendments to state housing laws. This article summarizes these changes, which are effective now. The new laws will significantly change how public agencies, developers, and community groups engage with state and local permitting processes.
Read MoreUpdate on Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP’s Support of Law Firms Fighting Trump Executive Orders
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger continues to support law firms that are pushing back against executive overreach by the Trump Administration. Since the firm’s initial support in April, multiple judges have ruled in favor of law firms and the rule of law.
Read MoreImplementing Approaches After Attorney General Opined that Remote Meeting Accessibility is a Reasonable Accommodation for Public Officials With Disabilities
Last year, the state Office of the Attorney General released an opinion that paves the way for enhanced public meeting accessibility for individuals with disabilities who are members of local bodies covered by the Brown Act. This article discusses an approach that some cities are taking to implement their ADA obligations in light of the opinion.
Read MoreSan Francisco-based Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP joins 500+ law firms in support of Perkins Coie resistance to Trump overreach
San Francisco, Calif. – Leading California public interest law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP is one of 507 firms nationwide to sign on to an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief submitted to the US District Court in Washington, DC on Friday. The brief was filed in support of Perkins Coie LLP in its suit against the US Department of Justice in response to a March 6 Executive Order issued by President...
Read MoreSMW Supports the Karuk Tribe in State’s First Cultural Burning Agreement
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger Partner Sara Clark has for several years supported Tribal efforts to put more “good fire” on the ground in California. For millennia, Indigenous North Americans have used fire for ceremonial purposes, to manage and produce food, fiber, and medicine, and to manage the landscape for protection against larger, uncontrolled wildfires.
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