Beth Collins

About Beth Collins

Beth Collins is known as a problem solver who routinely tackles high profile, high controversy cases. She has a rare mix of significant entitlement, transactional and litigation experience which gives her a unique perspective and her clients an edge—whether she is litigating in the courts, drafting documents, negotiating a deal or advocating before public officials and agencies.Beth is a Shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Santa Barbara and Los Angeles offices and a member of the Natural Resources, Land Use, Real Estate, and Litigation groups. In her practice, Beth specializes in assisting various land owners, energy companies, vintners and ranchers, and developers through all stages of the development process, specializing in high-controversy projects. Beth has broad expertise in land use, real estate and environmental issues such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Housing Accountability Act (HAA) and other state housing laws, Coastal Act, Subdivision Map Act, Endangered Species Act and easement, nuisance and takings issues. Beth\'s published decisions include Frye v. Tenderloin Housing Clinic, Inc.(2006) 38 Cal.4th 23, In re Hudie Joyce Walker (20•••47 Cal.App. 4th 533, Jamieson v. City of Carpinteria (20•••04 Cal.App.4th 755 and Tomlinson v. County of Alameda (2012) 54 Cal.4th 281. Prior to joining the firm, Beth was an associate at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew of the United States District Court for the Central District of California (20••••04) and Honorable Justice Norman L. Epstein of the California State Court of Appeal, Second Appellate Dist, Div. Four (20••••03).Before attending law school, Beth joined Teach for America and taught seventh and eighth grade science and health in urban schools for five years.Specialties: Land use, CEQA/NEPA, environmental, energy, global climate change, and real estate related matters.

Experience

1. Shareholder

   Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

   Jan 2013 — Present

   Beth has provided land use, CEQA, and Coastal Act compliance advice for numerous clients and projects, including mixed use, hospitality, residential, industrial, commercial, educational and religious, and utility infrastructure projects. These projects include Santa Barbara County’s first wind project, a master plan for a university in West Los Angeles, the largest mixed-use project processed and approved by the City of Goleta (California), electric transmission and pipeline projects, the first Islamic Center in Santa Barbara County and the first Children’s Museum in Santa Barbara. Beth also writes and speaks frequently on land use, CEQA, and Coastal Act issues.She has successfully defended or creatively resolved challenges of major projects, including a hydroelectric dam in southern California, a warehouse distribution center in the Inland Empire, a luxury residential project in Century City (two 47-story towers with 483 luxury condominiums), the largest mixed-use project processed and approved in the City of Goleta, a residential development in Alameda County, and a ski resort in Placer County. Beth also regularly litigates and successfully resolves various easement, public dedication, vested rights, and other land use and real estate matters.Specialties: Land use, environmental, and real estate practice. Special expertise in high controversy projects and properties.

Education

• University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law

  2002, J.D.

  1999 — 2002

• Smith College

  A.B., Biological Sciences

  1989 — 1993

Skills

• Class Actions
• Real Estate
• Ceqa
• Licensing
• Energy
• Courts
• Civil Litigation
• Entitlements
• Intellectual Property
• Climate Change
• Environmental Awareness
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Dispute Resolution
• Legal Research
• Appeals
• Due Diligence
• Commercial Litigation
• Land Use