Fernando Villa is a highly experienced, nationally recognized land use and environmental lawyer who has obtained all manner of development rights for clients’ projects in each major asset class, including industrial, residential, health care, commercial office, retail and educational institutions. He helps clients structure transactions to acquire and redevelop properties, assists in refining project design elements, and crafts and implements effective entitlement strategies for large, complex projects. Fernando represents clients at every stage of this process, from inception of a project’s design to pre-acquisition due diligence, preparation of development applications, negotiating with municipal, state and federal officials, and advocating at all public hearings through final approval of all needed entitlements.

Fernando is similarly well-versed in compliance with and litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). He works closely and collaboratively with his clients’ development teams, city staff and consultants to ensure that a lead agency’s project review complies with CEQA. Fernando has also successfully defended his clients’ projects as lead counsel in CEQA lawsuits challenging these projects through trials and appeals.

Fernando’s experience extends to mitigating liability risks for clients’ projects under state and federal environmental laws, an area on which, like his land use and CEQA practice, he has focused his entire career. Fernando uses his formidable knowledge gained in representing litigants in federal and state court environmental cost recovery actions to fashion clients’ acquisition and disposition transactions, secure environmental insurance, obtain liability protections from agencies and facilitate a successful redevelopment of brownfield properties, all with the goal of foreclosing potential environmental liabilities.

Fernando speaks frequently each year on a variety of land use and environmental topics at conferences organized by bar associations, business and trade groups, and universities.