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Steven H. Kaufmann is a shareholder at Richards,
Watson & Gershon and Chair of the Firm’s Coastal Law Department.
For 32 years, Mr. Kaufmann has represented either the California
Coastal Commission itself or represented landowners, developers
and public entities with matters before that agency. His work has
involved a broad array of Coastal Commission administrative matters,
as well as a substantial amount of litigation involving challenges
to or defense of Commission decisions. Mr. Kaufmann’s experience
includes every aspect of California coastal regulation, including
coastal development permits, appeals, federal consistency review
and appeals to the Secretary of Commerce, exemptions, local coastal
programs, public works plans, enforcement, and legislation, as well
as related local entitlements and compliance with the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His work has produced successful
results for clients on a host of projects involving complex energy
or transportation-related issues; wetlands, environmentally sensitive
habitat, or other habitat-related issues; golf courses, traditional
hotels, timeshares, condominium hotels; and residences, subdivisions,
commercial uses, and marinas. He has successfully challenged and
defended decisions made by the Commission on coastal development
permits, local coastal program amendments, and federal consistency.
Prior to RW&G, Mr. Kaufmann was employed by the California
Attorney General’s Office, and represented the Coastal Commission
as his primary client from 1977 to 1991, as well other state agencies,
including the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, California State
Lands Commission, and State Department of Fish and Game. He advised
the Coastal Commission and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy at
public hearings and handled a wide variety of opinion and litigation
matters for both agencies. In 1990, he received the California Attorney
General’s Award for Excellence for his efforts on behalf of
the Coastal Commission. Mr. Kaufmann joined RW&G in 1991.
Mr. Kaufmann is a contributing author of the CEB treatise, California
Administrative Mandamus 3d ed), and has participated as a speaker
at the 2007 California State Lands Commission Workshop on Public
Trust, Timeshares and the Public Trust, and at the 2009
California Coastal Law Conference, What Happens When a Locally-Issued
Permit is Appealed for Review by the Coastal Commission and
Federal Consistency – The Nuts and Bolts. He is listed
in Southern California Super Lawyers (2009). Mr. Kaufmann participated
as a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court Ad Hoc Committee on
CEQA Writs of Mandate, and assisted in the drafting of the local
superior court rule governing CEQA mandate actions.
Since joining the firm, Mr. Kaufmann also has successfully obtained
judgments in writ and civil litigation matters involving land use,
CEQA and administrative law issues for the cities of Agoura Hills,
Artesia, Beverly Hills, Buena Park, Malibu, Monrovia, Norwalk, Palmdale,
Rancho Cucamonga, Rolling Hills, Seal Beach, West Hollywood and
Westlake Village and for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation
Authority and Nipomo and Los Osos Community Services Districts.
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