Updates and Articles
Quiet Title 101: What Public Agencies Need to Know
Public agencies often hold property with complicated title histories and defects tend to surface at the worst possible moment. This article covers when quiet title litigation becomes necessary, what the process requires, and where it goes wrong, with practical guidance based on the experience of Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger attorneys.
Read MoreHousing Law Guidance: Senate Bill 79 Advisories and Further Resources from HCD
Housing bills often come with interpretive challenges that can frustrate local governments. This article discusses resources from the Department of Housing and Community Development that can help guide implementation decisions, with a focus on SB 79 advisory memos and a primer for the bill’s provisions to facilitate transit-oriented development.
Read MoreSMW Client San Francisco Baykeeper Challenges SF Bay Sand Mining Leases
Sand might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about finite natural resources. But the sand beneath San Francisco Bay is exactly that: a public resource that took thousands, even millions of years to form, and one we are extracting far faster than nature can replenish. This is a problem because sand plays a critical role in the Bay ecosystem, but at the same time, it turns out there is high demand for...
Read MoreSMW Among 842 Firms Filing New Amicus Brief in Challenge to 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 MoreSMW Celebrates New Partners Caitlin Brown, Vaneeta Chintamaneni, and Aaron Stanton
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger is proud to announce that we welcomed three new partners earlier this year: Caitlin Brown, Vaneeta Chintamaneni, and Aaron Stanton. All three attorneys were associates at the firm before joining the partnership. “Caitlin, Vaneeta, and Aaron have all done fantastic work at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, making significant contributions to the firm in the areas of land trusts, air and water...
Read MoreFive SMW Attorneys Earn 2026 CLAY Awards for Landmark CEQA Litigation Win
A team of five Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger attorneys have won “California Lawyer Attorney of the Year" (CLAY) Awards from The Daily Journal for their work on a decade-long CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) case in Kern County. The CLAY Awards went to Rachel B. Hooper, Kevin P. Bundy, Susannah T. French, Tori B. Gibbons, and Heather M. Minner, along with their co-counsel Daniel P. Selmi, Professor Emeritus at...
Read MoreA New Home for a Storied Practice
Associates Shanthi Chackalackal and Aidan Freeman in our new office After more than four decades rooted in Hayes Valley, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP has a new address. In February 2026, our firm relocated to San Francisco’s Financial District, a transition that honors the legacy of where we've been while embracing the possibilities of where we're headed. Our Hayes Valley address was more than a location. For...
Read MoreColorado Commission Orders Utility to Open Up Grid Capacity Data
When entities such as solar developers or EV charging companies want to connect clean energy projects to the electric grid, they need to know where, and when, the grid has room for them. In Colorado, that basic information has been remarkably hard to come by. SMW partner Sky Stanfield, with SMW associates Matthew McKerley and Seth Goldman, representing the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) before the Colorado...
Read MoreNavigating the Surplus Land Act for Property of Historic, Open-Space, or Recreational Importance
When a local agency disposes of government-owned real property, it must comply with the Surplus Land Act. Certain transactions are exempt, but agencies must also consider exceptions to the exemptions for lands with certain historic characteristics, located in the coastal zone, adjacent to the State Parks System, or in the Lake Tahoe region. In these areas, agencies should build additional time into the disposition timeline...
Read MoreCalifornia’s 2025 ADU Legislation: What Local Agencies Need to Know
Have you reached ADU fatigue? You're not alone! California's 2025 legislative session brought four new bills that all local agencies should know about. From emergency protocols to HCD’s new requirement that could void your local ordinance, to JADU game-changers, here's a summary of the highlights.
Read MoreCollecting Delinquent Charges on the County Tax Roll when Ratepayers Don’t Pay on Time
Public agencies frequently place liens on private owners’ property as part of code enforcement or nuisance abatement proceedings. Although it is not as well known, state law also provides a similar process for many public agencies to place delinquent charges, fees, and assessments for collection on the county tax roll when ratepayers don’t make their payments on time.
Read MoreNew Year’s Greetings from Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger
As we look ahead to 2026, we’re feeling grateful for all the wonderful clients and colleagues we worked with last year and the opportunities we had to do good work and support good causes. The firm made charitable contributions to numerous organizations this year whose work inspires us.
Read More