Welcome to Our New Executive Committee Members and Liaison
K. Eric Adair
Partner, Hinson Gravelle & Adair LLP; former Chair and current Advisor, Environmental Law Section, California Lawyers Association
The Executive Committee for the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association is comprised of 17 members who serve staggered three-year terms. We also have a Liaison who sits on the Executive Committee for the New Lawyers Section of the California Lawyers Association and serves a two-year term.
Welcome to our five new ELS Executive Committee members and new NLS Liaison. You can read more about them in the next edition of our journal publication Environmental Law News.
“I’m an associate at Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck, LLP, where I work in the Natural Resources group, focusing on water quality, water rights, CEQA, and renewable energy. I’m based in Los Angeles, but work with numerous attorneys across many of our offices, including Denver, Washington D.C., Nevada, and our three other California offices. I also work with our policy and government relations folks in Sacramento and Washington D.C.
“Many of the Executive Committee members who helped me along the way remain my mentors to this day, and I am deeply grateful for their ongoing support. Now, I want to pay it forward by helping future environmental law practitioners the same way I was supported.”
“I work at the California Attorney General’s Office, in San Diego, as a supervising deputy attorney general in the Environment Section. Before entering state service, I worked at a nonprofit, a large law firm, and a law school; as a result, I can relate to the interests and concerns of Section members from diverse settings.
“I’ve benefitted from the Executive Committee’s efforts to nurture and sustain a sense of community within the state’s environmental bar, and I have long felt a duty to contribute to these efforts.”
“I’m an associate at Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, a public interest firm based in San Francisco. I started as a fellow at SMW after graduating from UCLA Law. Much of my work has been in litigation; I’ve represented community groups and public agencies in CEQA cases, briefed federal and state municipal law issues, and worked on eminent domain actions.
“From my law school professors to my now-fellow attorneys, the environmental law community is one that both looks after its own and challenges itself to be more thoughtful and inclusive. I’m excited at the opportunity to play a part in facilitating that for others.”
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“My legal career began in New Zealand, where I worked in litigation in the wake of the catastrophic Christchurch earthquakes. My husband and I moved to the U.S. for career and educational opportunities ten years ago, and we’ve called the Bay Area home ever since! I’m an environmental associate at Venable’s San Francisco office and work with a range of clients on litigation and regulatory counselling matters.
“Since attending my first Yosemite conference in 2016 I’ve been consistently impressed with the work the Committee does, including the support it provides for law students and new practitioners. I’m looking forward to contributing and organizing local events to help promote connections within the environmental law community.”
“I am lucky to be working at Venskus & Associates, A.P.C., a firm that engages in public interest litigation involving environmental (CEQA, Coastal Act, NEPA, Endangered Species Act Clean Water Act, etc.), land use, housing rights and government disclosure law (Public Records Act, FOIA, Brown Act, Bagley-Keene Act, etc.). We also represent tenants in fighting to keep their homes.
“I wanted to join the Executive Committee to encourage the next generation of upcoming lawyers to get involved in this amazing field that touches nearly every facet of our lives – from the water we drink, to how we power our homes.”
New Lawyers Section Liaison:
“In my current role as an Associate Attorney at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., I advise clients across multiple sectors on a spectrum of environmental regulatory and litigation matters. My practice encompasses a wide range of matters relating to state and local air quality regulations, the Clean Water Act, and environmental tort claims. I also counsel clients on integrating environmental justice, ESG, and international environmental disclosure considerations into their business practices.
“I wanted to serve as the NLS Liaison because I am passionate about supporting emerging legal professionals and underrepresented groups within the environmental legal field.” “By serving as the NLS Liaison, I hope to provide new lawyers with valuable resources, foster networking opportunities, and advocate for the inclusion of diverse perspectives within the California environmental bar.”