SSL LAW FIRM - Key Persons
Betsy Veverka specializes in commercial real property transactions, due diligence and assessment, land use, development, financing, comprehensive private client real estate services, as well as the related formation and maintenance of business entities. Her clients primarily include developers, technology companies, high net worth individuals and family offices, and institutional and private investors in real property. She has particular expertise in real property due diligence, title assessment and risk management, and acquisitions and sales of commercial properties and large residential estates/luxury properties.
Ms. Veverka's commercial real estate practice includes purchase and sale agreements, property due diligence and assessment, title review and insurance negotiation, financing and closing services for office, industrial, multifamily residential and retail properties. She also has significant experience working with developers and consultants in connection with land use, subdivision, coastal ownership issues and public-private partnerships. Her private client practice serves high-wealth individuals and family offices in all aspects of confidential real estate matters focusing on creative, customized transactions, including coordination with estate, wealth management, and trust consultants, as well as ongoing property management and development matters.
Before joining SSL Ms. Veverka spent 14 years as a transactional real estate specialist and paralegal manager at Ellman Burke Hoffman & Johnson in San Francisco, and prior to that, was a real estate litigation paralegal and branch office manager at Miller Starr & Regalia in Walnut Creek and Palo Alto.
Education:
Undergraduate: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT and University of Nevada, Reno, NV.
Paralegal Certification: St. Mary's College of California, Moraga, CA
Practice Areas:
Acquisitions & Dispositions,
Bruc e Inma n jo in ed th e fir m as Of Co un se l in 2018. Mr. Inman‘s la w pr ac tic e fo cu se s on cre at in g commo n in te re st devel opm en ts an d ad vi si ng comm un ity as so ci at ion s. He ha s as si st ed clie nts in cre at in g hu nd re ds of re al est ate devel opm en ts, in clu di ng ma st er pl ann ed comm un it ie s, att ac he d, de ta ch ed, mi xe d-us e, an d co mm erci al pl ann ed devel opm en t an d ha s ex te ns iv e exp er ie nc e cr ea ti ng a va rie ty of re si de nt ia l an d comm erc ia l con dom in iu m pr ojec ts. Mr. Inma n is th e pa st ch ai r of th e Ca li fo rn ia Buil di ng In du st ry As so ci at ion/De pa rt me nt of Re al Es ta te Co un cil, an d is cu rre nt ly a me mb er of th e bo ar d of dir ec to rs of th e No rth St ate Buil di ng In du st ry As so ci at io n Fo un da ti on an d Ho us in g Tr ust Pl acer, In c. He rec eive d hi s Ba ch el or of Ar ts de gre e fr om St. Ma ry's Co lle ge of Ca li fo rn ia, Te ac hi ng Cr ed en ti al fr om Ca li fo rn ia St ate Uni ve rs ity St an is la us, an d Ju ri s Do cto ra te fr om th e Un iver si ty of th e Pa ci fic, Mc Ge or ge Sc hoo l of Law.
Ms. Wade is a Partner of the firm with a focus on land use counseling and litigation. She represents corporations, institutions, property owners and commercial and residential developers in administrative proceedings and litigation related to land use and development including obtaining permits and conducting environmental review for their projects. Ms. Wade has successfully represented clients before local planning commissions, city councils, boards of supervisors, and other regulatory bodies. She has extensive experience in San Francisco and other Bay Area communities.
Daniel Dersham is an experienced real estate transactional attorney with a strong background in federal and state civil litigation. His practice focuses on representing and advising owners, managers, trustees, investors, and high net worth families and individuals in commercial and residential real estate transactions, including acquisitions and sales, joint ventures, co-ownership, options, leasing, financing, secured loans, construction, easements, liens and other matters of title, and due diligence.
Daniel prioritizes excellence in client service and attention to detail. In each year from 2021 to date, Daniel was selected to the Super Lawyers Northern California Rising Stars list, a distinction reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 2.5% of attorneys in Northern California receive this distinction. Daniel is a Michigan native, an avid mountain biker and skier, and before law school served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Jordan.
Education:
Undergraduate School: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (Honors College; Cum Laude)
Law School: University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, OH (Magna Cum Laude)
Practice Areas:
Commercial Leasing, Purchase and Sale, Joint Venture, Private Capital and Personal Real Property Services, Litigation
David Upshaw has over 30 years experience representing large institutional landlords in both the office and retail business sectors, with extensive experience in office and retail lease negotiations, lease restructuring, counseling and legal support for all aspects of commercial property ownership. Additionally, Mr. Upshaw has extensive experience negotiating assignment and sublease consents, termination agreements, property management agreements, listing agreements, telecommunication agreements, subordination and non-disturbance agreements, vendor service agreements, lien subordination agreements, construction contracts, ground leases, and easement agreements. He has advised clients on matters relating to lease interpretation, tenant disputes, lease enforcement, and related management and leasing issues. Mr. Upshaw has proven track record of leading teams in maximizing efficiency by streamlining forms and lease positions.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate: Beloit College, Beloit, WI
Law School: Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL
Licensed in Washington State and Illinois
Formerly Registered In House Counsel in California
PRACTICE AREAS:
Commercial Real Estate leasing, property management and related transactions.
Ms. Hanna is a Partner of the firm. Ms. Hanna specializes in land use and environmental law and related land use litigation. She has successfully represented clients through the public review and entitlement process for a wide range of land use projects ranging from college campus development, high rise office towers, multi-family development, technology and industrial campuses and other public and private developments throughout California. She has particular expertise in master plans, from university master plans to technology campuses to multi-phase housing projects. Ms. Hanna also has deep interest and experience in the development of housing serving multiple income groups. In many of these projects, she has successfully worked with public officials and interested community members to achieve project support and facilitate timely construction. In those matters that have resulted in litigation, Ms. Hanna has successfully represented her clients in trial and appellate court proceedings in state and federal court.
Prior to joining SSL, Ms. Hanna was a shareholder/director at Ellman Burke Hoffman & Johnson. Previous to Ellman Burke, she was an associate at Beveridge & Diamond. Ms. Hanna earned her law degree, cum laude, in 1999 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. During law school, she was a judicial extern to the Honorable Charles A. Legge, Judge of the United States District Court, Northern District of California and actively competed on Hastings' moot court teams. Ms. Hanna received her Bachelor of Arts degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (1995) where she was a heptathlete (7 events) and team captain of the intercollegiate track and field team. She is also the proud parent of two rambunctious boys and enjoys spending her free time trail running, swimming, traveling and enjoying her friends and community.
Liz Bridges is a Partner of the firm specializing in land use and environmental law and related litigation. She has successfully led clients through due diligence, the environmental review and entitlement process, enforcement, as well as litigation defending entitlements for a wide range of land use projects, including individual and multi-family residential, small and large-scale commercial and industrial, higher education, renewable energy (wind and solar), and other development projects throughout California. She represents clients in administrative proceedings before local planning commissions, city councils, boards of supervisors, and other regulatory bodies, and in both the Superior and Appellate courts. Her practice involves municipal permitting, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, property rights, zoning and planning laws, endangered species, water quality, water rights, hazardous waste, state lands, air quality, and contaminated properties.
Ms. Murphy has deep experience with a large variety of commercial real estate transactions involving acquisitions, sales, leasing, financings and construction. She handles transactions involving large corporate campuses, multi-tenant office buildings, shopping centers, hotels, restaurant sites, stadiums and industrial properties. Her experience comes primarily from her role as senior counsel in Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman's real estate department and, more recently, in her role as Deputy General Counsel for the San Francisco Giants, where she was a key member of the team responsible for financing and developing AT&T Park (now known as Oracle Park). While at the Giants, Ms. Murphy was the lead counsel on all real estate matters for the team and directed the legal oversight for the expansion of the use of AT&T Park beyond baseball. She has developed the expertise to work with all stakeholders involved in owning and operating real estate, including investors, lenders, governmental agencies, tenants, short-term users, parking operators, concessionaires, and building and operations management.
Education:
Undergraduate School: University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Law School: University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Professional Activities:
Member, McAuliffe Law Honor Society
Member, USF Law Review
Member, Real Estate Section of the California Lawyers Association
Member, Bar Association of San Francisco
Joe Tursi focuses his practice on real estate and commercial litigation and transactions. He offers his clients decades of experience litigating Landlord/Tenant disputes and unlawful detainer actions, as well as drafting commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements, in addition to other real estate issues.
Joe began his career as a Deputy District Attorney where he prosecuted everything from simple misdemeanors to major felonies, including homicides, in San Benito and San Francisco counties. He further honed his trial prowess and advocacy in private practice litigating business, real estate, toxic tort, and police misconduct cases.
From there, Joe found his passion for commercial real estate as Vice President and In-House Counsel for CBRE as he focused on real estate broker defense litigation. In the mid-nineties, Joe co-founded Rentschler/Tursi LLP, where he was a partner for more than 21 years. The firm focused on real estate transactions and litigation. In addition, Joe would also routinely serve as a mediator in commercial real estate matters.
In 2018, Joe returned to San Francisco and joined SSL Law Firm.
Ms. Bartlow has over thirty years' experience as a real estate paralegal. Prior to joining SSL Law Firm, she worked as a senior legal specialist for Spieker Properties, specializing in corporate governance, purchase and sale transactions and commercial leasing. Prior to joining Spieker Properties, Ms. Bartlow practiced as a real estate paralegal in the Orange County offices of O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP. She also served as the manager of lease administration for Restaurant Enterprises Group.
Ms. Bartlow's practice is focused on commercial real estate and real estate related transactions with primary emphasis on commercial lease drafting for landlords. Her commercial leasing practice involves all aspects of commercial leasing, including office, retail, industrial and mixed use projects, from small buildings to office tower complexes. She assists in representing major landlords and asset/property management companies in local and national transactions.
Education:
Paralegal Certification, University of California at Irvine
Practice Areas:
Commercial real estate leasing and corporate entity formation
Ms. McLellan was also a JAG officer (captain) in the U.S. Army Reserves where she focused on civil and administrative law and provided legal services for soldiers and their families and served as legal advisor to command covering a wide range of issues dealing with administrative law, government contracting, and civilian and military personnel law. Before practicing law in California, Ms. McLellan practiced criminal trial defense with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy.
Kyla Chin is a partner with the firm, specializing in commercial leasing transactions. Representing both local and national developers and institutional owners of real property, as well as tenants, she has drafted and negotiated thousands of office, industrial and retail leases and related real estate documents, such as licenses, property management, parking leases and licenses and listing agreements, for properties located throughout the United States. She advises clients on a wide variety of asset management issues, including lease structuring, tenant improvements, operational, and property management matters. She enjoys counseling clients, taking into account both legal considerations and business practicalities, and working in partnership with clients to complete deals both efficiently and effectively. Prior to joining SSL Law Firm, she practiced in the real estate group of Morrison Foerster, where she represented domestic and international clients in a variety of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of commercial properties and finance transactions.
Linda Jones specializes in commercial real estate transactions, with particular focus on representation of corporate real estate users in their acquisition, disposition and leasing of commercial and retail properties, including office buildings, medical buildings and facilities for use by financial institutions. Prior to joining SSL Law Firm, Linda was associated with Morgan Lewis, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison and Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon in San Francisco and began her career at Baker & McKenzie in Los Angeles.
Education:
Undergraduate School: University of California, Los Angeles
Law School: University of California, Davis School of Law
Practice Areas:
Commercial Leasing
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Real Estate Lawyer Responsible for Providing Strategic Legal Counsel
Lisa Travaglini is a real estate lawyer responsible for providing strategic legal counsel in a wide variety of transactional commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing, joint venture formation and commercial finance. Lisa has experience representing both landlords and tenants in the preparation, negotiation and review of retail leases, office leases, ground leases, subleases, license agreements and related documentation. Immediately prior to joining SSL Law Firm, Lisa served as General Counsel of Argonaut Investments where Lisa's practice included retail leasing, development, acquisition and disposition of real property assets, entity formation, finance and general corporate matters. Lisa's prior experience also includes working at a national law firm in the commercial real estate group where her primary focus was retail and office leasing.
Education:
Undergraduate School: St. Mary's College
Law School: University of San Francisco School of Law
Practice Areas:
Commercial Leasing, Acquisitions and Dispositions, Joint Venture and related transactions.
Ms. Bernstein is a Partner at the firm and is licensed in California. Ms. Bernstein has worked with SSL and its partners in various capacities almost since its founding, both as a firm client and attorney. She is a real estate generalist but focuses her practice largely on leasing and purchase and sale transactions, property management, construction contracts and lease workouts, including some dispute resolution. Ms. Bernstein previously worked in-house and at several large, national law firms before joining SSL in 2007 and again in 2019. Ms. Bernstein serves as primary outside counsel, managing all lease and property management legal work for several retail, medical and biotech clients on the tenant side, and for several major office and medical office building REITs on the landlord side. Ms. Bernstein's practice includes all types of commercial leasing (office, industrial and retail) across many industries; development, acquisition, and disposition of real property assets; data center development; construction and architecture agreements; and real estate-based financing. She serves on the California State Bar commercial leasing committee and has organized or served as a presenter on a variety of real property related topics. Ms. Bernstein's pro bono and community work includes representation of indigent residential tenants, representation of immigrants applying for asylum or defending against deportation, work with her LGBTQI and LatinX communities, and work with an animal rescue organization.
Education:
Undergraduate School: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.
Law School: University of California at Berkeley Law School, Berkeley, CA.
Practice Areas:
Commercial real estate including:
Michael J. Burke's practice is focused on land use development, redevelopment, environmental regulation, historic preservation and related litigation. Mr. Burke has successfully represented developers throughout the planning and entitlement process for urban high-rise, suburban and coastal zone, office, residential, golf-course, hotel, commercial/retail and industrial projects and has prevailed in trial and appellate court litigation involving land use, Coastal Act, environmental and historic preservation challenges to these projects. He often serves as an expert witness in land use matters for private developers and local governments.
Background:
Michael J. Burke was co-founder and former Managing Director of Ellman Burke Hoffman & Johnson before joining SSL in 2010. From 1970 to 1976, Mr. Burke was associated with the San Francisco firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, specializing in complex litigation including real estate, antitrust and securities fraud class actions.
Education:
Undergraduate School: Brown University, magna cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa)
Law School: Harvard Law School, cum laude
Practice Areas:
Acquisitions, Sales and Exchanges; Expert Testimony; Land Use, Entitlements and CEQA; Leasing (space and ground); Private Capital and Personal Real Property Services; Public/Private Partnerships; Real Estate and Land Use Litigation
Mr. Brody serves as Of Counsel to the firm and concurrently serves clients through his firm, Lightwell Advisors, PC . He represents borrowers and lenders in front-end real estate financing transactions and workouts and represents creditors and other third parties in commercial bankruptcy cases. His real property practice includes acquisition, disposition, and leasing of commercial properties. His financing practice includes extensive experience with securitized transactions, mezzanine lending, credit enhancement, formation of limited liability companies and business structures, non-consolidation analysis, and defeasance. Previously, Mr. Brody practiced as a partner in the Ellman Burke real estate boutique and at Murphy Weir & Butler, where he was a partner and vice-chair of the real estate finance group. Mr. Brody graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley, 1988, where he was a law clerk to Prof. John R. Hetland and an editor of the California Law Review. A former mortgage broker, Mr. Brody has held a California real estate broker's license since 1982. Mr. Brody is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the Real Property Section of the State Bar of California and the Bar Association of San Francisco. Mr. Brody has been named a Northern California Super Lawyer. As part of his pro bono commitment, Mr. Brody was a founding director of Manzanita Charter School in Richmond, CA, the first non-profit charter school in West Contra Costa School District. He publishes and teaches regularly on real property topics, including "Handling a Real Property Foreclosure Action Guide" (Cal. Cont. Ed. of the Bar 2000 - 2010); "Real Property Foreclosures" (California State Bar Annual Mtg. 2009); "Current Issues in Mortgage Enforcement" (San Francisco Bar Association 2009); "Distressed Real Estate Issues" (San Francisco Bar Association 2008); "Real Property Financing: Strategies for a Hot Market" (Cal. Cont. Ed. of the Bar 2006); "Commercial Tenants, Landlords and Bankruptcy" (San Francisco Bar Association 2004); and "California Real Property Financing 2 Supplement" (Cal. Cont. Ed. of the Bar 1993-2001).
Ms. Lakey is a Partner of the firm. Ms. Lakey is one of SSL's founding partners and a leasing specialist, focusing primarily on representation of our landlord clients in complex leasing transactions. Ms. Lakey previously served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Spieker Properties. While at Spieker Properties, Ms. Lakey's practice included commercial leasing (office, industrial and retail), development, acquisition and disposition of real property assets, construction and architectural transactions, as well as general corporate matters. Prior to joining Spieker Properties, Ms. Lakey was an associate at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP in San Francisco where she represented both landlords and tenants in commercial leasing, individual and corporate developers, buyers and sellers in acquisitions and dispositions of real property, as well as banks and borrowers in real estate finance transactions.
Rachael Welden-Smith joined the firm as an Associate in 2015. Her practice focuses on commercial leasing. Ms. Welden-Smith's experience includes, commercial leasing, drafting and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, real estate financing and business entity formation. Prior to joining SSL, Ms. Welden-Smith was an associate at Cheifetz Iannitelli Marcolini, P.C., in Phoenix, Arizona, specializing in commercial real estate transactions. In addition, she has served as Of Counsel at The Schinner Law Group in San Francisco.
Education:
Undergraduate School: University of Calgary; Calgary, Alberta Canada
Law School: Golden Gate University; San Francisco, California
Practice Areas:
Commercial Real Estate Transactions
Robert Martin is a Partner with the firm and focuses his practice on commercial real estate, land use, and environmental law counseling and litigation, representing real estate owners, developers, manufacturing facilities, and non-profits in a variety of disputes. He has substantial experience in commercial purchase-sale and landlord-tenant disputes, easement and deed restriction creation and enforcement, quiet title and boundary litigation, and financing workouts. He has twenty years' experience in California federal and state courts, from pre-litigation counseling through trial.
His environmental practice includes representing property owners, developers, and manufacturers in brownfield projects and in litigation under hazardous substances laws (e.g., CEQA & RCRA), regularly representing clients before federal and state environmental agencies and water boards. His land use practice involves representing institutional and individual clients in obtaining and defending project entitlements for the development and use of their real property under NEPA, CEQA, and zoning and planning laws. He regularly appears before federal, state, and local agencies commissions in pursuing those entitlements.
He also has a strong non-profit practice in land conservation matters, including representing numerous land trusts in conservation easement and mitigation bank creation, management, and enforcement.
Education
University of California Hastings College of Law, San Francisco (J.D., magna cum laude, 2004).
Mr. Martin also served as Senior Articles Editor for the Hastings Law Journal.
Stephanie Foster focuses her practice on real estate litigation, with a background in constitutional law and commercial real estate. She has experience in landlord tenant matters including warranty of habitability, quiet enjoyment, and constructive eviction matters and unlawful detainers. She also handles various real property disputes including partitions and receiverships.
Stephanie obtained her J.D from Southwestern Law School, where she was a Dean's Merit Scholar, John J. Schumacher Minority Leadership Scholarship recipient, and was awarded the ALI-ABA Scholar and Leadership Award in 2011. Additionally, Stephanie served as the managing editor for the Southwestern Journal of International Law. She received her B.A. from the University of San Francisco.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephanie relocated to San Francisco in 2011. She volunteers with various youth programs at the YMCA and enjoys sailing, golfing, and skiing. Stephanie and her husband have three sons who keep them very busy.
Education:
Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, California, JD
University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Honors and Awards
Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2018 - 2023
The Henry James McCoy Award for Outstanding Volunteer, 2015 YMCA of San Francisco
Stephanie Nelson-Patel is a transactional attorney with extensive experience in th acquisition and disposition of commercial real estate. She focuses on negotiating and drafting documents involved in real estate transactions, conducting thorough due diligence, and securing necessary third-party approvals. Her practice also includes negotiating and drafting retail, industrial, restaurant, and office leases, as well as preparing covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), easements, bylaws, articles of incorporation, and related documents for residential, commercial, and mixed-use common interest developments.
Stephanie also has experience in the formation and structuring of business entities and advising clients on a variety of corporate matters. During law school, she gained valuable insight through two judicial clerkships and served as a board member of Student Legal Relief, completing over sixty hours of pro bono legal work for low-income individuals.
When she's not practicing law, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, including her two young boys. Together, they love exploring the Bay Area, finding new places to eat, and enjoying outdoor adventures together.
Education:
• University of Illinois College of Law, magna cum laude
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S., with distinction
Also a commercial mediator, Mr. Spronz is a former member of the National Mediation Panel of the National Association of Securities Dealers, and has mediated real estate and commercial cases assigned by the California Superior Court to alternative dispute resolution.
Education:
Undergraduate School: New York University (magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa)
Law School: Hofstra University School of Law (Associate Editor; Hofstra Law Review)
Tom is a trial lawyer who joins SSL after over 9 years as a member of the Litigation Department and Government Enforcement and Defense of Investigations Practice Group at Foley and Lardner LLP. Tom represents corporations and individuals in parallel criminal matters and enforcement proceedings in state and federal courts. His practice also focuses on complex commercial litigation, including real estate disputes, health care fraud, financial services fraud, and consumer law and finance. Prior to entering private practice, Tom served as a deputy district attorney in the Marin County District Attorney's Office for 15 years where he prosecuted over 60 jury trials to verdict and prepared in excess of 200 cases for trial.
Education:
University of San Francisco, School of Law (JD, 1995)
University of California, Berkeley (BA English, 1990)
PRACTICE AREAS:
Litigation
Job Titles:
- SENIOR COUNSEL
- Developers
Vanessa Imberg is Senior Counsel with the firm. Vanessa assists developers and private clients as they navigate land use matters, real property transactions, and construction issues. Her practice centers on helping clients get their real estate projects approved and built, assisting clients with solving problems, drafting contracts, and managing disputes. She conducts due diligence review and helps clients navigate federal, state, and local regulations that govern development projects. Through this work, Vanessa has developed a practical understanding of the regulatory challenges facing developers, particularly those related to land use, entitlement, permitting and zoning issues, on a variety of commercial, residential, and mixed-use development projects in jurisdictions throughout California.
Vanessa has represented clients in environmental and complex commercial litigation matters in both state and federal court and assisted companies and landowners with compliance under state and federal environmental laws, including the zoning/Subdivision Map Act, the California Environmental Quality Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act, and the Clean Water Act.
Education:
J.D. University of San Diego
B.A. University of Colorado, Boulder
Practice Areas:
Land Use, Entitlement, Environmental, Private Capital and Personal Real Property Services, Real Estate, Commercial, and Land Use Litigation
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner of the Firm
Zachary Walton is a Partner of the Firm specializing in all aspects of environmental law. He represents renewable energy developers, water providers, real estate developers, manufacturing facilities and financial institutions in permitting, transactional and enforcement matters throughout California. Mr. Walton's practice involves endangered species, water quality, water rights, hazardous waste, air quality, contaminated properties and occupational safety and health. He has extensive experience with the California Department of Fish & Game, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, California Energy Commission, all of California's Regional Water Quality Control Boards, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, U.S. EPA, most of California's air quality management districts, and the California Division of Occupational Safety & Health. Mr. Walton serves on the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California. He regularly authors articles on environmental law and previously served on the editorial board of the California Water Law & Policy Reporter. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Walton was a partner at Paul Hastings, where he was Vice-Chair of the San Francisco Office and Co-Chair of the Climate Change and Sustainability Practice Group, and a founding partner of the San Francisco office of Downey Brand. He received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1992, where he graduated with distinction, and a J.D. from the Vanderbilt School of Law in 1995. Mr. Walton is ranked in Chambers as Up and Coming for Environmental Law.