Laura Godfrey Zagar Joins Firm’s San Diego Office

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (February 25, 2014) - Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Laura Godfrey Zagar has joined the firm’s San Diego office as a partner in the firm’s Environment, Energy & Resources (EER) practice.  Before joining Perkins Coie, Godfrey Zagar was a partner with Latham & Watkins in San Diego.

“Laura is a great environmental litigator who has a wealth of experience working with utility companies in southern California,” said Thane Bauz, Office Managing Partner of the firm’s San Diego office.  “She is a welcome addition to our growing office because she is so well attuned to the myriad energy transmission issues of the state and knows the national landscape of this business so well.” 

Godfrey Zagar represents clients in federal and state court actions challenging approvals of energy and infrastructure projects.  Her clients include utilities and developers whom she represents before federal, state and local agencies on major energy and infrastructure projects.  She played a prominent part in several innovative transmission line and renewable energy projects, including the first major renewable transmission project (approximately US$2 billion) under construction in the United States. 

Her project experience includes  wind, solar, and natural gas projects, as well as numerous  transmission projects.  These projects are often under the jurisdiction of several federal and state agencies, including the California Public Utilities Commission, the National Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  She has advised and counseled clients on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal and California Endangered Species Acts, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Federal Aviation Act , the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  

“Laura is an amazing California environmental authority who regularly manages multijurisdictional, complex energy-related projects and litigation in the southwest United States,” said Tom Lindley, chair of Perkins Coie’s Environment, Energy & Resources.  “Her understanding of the layered structuring of public utility energy projects is exceptional and will be of great value to our clients both in California and nationally.  I am very happy that Laura has joined our team.”

Godfrey Zagar received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law and her A.B. from Princeton University.  She was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of its 2013 Top Women Lawyers.

Perkins Coie’s EER group represents private companies and public agencies in counseling and litigation matters involving the full range of these issues. With more than 110 EER attorneys in offices across the United States, the firm is widely recognized for its ability to help plan a project’s development, timely secure the necessary permits, reduce the likelihood of any litigation, and help facilitate post-development and ongoing compliance and regulatory contacts. Chambers USA ranks the firm’s environmental group as one of the nation’s top national practices. Perkins Coie’s EER lawyers also have high ratings in the International Who’s Who of Environment Lawyers, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers; and 25 Perkins Coie lawyers in Alaska, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado and Washington, D.C. are individually listed.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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