Overview
Recognized Leader In Land Use Law
Anne ("Annie") is one of California's leading siting and permitting lawyers for land use development and utility-scale energy projects. She has been recognized as one of Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in California, and has been named among the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California multiple years running. She is a recognized leader in the permitting of renewable energy facilities, and she is a frequent speaker and presenter on renewable energy issues.
Companies and individuals turn to Annie to navigate federal, state, and local requirements necessary to build wind, solar, geothermal, and gas-fired energy plants, new communities, residential high rises, industrial parks, manufacturing facilities, landfills, shopping centers, and institutional facilities.
Land Use Counsel For California's Developers
Annie has more than 30 years experience in the areas of CEQA, NEPA, zoning and planning, and laws related to wetlands and endangered species, water supply planning, subdivisions, annexation, coastal development, and Williamson Act. She has helped clients develop housing projects, schools, hospitals, hotels, vineyards, master planned communities, public facilities, recycling centers and research parks, among other projects. She also has significant litigation experience defending land use approvals and environmental review documents for projects. From 2003 to 2009, she served as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Oakland, supporting then-mayor Jerry Brown's efforts to revitalize Oakland's downtown, waterfront, and neighborhood shopping areas.
Supporting The Effort To Develop Renewable Energy
Annie has been involved in the development and financing of thousands of megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage in the California, guiding numerous major energy plants through CEQA/NEPA compliance and helping to secure the local, state, and federal permits necessary to construct and operate the projects. This state-wide practice includes projects on both private and public land in numerous counties, including Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Los Angeles, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, and Tulare. She also supported the commercial financing of many of these projects through the issuance of permitting opinions.
Annie acted as permitting counsel for several multimillion-dollar wind and solar projects, a role that meant getting permit approvals from a range of state, federal and local agencies; all on tight deadlines before federal tax credits for the projects expired. She also guided developers of a number of other renewable energy projects across California to gain approval including the nation's largest wind farm, the 1,020-megawatt Alta Wind Center in the Tehachapi Mountains, the $300 million Shiloh IV Wind Energy Project in Solano County and an 88-megawatt solar energy facility near Sacramento.
Experience
Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
Publications
Awards & Affiliations
Honors & Recognitions
Who's Who Legal: Environment 2017-2019, 2021
Named in Best Lawyers Women in Law, Environmental Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, 2017
Best Lawyers, in Environmental Law, Land Use & Zoning Law and Litigation – Land Use & Zoning, 2011-2021
Best Lawyers, in Natural Resources Law, 2020-2021
Best Lawyers, in Real Estate Law, 2019-2021
Who’s Who Legal: Real Estate 2016
Northern California Super Lawyers, Land Use and Zoning, 2004-2021
Northern California Super Lawyers Women's Edition, 2014-2021
California's Top 100 Attorneys, 2012
Selected as Best Lawyers "Lawyers of the Year," 2012
Top 25 Clean Tech Lawyers in California, 2011
Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California, 2009-2010, 2019
Green Leader, California Real Estate Journal, 2009
Northern California Women of Influence in Real Estate, 2009
Professional Affiliations
California Wind Energy Association (CalWEA), Siting Advisor
State Bar of California, Member, Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section, 1995-1998
Environmental Law News, Editor, 1996-1998
Public Law Journal, Editor, 1993-1995
State Bar of California, Public Law Section, Executive Committee, Public Law Section, 1992-1995
Bar Association of San Francisco
Community Activities
Oakland Planning Commission, Planning Commissioner, 2003-2009; Chair, 2006-2007
Jack London Youth Soccer League, Fundraiser/Volunteer, 2001-2013
Oakland Strokes, Inc. (youth rowing), Co-President, 2007-2008
East Bay Rowing Club (masters rowing), Board and team member, 2008-present
Bay Area Wilderness Training (outdoor leadership for inner city youths), Board member, 2014-present
Chabot Space and Science Center, Board member, 2020
Practice Areas
Industries
Bar & Court Admissions
- State Bar of California
Education
J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 1987
B.A., Stanford University, 1984