Nossaman Expands Environment & Land Use Practice with Addition of Renowned Attorney Robert Kwong
Los Angeles and Irvine, CA – We are pleased to announce that Robert Kwong has joined our Environment & Land Use Group. Robert will serve as a partner in the Los Angeles office. He joins from Arnold, LaRochelle, Mathews, VanConas & Zirbel.
Robert’s practice emphasizes land use and environmental law, including the processing of land use entitlements and related administrative and civil litigation. Areas of environmental law include air quality, climate change, water supply, water quality and solid waste management. His work involves counseling and representing private and public entities and individuals dealing with local, state and federal land use laws and regulations, including the California Environmental Quality, the California Coastal Act, the federal Clean Air Act and the federal Clean Water Act.
Before going into private practice, he was the Assistant County Counsel for the County of Ventura with primary responsibility for the Resource Management Agency’s Planning, Environmental Health, Code Compliance and Building & Safety Divisions. He also served as General Counsel to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District where he was at the forefront of California’s climate change laws and regulations. Before that, he served as General Counsel for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Senior Deputy District Counsel for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Deputy City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles and Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice.
“Robert’s extensive experience representing clients in cutting-edge, complex environmental disputes and his public sector work will bolster our practice in California and add to our already deep national bench,” said Ben Rubin, chair of Nossaman’s Environment & Land Use Group. “We are energized by his addition.”
“I am excited that Robert has chosen to become a part of our team,” added Paul Weiland, assistant managing partner of the Firm and immediate past chair of the Environment & Land Use Group. “He has a stellar reputation throughout the industry and has forged deep ties with many key stakeholders—this will enable him to add immediate value for our clients.”
Nossaman’s Environment & Land Use Group thrives at the intersection of law, policy, engineering and science. Its team-oriented approach helps clients bring projects in on time and within budget. The Group know the rules better than any other law firm because it helped create them. Its environment and land use attorneys participated in drafting the ESA and related laws and regulations and they have been involved in litigation and appeals shaping land use and environmental law both in California and throughout the U.S. The Group is perennially recognized by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 as one of the leading practices in the nation.
Commenting on his move to Nossaman, Robert said, “Nossaman’s Environment & Land Use team is widely regarded as a best-in-class practice across the industry. I am looking forward to working closely with its outstanding roster of attorneys and helping its client base meet their day-to-day and long-term needs.”
Robert holds a J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and a B.S. in Business Administration (Wharton School) as well as a B.A. in Economic History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his aforementioned roles, he has provided legal counsel to the Ventura County Information Technology Services, the Channel Islands Harbor Department and General Services Agency on various contractual and transactional matters.