SAN FRANCISCO-Allen Matkins has hired attorney Barry H. Epstein in its San Francisco office. Epstein joins the firm's real estate department as a partner in its land use and environmental and natural resources practice groups, and its infrastructure, energy and utility industry group.
Epstein's practice focuses on four primary sectors: the development of renewable energy projects; water rights and supply; land use, environmental review, natural resources permitting and compliance; and land conservation transactions. He has provided legal counsel to the development of some of the largest utility-scale solar projects in California, totaling more than 1,000 megawatts of capacity. That includes the management of permitting, entitlement processes, CEQA review and site control.
A majority of this work is for his largest client SunPower, with facilities located throughout the Central Valley and Southern California. His energy work also includes the development of electrical transmission projects, natural gas-fired electric generation facilities, and an offshore liquefied natural gas port, as well as transactions involving purchase and sale of developed energy assets and portfolios.
“Barry is considered one of California's preeminent attorneys in the areas of natural resources and land use law. Having him join our team is a big win for Allen Matkins,” says David L. Osias, managing partner of Allen Matkins. “The firm's strategic vision of having the best and brightest attorneys available to meet all the legal needs of the real estate industry and a clientele where real estate is central to their business success is enhanced by Barry's expertise and the clients that he serves.”
According to Osias, he brings a wealth of experience in renewable energy and development-related environmental and land use matters, as well as blue chip clients to Allen Matkins.
Allen Matkins has hired six new lateral attorneys in the past year, in addition to the five law school graduates hired in the fall.
Epstein's water rights and supply work spans across California, including coastal regions, the Central Valley and Sierra watershed, and the Colorado River Basin. He handles State Water Board permits and licenses, as well as riparian rights and groundwater matters, and securing water supply for new development. Some of his water clients include a major public utility, prominent vineyard owners and olive producers.
His land use experience includes high-profile CEQA litigation, such as representing Central Valley agricultural interests against California's high speed rail project. He also handles entitlements for a variety of rural ranches and residential/recreational compounds for high net worth clients, as well as permitting and enforcement involving wetland matters and the California Coastal Act.
He serves on the executive committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco's Environmental Law Section, as well as an advisor on the State Bar of California's Environmental Law Section.
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
