Keith Garner advises on land use and natural resources permitting and environmental law compliance—guiding developers, energy companies and project sponsors through every stage of the development cycle.
Advising on land use and entitlement matters throughout California and environmental regulatory issues governed by federal law nationwide, Keith is skilled at leading teams of lawyers and working to remove obstacles and resolve disputes that could delay or derail complex projects.
Much of Keith’s work centers on project planning and permitting. He helps clients secure entitlements for large-scale residential, commercial and mixed-use projects and energy generation and transmission facilities (including wind and solar), addressing requirements involving endangered species, wetlands, water quality, historic preservation and public trust issues, including waterfront development. Recognized for his practical and responsive counsel, he guides clients through permitting processes that often span several years, delivering results that move projects forward.
Keith also conducts zoning and environmental due diligence for land acquisitions and early-stage planning. By evaluating obligations under zoning codes and state and federal wetlands and endangered species laws, he helps clients anticipate regulatory and community challenges, assess risks and make sound investment decisions.
In addition, Keith represents clients in litigation and administrative enforcement proceedings and advocates in rulemaking proceedings, shaping regulations that govern land use planning, environmental review and natural resources management.
Before practicing law, Keith worked as an urban planner in Boston and as a research fellow at Harvard University’s Center for Urban Development Studies, where he contributed to international development projects in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.