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Partner
A. Catherine Norian is a partner in Gilchrist & Rutter’s real estate department. Ms. Norian focuses on compliance with land use laws and regulations at the state and local levels, with particular emphasis on California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance and defending project approvals against litigation challenges in trial and appellate courts.
Ms. Norian’s practice emphasizes counsel on entitlement strategies, including the preparation of Environmental Impact Reports and related documents, and project processing before lead agencies in a manner that enables her to protect project approvals during the inevitable litigation challenges. She has experience in all aspects of major land development, including in planning and implementing all of the steps necessary to guide Master Planned Communities from original design to completion, including litigation challenges to project approvals. She also represents real estate developers and other private parties, as well as public agencies in urban developments and, in other land use and real property litigation at the trial and appellate court levels.
Ms. Norian also has extensive experience handling commercial litigation, including construction, contract and business tort, partnership and insurance litigation, at the trial and appellate court levels. She has represented clients in the real estate development, construction and management, entertainment, banking, corporate, and professional services industries, as well as private individuals. She has litigated land use entitlement issues, ground lease disputes, construction disputes, construction defects, real property purchase, leasing and sale transactions, anti-deficiency/fraud issues, inverse condemnation cases, title insurance claims and disputes with municipalities and other governmental agencies. Ms. Norian has also litigated copyright and trademark infringement claims in the entertainment and apparel industries, partnership and limited partnership disputes, claims for architectural, accounting, and psychological malpractice, in addition to coverage and insurance “bad faith” claims.
Ms. Norian received her J.D. degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 1977 and her B.S. degree from Stanford University in 1970.
Representative Experience
Examples of entitlement projects and litigation matters in which Ms. Norian is or has been actively involved include:
Master Planned Communities/Urban Development Litigation
- Lennar/Heritage Fields: A 4,600-acre master planned community located on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station now located in Irvine, California. Ms. Norian’s services for this project, which includes 3,625 residential units and over 6.5 million square feet of industrial, commercial and retail space, include CEQA compliance, and assisting in planning and issuance of multiple federal, state and local permits.
- Entrada Office Building: A twelve-store office project proposed by CRP Centinela, LP in Culver City, California. Ms. Norian successfully defended the project approvals, including a height exception, against a challenge brought by neighbors claiming interference with views and improper alternatives analyses, which resulted in an unpublished decision issued by the Second District Court of Appeal.
- Candlestick Point/Hunters Point Shipyard Phase II: The redevelopment of the Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard areas of southeastern San Francisco with residential, commercial, retail, research and development and mixed uses, and an area set aside for a new professional football stadium. Ms. Norian's services for this project have included CEQA compliance and assistance in planning and permitting activities.
- The Newhall Land and Farming Company/West Creek and West Hills: An approximately 960-acre master planned community located in the Santa Clarita Valley in unincorporated Los Angeles County, including approximately 2,500 residential units and 180,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving commercial uses, together with recreational facilities, open space, community facilities and a school.
- Entitlement: Ms. Norian’s services for this project included CEQA compliance through assistance in the preparation of an addition to the Environmental Impact Report, and assistance with project processing before the County of Los Angeles resulting in project approval.
- Litigation: Ms. Norian successfully defended the CEQA lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging the project approvals, achieving success before both the trial court and the Second District Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal issued a published opinion, Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment v. County of Los Angeles (2007) 157 Cal.App.4th 149, upholding the sufficiency of the project’s Environmental Impact Report. This was the first published California Court of Appeal decision to uphold a Water Resources (supplies/demand) section in an Environmental Impact Report, and the first published decision following the California Supreme Court’s landmark opinion in Vineyard Area Citizens for Responsible Growth, Inc. v. City of Rancho Cordova (2007) 40 Cal.4th 412.
- The Newhall Land and Farming Company/River Village: An approximately 700-acre master planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California, including approximately 1,000 residential units, a small commercial component, recreational facilities, open space, and community facilities.
- Entitlement: Ms. Norian’s entitlement services included CEQA compliance through assistance in the preparation of an extensive Environmental Impact Report, and assistance with project processing before the City resulting in project approval.
- Litigation: Ms. Norian successfully defended the CEQA lawsuit filed by multiple parties challenging the project approvals, achieving success before both the trial court and the Second District Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal issued an unpublished opinion upholding the sufficiency of the Environmental Impact Report's Water Resources (supplies/demand) section under Vineyard Area Citizens for Responsible Growth, Inc. v. City of Rancho Cordova (2007) 40 Cal.4th 412, and its Biological Resources section.
- The Newhall Land and Farming Company/Entrada: An approximately 500-acre site located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. 1,640 residential units, 750,000 square feet of commercial retail uses, parks, and associated infrastructure.
- The Newhall Land and Farming Company/Auto Mall: An approximately 14-acre site located in the City of Santa Clarita. Ms. Norian assisted the client in revising the project entitlements to permit development of a portion of an auto mall, including CEQA compliance and successfully defending the project approvals through the trial and a settlement reached during appellate court proceedings.
- Tejon Ranch Company/Tejon Industrial Complex East: An approximately 11,000-acre industrial park located in unincorporated southern Kern County, including 15 million square feet of commercial and industrial development.
- Entitlement: Ms. Norian’s services included CEQA compliance through the preparation of an addition to the Environmental Impact Report, and assistance with project processing before the County of Kern resulting in project approval.
- Litigation: Ms. Norian successfully defended the CEQA lawsuit filed by multiple parties challenging the project approvals, ultimately achieving success before both the trial court and the Fifth District Court of Appeal, which issued an unpublished opinion upholding the sufficiency of the project’s Environmental Impact Report.
- Centennial Founders, LLC/Centennial: A “new town” located in the western portion of the Antelope Valley in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, including approximately 23,000 residential units and 15 million square feet of retail, office, commercial and industrial development, together with all necessary schools, service facilities, utilities and infrastructure on approximately 11,600 acres. Ms. Norian’s services for this project included CEQA compliance through assistance in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report.
- Vista Canyon Ranch, LLC/Vista Canyon Ranch: An approximately 200-acre master planned community located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, including 1,200 residential units and 650,000 square feet of commercial/mixed use development. Ms. Norian services included CEQA compliance through assistance in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report and assistance with the proposed annexation and development agreement.
Additional Representation
- Marina Two Holding Partnership: Successful defense of an approved residential project in the Marina del Rey area of unincorporated Los Angeles County. Ms. Norian successfully defended the project through the trial court, resulting in a settlement of the challenge favorable to the client while the case was on appeal before the Second District Court of Appeal.
- Sondermann Ring Partners-Ventura Harbor: Successful challenge to the City of San Buenaventura’s General Plan before the trial court in Ventura County. The case is currently on appeal to the Second District Court of Appeal.
- Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority: Representation of the client in multiple litigation matters and CEQA compliance involving the client’s property in Malibu, California.
- Gregg’s Artistic Homes: Successful challenge to the City of Glendale’s refusal to process a hillside residential project, resulting in an extremely favorable settlement for the client.
Bar Admissions:
California 1977
United States District Courts for the
Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of California
United States Courts of Appeal for the Ninth and Seventh circuits
Professional Associations and Memberships:
American Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
California State Bar
Representative Cases
Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment v. County of Los Angeles (2007) 157 Cal.App.4th 149
Published Works:
Recent Court Decisions Help to Clarify CEQA Issues, July 2011
California’s Latest Attempt to Streamline the California Environmental Quality Act, October 4, 2010
California’s Amended CEQA Guidelines Mandate Analysis of GHG Emissions, While Preserving Lead Agencies’ Discretion, February 18, 2010
California Supreme Court Upholds CALFED’s Bay-Delta Program EIS/EIR, June 12, 2008
A Road Map for Water: A Court Finally Clears a CEQA Water Supply Analysis, December 7, 2007
The California Attorney General’s Latest Settlement: ConocoPhillips Company Agrees to Offset Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Expanded Refinery, September 24, 2007
CEQA Warms to Climate Change: Analysis of Greenhouse Gases Now Required, August 28, 2007
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