Todd Williams
Education
J.D.University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1998Member of Hastings Law Journal B.A.EnglishUniversity of California, Los Angeles, 1989Memberships
Contra Costa County Bar AssociationProfessional Activities
Speaker, Road to Sustainability or Road to Ruin: Will SB375’s Greenhouse Gas Dictates Deliver or Dampen Real Estate Recovery? (California State Bar Real Property Law Section Retreat, Napa), May 2010
Speaker, Annual Land Use Law Update (Marin County Planning Directors), April 2010
Speaker, The Emerging Law of Sustainability: How SB375 is Changing California Land Use Law (California State Cyber Education Institute), March 2010
Speaker, Annual Land Use Law Update (Tri Valley Planners), March 2010
Speaker, BAAQMD Proposed CEQA Guidelines, February 2010
Speaker, CEQA Update (Northern California Section, American Planning Association), October 2009
Speaker, Density Bonus Law Update (Contra Costa County Bar Association, Real Estate Section)
Speaker, CEQA and Napa County’s Erosion Control Program (Napa County Bar Association Real Estate Section
Speaker, Looking Forward to an SB375 Future (Tri Valley Planners)
Speaker, 2009 Land Use Update (Marin County Planning Directors)
Speaker, 2009 Land Use Update (Contra Costa County Planning Directors)
Speaker, How the Stimulus Package Will Impact Construction and Real Estate (ELI Research)
Author, “New California Law Coordinates Land Use and Transportation,” Builder and Developer, January 2009
Editor, 2007 edition, Curtin’s California Land Use and Planning Law (Solano Press)
Newsstand
First Published Opinion Issued on CEQA and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsDate: May 4, 2010Governor Signs Two-Year Map Extension BillDate: July 16, 2009Map Extension Bill Moving Quickly Through LegislatureDate: May 7, 2009Court of Appeal Again Strikes Down Purchase Agreement for Subdivision Map Act ViolationDate: April 2, 2009Governor Signs Ambitious Land Use BillDate: October 2, 2008Court of Appeal Issues Landmark RulingDate: August 21, 2008New Law Extends Tentative Subdivision and Parcel Maps by One YearDate: July 17, 2008Expiration of Tentative Map Does Not Require New CEQA Review for Resubmission of Same ProjectDate: May 28, 2008Big Law Associates Drawn to Smaller FirmsDate: February 16, 2007Todd Williams counsels private and public sector clients on a variety of land use, real estate and environmental issues in both litigation and administrative proceedings. He is a principal in the firm's Land Use Group in which he serves as Vice Chair.
Todd has represented a range of landowners and developers of residential, commercial and industrial property, as well as local agencies, in property entitlement processing and local government approvals; CEQA litigation and compliance; planning and zoning law; redevelopment and affordable housing; historic preservation; and real property litigation. He also advises clients in matters concerning use permits, the Subdivision Map Act, easement and boundary disputes, and the Williamson Act. He has significant experience appearing before public boards and councils, administrative adjudications, and trial and appellate courts.
Todd’s representative matters include:
- Obtained land use entitlements for major construction projects in San Jose and Oakland, including environmental review, preparing responses to public comments, drafting litigation findings, and representing clients before public agencies.
- Represented a major homebuilder in a planning and zoning law challenge involving a local agency’s general plan amendment.
- Defended land use approvals for the University of California, Merced campus.
- Defended a federal government agency in a NEPA challenge involving global warming issues.
- Member of a litigation team that obtained a $50 million arbitration award relating to a technology merger dispute.
- Crafted the winning argument on appeal on behalf of a Northern California County to enforce contract and regulatory rights over agricultural land governed by the California Land Conservation Act (the Williamson Act). Obtained complete reversal of trial court's adverse judgment, which resulted in a published appellate decision, and also secured dismissal of opponent's related appeal.
- Successfully defended CEQA and zoning approvals at the trial and appellate court level.
- Obtained a writ of mandate on behalf of a commercial business owner to reverse a local agency's denial of a conditional use permit.
Prior to joining Morgan Miller Blair, Todd was counsel in the Land Use group in the Walnut Creek office of Bingham McCutchen LLP. While at Bingham, he served on the firm’s associates’ and mergers committees, and received the senior associate mentor award. During law school, Todd worked as a judicial extern to the Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Before law school, he worked as a sportswriter for the Contra Costa Times where he covered Stanford football and basketball, and the 1994 World Cup.
Admissions
Education
J.D.University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1998Member of Hastings Law Journal B.A.EnglishUniversity of California, Los Angeles, 1989
Memberships
Contra Costa County Bar Association
Professional Activities
Speaker, Road to Sustainability or Road to Ruin: Will SB375’s Greenhouse Gas Dictates Deliver or Dampen Real Estate Recovery? (California State Bar Real Property Law Section Retreat, Napa), May 2010
Speaker, Annual Land Use Law Update (Marin County Planning Directors), April 2010
Speaker, The Emerging Law of Sustainability: How SB375 is Changing California Land Use Law (California State Cyber Education Institute), March 2010
Speaker, Annual Land Use Law Update (Tri Valley Planners), March 2010
Speaker, BAAQMD Proposed CEQA Guidelines, February 2010
Speaker, CEQA Update (Northern California Section, American Planning Association), October 2009
Speaker, Density Bonus Law Update (Contra Costa County Bar Association, Real Estate Section)
Speaker, CEQA and Napa County’s Erosion Control Program (Napa County Bar Association Real Estate Section
Speaker, Looking Forward to an SB375 Future (Tri Valley Planners)
Speaker, 2009 Land Use Update (Marin County Planning Directors)
Speaker, 2009 Land Use Update (Contra Costa County Planning Directors)
Speaker, How the Stimulus Package Will Impact Construction and Real Estate (ELI Research)
Author, “New California Law Coordinates Land Use and Transportation,” Builder and Developer, January 2009
Editor, 2007 edition, Curtin’s California Land Use and Planning Law (Solano Press)