Welcome

Chatten-Brown & Carstens (CBC) is a public interest oriented law firm specializing in environmental and land use law.  CBC's attorneys represent environmental and community groups in administrative processes and litigation with the objective of enforcing laws to protect California’s environment and the quality of our lives.   CBC's environmental attorneys also represent government agencies that seek to enforce environmental laws.  CBC is particularly well known for the expertise of its lawyers – and impressive track record of success – involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  While CBC has offices in Los Angeles and San Diego, CBC's environmental law practice is statewide.    

CBC has achieved a high degree of success in the majority of its endeavors.  In reported appellate cases, CBC has an over 90% success rate.  Both founding partner Jan Chatten-Brown and managing partner Douglas Carstens are consistently named “SuperLawyers,” which shows that they have been selected by peers as being in the top 5% of lawyers in Southern California.  Jan has twice been listed by the State’s legal publication, the Daily Journal, as one of the top women litigators in California.

CBC attorneys take pride in providing responsive, individualized, creative, and cost-effective legal services.  

---

Practice Areas

CEQA
Land Use
Historic Preservation Laws
Endangered Species Act
Coastal Act
Timber Harvesting Laws
Public Records Act and Brown 
Act
Election Law
NEPA
Clean Air Laws
Clean Water Laws
Mining and Oil Drilling Laws

---