Paul Weiland Recognized as a “Top 100” Lawyer
Paul Weiland was recognized as one of the "Top 100" (subscription required) lawyers in California for 2021 by the Daily Journal, California’s leading legal newspaper. The "Top 100" list annually recognizes California lawyers whose work has a profound impact at both the state and national level.
The Daily Journal highlighted Paul’s work as lead counsel "on a closely watched endangered species case representing a consortium of farming community groups who have successfully opposed California’s decision to protect four species of bumblebees under the Endangered Species Act by classifying them as fish. Almond Alliance of California v. California Fish and Game Commission, 34-2019-80003216 (Sacramento Co. Superior Court, op. filed Nov. 13, 2020)."
Commenting on the matter, Paul said, "The state’s endangered species act is patterned on its federal counterpart, but the state act does not cover insects." He added that in an effort to "protect bumblebees, the intervenors who wished to protect [the bumblebees] came up with the creative argument that fish are invertebrates covered by the act, and bumblebees are invertebrates, so bumblebees should be protected too. We contended that’s a bridge too far."
