Practice Expertise
- Government
- Real Estate
- Environmental Law
Areas of Practice
- Environmental Law
- Government
- Real Estate
Profile
Beth has focused her practice on litigation concerning environmental contamination and real estate. Her experience as a former chemist and environmental regulator adds an understanding of complex science and engineering to her representations of public agencies and landowners.
Beth has handled major environmental contamination cases throughout California, especially matters related to groundwater contamination and alleged violations of CERCLA. She has worked on some of the highest-profile environmental cases in the state of California, including handling discovery regarding the science of Chromium VI contamination in Hinkley, California and MTBE contamination of California ground water aquifers. She has represented clients in state and federal courts in California, as well as before the Second District Court of Appeal, and in bench and jury trials.
Prior to attending law school, Beth worked as an environmental regulator with the California Integrated Waste Management Board (now Cal-Recycle) regulating solid waste landfills. She also was an R&D chemist developing capillary gas chromatography phases for J&W Scientific (now a division of Agilent). Beth's well-rounded scientific training also includes her undergraduate degree in biology.
Beth also has handled commercial litigation, consumer class actions, securities fraud, and wage and hour. She has applied her scientific background and her understanding of environmental issues to real estate transactions and disputes. Among her recent successes, Beth successfully put a long-negotiated amendment to a Federal Facilities Agreement to bed for a client. The matter is ongoing.
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California
Education
J.D., University of Oregon School of Law (1997)
B.S., Pace University (1987)
Areas of Practice
- Environmental Law
- Government
- Real Estate
Professional Career
- Los Angeles County Bar Association Real Property Section, Land Use Planning and Environmental Law, Subcommittee Chair (2016-2018)
- German American Business Association (GABA), Member
- Bruin Professionals, Member
Articles
"European Rulings Show New Approach to Climate Change Cases," Daily Journal (June 2021)
"Uncertainty on Maui: How Will Functional Equivalence Work in the Real World?," co-author, Water Law Alert (April 2020)
"PFAS – A Primer for Real Estate Lawyers on a New Environmental Risk," co-author, American College of Real Estate Lawyers News and Notes (April 2020)
"Governor's Executive Order N-42-20 Restricts the Ability of Water Service Providers to Shut Off Water Service," Government Law Alert (April 2020)
"New PFAS Regulations Work Dramatic Changes to California's Drinking Water Supplies — With More Changes Likely to Follow," co-author, Water Law Alert (February 2020)
Meet our Firms and Professionals
WSG’s member firms include legal, investment banking and accounting experts across industries and on a global scale. We invite you to meet our member firms and professionals.