Paul Weiland Named an Energy & Environmental Trailblazer

Paul Weiland, Chair of Nossaman's Environment & Land Use Group, was named to National Law Journal’s list of Energy & Environmental Trailblazers for 2021. The list recognizes a handful of attorneys who are at the top of their game and have made significant contributions to the energy and environmental fields over the course of their careers.

Paul was recognized for his win in Sacramento Superior Court where he served "as lead counsel in a California case representing a coalition opposing the California Fish and Game Commission’s decision to protect four subspecies of bumblebees under the California Endangered Species Act by classifying the bees as fish."

Commenting on the matter, Paul said, "The case represents a strictly legal issue and not the broader questions of if we should be protecting bumblebees. The commission is stretching beyond what the legislature has intended in an example of executive branch overreach."

Regarding what he sees for the future of the field, Paul said he sees "unique challenges" for the new administration’s ambitious goals of shifting to green energy. He added, "They will need big infrastructure investments. But there will be tensions, with many projects facing opposition from various groups, and the administration will need to find a balance."