Environmental and Land Use Lawyer Jon Welner Joins Crowell & Moring's San Francisco Office

Expands litigation and regulatory team helping companies grow in California  

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jon Welner joins Crowell & Moring's Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Group as a partner in the firm's San Francisco office. He brings more than 25 years of experience addressing environmental regulatory challenges and resolving land development disputes for businesses and local governments in California.

Welner's practice focuses on all areas of environmental law, including the regulation of air, water, hazardous materials and waste, consumer products, traditional and renewable energy, and natural resources. Welner has significant experience helping clients navigate the California Environmental Quality Act, Proposition 65, and brownfield redevelopment. He helps clients obtain land use entitlements, and he has significant experience with coastal development and the permitting of industrial and energy facilities.

"Jon has decades of experience solving regulatory problems in all areas of environmental law, and clients turn to him because he knows how to get things done in California," said Kirsten Nathanson, co-chair of the firm's Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Practice Group. "Jon broadens our bench strength in environmental litigation, investigations, and regulatory enforcement, and he provides our clients with deep experience in the booming areas of California land development and infrastructure-related work."

Welner represents clients on their most challenging land use disputes. He has represented the City of Redondo Beach over the past decade and serves as its principal outside counsel on land use issues. Welner advises clients at both the state and federal level, and he has appeared before all California environmental regulatory agencies. He regularly performs environmental due diligence on large-scale corporate and real estate transactions.

"Crowell has a longstanding and highly regarded national environmental practice. I'm excited to be part of the team as we help companies grow in California and meet environmental requirements, anticipate future challenges, and work with local communities to build much-needed housing," Welner said. "My work in private practice and public service over many years provides me a unique understanding of how to create a path forward and achieve goals in a complex environment."

Welner has a long track record of public service. He is the former mayor and current vice mayor of the Town of Tiburon and has served for seven years on the Town Council. Prior to that, he served for six years on the Tiburon Planning Commission, including as chair and vice chair. In addition, previously, he was a senior official at the California Natural Resources Agency.

Welner's experience also includes development-related labor issues, including prevailing wage law and project labor agreements. He regularly represents developers and trade associations before the Department of Industrial Relations and has negotiated numerous project labor agreements, including the agreement for Baylands North, one of the largest residential projects in San Francisco.

Welner joins Crowell from Mintz, where he was the co-lead of the firm's California Land Use Group.

Welner is on the advisory board of the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and is an executive committee member and former chair of the Environmental Law Section of the San Francisco Bar Association.

Welner earned his law degree from Stanford Law School and his bachelor's degree from Stanford University. He is on the advisory board of Stanford-in-Government and the board of directors for the John Gardner Fellowship Association. Welner is also a former president and longtime board member of the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center.

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring is an international law firm with operations in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry, and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, as well as its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

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