Lucas Quass advises clients on environmental matters, including land use, regulatory approvals, water resources, and related litigation.
Mr. Quass helps clients develop a full spectrum of projects in the western United States and along the California coast. From project inception to completion and ongoing monitoring, he helps clients navigate:
- Regulatory approvals and permitting (including CEQA, the Coastal Act, and local planning, zoning, and historic preservation laws)
- Water rights and adjudication
- Project opponents and community relations
- Related litigation from local courts through to the California Court of Appeals
Mr. Quass has developed a sophisticated understanding of the interplay of regulation, water rights, and environmental factors that affect residential, commercial, and industrial development projects. He provides clients an unusual complementary litigation strength to his regulatory work, having adjudicated one of only a handful of water rights disputes in California, and successfully representing clients in disputes all the way through to state appeal.
Mr. Quass has been steeped in water issues his whole career; prior to private practice he worked for the Metropolitan Water District, the largest water wholesaler in the world. Mr. Quass currently serves as the Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. He frequently writes and speaks on water and environmental issues, including Prop 65. He also maintains an active pro bono practice, including representing the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, in Laguna Beach, California.