News
March 15, 2016
Two Chatten-Brown & Carstens' Attorneys Receive Prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Awards
On March 15, 2016, in San Francisco, the Daily Journal and California Lawyer magazine honored Jan Chatten-Brown and Douglas Carstens for helping to achieve a landmark legal victory against sprawl development near Los Angeles with the prestigious “California Lawyer Attorney of the Year” award, commonly known as the “CLAY Award.” The CLAY Awards honor attorneys across the state for work with a significant impact over the past year. Jan and Doug were part of an all-star team that included the Center for Biological Diversity, UCLA Law School Professor Sean Hecht and Jason Weiner for the Wishtoyo Foundation.
The 2015 California Supreme Court decision in Center for Biological Diversity v. Department of Fish and Wildlife will force state officials to reconsider threats to protected wildlife and the climate posed by the planned Newhall Ranch development, and set a precedent for how future projects will be considered.
In its November ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a challenge by the Center and other organizations to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and wildlife laws in approving the Newhall Ranch development. The court’s opinion provides important guidance on how public officials must address the impacts of climate change and avoid harm to some of California’s most rare and highly protected fish and wildlife.
Jan and Doug have worked on Newhall Ranch related issues since 1999 when they were part of the team that obtained a trial court victory setting aside the County of Los Angeles’ approval of a specific plan for the project, requiring the County to address water supply and Sensitive Ecological Area issues. The latest ruling will serve as a precedent not only for the reconsideration of the Newhall Ranch project, but as a precedent binding on all public agencies across the state.
April 8, 2015
Community Groups File Lawsuit Against Contentious One Paseo Project
A massive development project planned for the San Diego neighborhood of Carmel Valley had multiple problems with its environmental documents according to a lawsuit filed today by three community groups – the Alliance for Responsible Development, the East Bluff Community Association, and Mitigate One Paseo. The groups, composed of residents concerned about the impact of the One Paseo project on their communities, and traffic and safety impacts in the wider, North County area, are challenging the contentious project, which is also the subject of a recent referendum campaign.
NBC - Lawsuits Filed Against One Paseo
KPBS - Two Lawsuits Filed Against One Paseo Development
Two Chatten-Brown & Carstens' Attorneys Receive Prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Awards
On March 15, 2016, in San Francisco, the Daily Journal and California Lawyer magazine honored Jan Chatten-Brown and Douglas Carstens for helping to achieve a landmark legal victory against sprawl development near Los Angeles with the prestigious “California Lawyer Attorney of the Year” award, commonly known as the “CLAY Award.” The CLAY Awards honor attorneys across the state for work with a significant impact over the past year. Jan and Doug were part of an all-star team that included the Center for Biological Diversity, UCLA Law School Professor Sean Hecht and Jason Weiner for the Wishtoyo Foundation.
The 2015 California Supreme Court decision in Center for Biological Diversity v. Department of Fish and Wildlife will force state officials to reconsider threats to protected wildlife and the climate posed by the planned Newhall Ranch development, and set a precedent for how future projects will be considered.
In its November ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a challenge by the Center and other organizations to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and wildlife laws in approving the Newhall Ranch development. The court’s opinion provides important guidance on how public officials must address the impacts of climate change and avoid harm to some of California’s most rare and highly protected fish and wildlife.
Jan and Doug have worked on Newhall Ranch related issues since 1999 when they were part of the team that obtained a trial court victory setting aside the County of Los Angeles’ approval of a specific plan for the project, requiring the County to address water supply and Sensitive Ecological Area issues. The latest ruling will serve as a precedent not only for the reconsideration of the Newhall Ranch project, but as a precedent binding on all public agencies across the state.
April 8, 2015
Community Groups File Lawsuit Against Contentious One Paseo Project
A massive development project planned for the San Diego neighborhood of Carmel Valley had multiple problems with its environmental documents according to a lawsuit filed today by three community groups – the Alliance for Responsible Development, the East Bluff Community Association, and Mitigate One Paseo. The groups, composed of residents concerned about the impact of the One Paseo project on their communities, and traffic and safety impacts in the wider, North County area, are challenging the contentious project, which is also the subject of a recent referendum campaign.
NBC - Lawsuits Filed Against One Paseo
KPBS - Two Lawsuits Filed Against One Paseo Development
|
|
|
October 30, 2014
Sierra Club Prevails in Lawsuit Challenging San Diego County's Climate Action Plan
The Court of Appeal for the Fourth District handed the Sierra Club a major victory, agreeing with the Sierra Club and the trial court that the County of San Diego failed to prepare a comprehensive and enforceable Climate Action Plan and the County’s adopted Climate Action Plan failed to mitigate the impacts of climate change consistent with state law.
KPBS - Court Rules Against San Diego County Climate Action Plan
San Diego Union-Tribune - Court Rejects County Climate Plan
San Diego Reader - Greenhouse Gas Plan Inadequate
Sierra Club Prevails in Lawsuit Challenging San Diego County's Climate Action Plan
The Court of Appeal for the Fourth District handed the Sierra Club a major victory, agreeing with the Sierra Club and the trial court that the County of San Diego failed to prepare a comprehensive and enforceable Climate Action Plan and the County’s adopted Climate Action Plan failed to mitigate the impacts of climate change consistent with state law.
KPBS - Court Rules Against San Diego County Climate Action Plan
San Diego Union-Tribune - Court Rejects County Climate Plan
San Diego Reader - Greenhouse Gas Plan Inadequate
|
|
|
