Geoff brings more than 30 years of experience to his litigation practice, which focuses on environmental and commercial disputes from the investigation stage through settlement, trial, and appeal. He has represented clients in hazardous waste enforcement, cleanup disputes, environmental citizen suits, and water and other natural resources matters. He is one of only a handful of California lawyers who have taken state hazardous waste “dumpster diving” investigations to court. Geoff has also litigated complex antitrust, patent, and trade secret cases in federal and state trial and appellate courts. He is a member of the firm’s General Litigation and Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment practices.
Geoff’s clients span a wide range of industries and include retailers, health care companies, retailers, real estate developers and trusts, semiconductor manufacturers and related technology companies, transportation companies, utilities, startups, and consumer products manufacturers.
With an eye toward avoiding litigation whenever possible, he adopts sound, cost-effective strategies that focus on achieving clients’ business goals through settlement or in court.
- Defended Kaiser Permanente in a seven-year, statewide regulated waste investigation by the California AG and a number of district attorneys who were alleging violations of statutes and regulations governing the disposal of medical waste, hazardous waste, and confidential information. After several years of investigation, reporting the results of self-audits, and sharing the client’s successes, Geoff engaged in extensive settlement negotiations with the prosecutors over the terms of a consent judgment, permanent injunction, and a stipulated penalty amount. The matter settled in 2023, and a court entered a vigorously negotiated consent judgment that took into account Kaiser’s significant and diverse operations in California and harmonized its requirements with Kaiser’s existing compliance program.
- Defended Walmart in a statewide lawsuit filed by the California AG, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and various California district attorneys alleging violations of statutes and regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste, medical waste, and confidential information. After nearly three years of litigation and on the verge of trial, in 2024 we secured a favorable settlement through a consent judgment which required only that Walmart to maintain its existing compliance program and pay a modest penalty.
- Defended FedEx Ground in an investigation and litigation in 2013-2015 by the California AG and a number of district attorneys alleging improper transportation of hazardous waste. We negotiated a settlement and consent judgment with the DAs, and then negotiated a separate consent judgment with the AG.
- Litigated and negotiated with prosecutors in a number of California hazardous and medical waste enforcement investigations.
- Representing national real estate developer in complex litigation against the United States and its remediation contractor over a fraudulent radionuclide cleanup at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.
- Defended real estate developers and manufacturers in toxic tort and environmental contamination litigation.
- Litigated numerous federal and state law cost recovery lawsuits in federal and state courts on behalf of landowners, manufacturers, a major railroad, and energy companies.
- Defended and counseled clients facing Proposition 65 claims, including clients in the airline, consumer products, furniture, retail, home products, construction, and dry cleaning industries.
- Successfully defended major bank through appeal and recovered attorneys’ fees in a dispute with a developer over contaminated commercial real estate.
Successfully defended California petroleum company through appeal against a Clean Water Act citizen suit. - Represented major utility in natural resource litigation.
- Represented renewable energy company and dry cleaner franchise in administrative proceedings before the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Education
- Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D., 1991: cum laude; Emery Scholar
- University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1987
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation - Environmental in San Francisco, CA (2023-2025)
- Recommended by The Legal 500 US for State Attorneys General (2023-2024)
Professional Activities
Extern
- California Supreme Court (1990)
Member
- San Francisco Bar Association
Adjunct Professor
- University of California, Hastings College of Law (1998)
Editorial Board
- Environmental Liability, Enforcement and Penalties Reporter (2000-2008)