Noel Tapia is a Senior Partner with the Firm, handling both transactional and litigation matters.
Mr. Tapia has significant experience advising both private and public entities entity clients on the land use discretional approval process and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). His CEQA experience ranges from reviewing and providing comments to draft initial studies, mitigated negative declarations and environmental impact reports to the successful defense of final environmental impact reports at trial. Mr. Tapia's land use experience includes reviewing and analyzing local zoning codes, specific plans, general plans, the Subdivision Map Act, the Coastal Act and local coastal programs. He has extensive experience representing his clients' interests before various administrative bodies including city councils and planning commissions.
Mr. Tapia's practice also includes advising clients on topics including the Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, election law, contracts and conflict of interests.
Mr. Tapia earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall). He also earned a Master's in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Tapia attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) as an undergraduate, earning a B.A. in Economic International Area Studies and Chicano Studies.
EDUCATION
- Juris Doctor, University of California, Berkeley, 1999
- Masters in City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley, 1999
- Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles, 1995
ADMISSIONS- California State Bar, 2000
- United States District Court, Central District of California, 2002
PRACTICE AREAS
- Public Agency - Municipal Law
- Land Use, Environmental, and Real Estate Development
- Government Relations/Legislative Advocacy
- Contracts
LANGUAGES