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Julie focuses on environmental and land use counseling and litigation for complex development projects. She resolves issues that arise under the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, federal and state species protection statutes, and a range of other local, state and federal statutes and common law doctrines that affect land use. An experienced litigator in California and federal courts, Julie defends projects and uses this experience to help clients obtain the approvals they need while minimizing litigation risk.
Julie’s strategic problem solving has assisted private and public entities in permitting major university, traditional and renewable energy, water supply, marine terminal, residential and commercial projects. Recent accomplishments include:
- Securing approvals for faculty and below-market-rate housing developments, as well as office and R&D developments, in Palo Alto. In spite of controversy regarding traffic and other issues, no litigation was filed and all projects are either complete or under construction.
- Assisting Stanford University in obtaining Precise Plan and subsequent approvals for a 1.5-million-square-foot office, research and development and medical clinic project in Redwood City. The effort involved complex traffic, air quality and greenhouse gas issues. No litigation was filed.
- Successfully defending the environmental impact report for a major oil company’s marine oil terminal against CEQA litigation brought by environmental groups.
- Successfully defending a medical clinic against CEQA claims brought by clinic protesters.
Additional litigation successes include defending a transportation sales tax ballot measure; a city/county agreement for urban services; a transportation authority’s light rail extension; and a university development and roadway project. Julie also represented a port in the successful defense of major expansion and dredging projects against NEPA and Endangered Species Act claims.
Julie is the author of the sustainable development chapter of California Land Use and Planning Law and has co-authored the treatise's chapters on federal and state wetland regulation and endangered species protections. She is also a regular contributor to the California Land Use and Development Law Report, and lectures on CEQA and NEPA for clients, professionals and industry associations.
