Jeffrey W. Forrest

Jeff Forrest is a Land Use partner in the firm's San Diego office and has been practicing law for 20 years.

Areas of practice

Jeff's practice includes complex land use planning, obtaining entitlement approvals, and land use litigation defense for clients such as Holland Partner Group, Hines, Cisterra, Lincoln Properties, Loews Resorts, Hotel Del Coronado, JStreet Hospitality, Choice Hotels, Lowe Enterprises, Greystar, BioMed Realty, Pardee Homes, KB Home, Brookfield Homes, Caydon U.S.A., Chevron, Integral Communities, Jay Paul Company, Steelwave, solar and renewable energy developers (NextEra, Tenaska, NRG, Con Edison Development, Wells Fargo, Sempra Renewables, Alta Gas, and Enbridge), Allied Waste, the Building Industry Association, Citigroup, Comerica Bank, Black Mountain Ranch, Sovereign Capital, LLJ Investors, and Lane Field Developers.

Jeff specializes in counseling compliance with and litigating the California Environmental Quality Act ( CEQA ), National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA ), California Coastal Act, Subdivision Map Act, Mitigation Fee Act, Endangered Species Act, and global warming laws and regulations.

In doing so, his land use work covers all aspects of advising and representing residential, industrial and commercial developers through all phases of the land use regulatory process, including real estate due diligence investigations; negotiating development agreements, easements, annexation agreements, water supply assessments, and environmental permits; processing land use entitlements, and appearing before governmental agencies and commissions.

Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, he served in the U.S. Congress as the Legislative Director & Counsel to Congressman Mike Castle following the Congressman's terms as Delaware's Governor. In Congress, he focused on bankruptcy reform, financial services modernization, corporate governance, environmental, appropriations and tax legislation.

Jeff is a Board member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and a registered lobbyist with the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, and San Diego Regional Airport Authority, and the San Diego Port Authority.

Honors

Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers, 2020

Insights

Articles

•New Law Automatically Extends Subdivision Map Approvals (Again)
Real Property Law Section e-Bulletin, 09.2011

Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental Law Blog Posts

• Five Years in the Making: California is One Step Closer to a Comprehensive Update to the CEQA Guidelines, January 7, 2019
• High Court Upholds Long-Term GHG Emissions Analysis, But Warns Agencies to Keep Pace with Regulatory Advancements: Lessons from Cleveland National Forest Foundation v. SANDAG, July 26, 2017
• Undisclosed Change in Building Height Requires Supplemental EIR, January 30, 2015
• County of San Diego’s Adopted Climate Action Plan Violates CEQA: Fails to Include Enforceable GHG Reduction Measures, December 11, 2014
• Fourth District’s Split Decision Further Complicates CEQA Requirements Surrounding GHG Impact Analysis and Mitigation Measures - Dissent Warns Majority Opinion Will Weaken and Confuse the Law, December 11, 2014
• EIR Air Quality Analysis Insufficient: Lack of Specificity Regarding Human Health Impacts, Mitigation Measure Enforceability, and Evidence Supporting Measures’ Effectiveness in Substantially Reducing Air Quality Impacts Blamed, June 11, 2014
• Farming Solar Rays: County Decision to Approve Industrial-Scale Solar on Williamson Act Lands OK'd, July 11, 2013
• Parties Must Exhaust Administrative Remedies Before Challenging Even A CEQA Exemption, June 28, 2012
• New Law Automatically Extends Subdivision Map Approvals (Again), July 25, 2011
• City's Business?As?Usual Threshold OK For Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under CEQA, July 14, 2011
• Global Warming and Droughts Not New Information; Project Opponents Must Fairly Present Claims Before Filing CEQA Lawsuit, June 21, 2011
• Court Affirms CEQA Does Not Require Cumulative Impact Analysis Where Project Makes No Contribution to Groundwater Impacts, May 24, 2011
• Administrative Fee for Tax Collection is an Unconstitutional Hidden Tax, August 28, 2009
• New Law Automatically Extends Existing Tentative Maps For Two Years, But Also Creates New Pitfalls, And Reduces Some Protections For Recorded Maps, July 18, 2009
• U.S. Supreme Court Holds Superfund's Traditional Joint and Several Liability and Arranger Liability Have Their Limits: Bar May Be Lowered For Demonstrating Apportionment Liability, May 8, 2009
• New Law Automatically Extends Existing Vesting Tentative Maps, But Don't Celebrate Too Soon: There Are Pitfalls For The Unwary, July 16, 2008
• Coastal Commission Can't Deny Permit Because of 'Potential' Prescriptive Public Access Rights, June 11, 2007
• CREED Case Leaves Questions Regarding Program EIRs, December 15, 2005

Events

•Cocktails With Your CEQA Lawyer
Updates on CEQA and the Post-Redevelopment World, 10.30.2013

•CEQA Breakfast Briefing Seminar Series - San Diego
Streamlining the CEQA Process, 05.15.2013

•2012 CEQA Breakfast Briefing - San Francisco
Sheppard Mullin San Francisco Office, 11.15.2012

•2012 CEQA Breakfast Briefing - San Diego
Sheppard Mullin San Diego Office, 10.10.2012