Robin L. Lewis

Robin L. Lewis is special counsel in the Santa Barbara office.  Her litigation practice spans three practice group areas, including the Real Estate, Land Use and Natural Resources and Environmental Practice Group.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Ms. Lewis has more than 15 years of experience serving public and private clients dealing with real property, land use and development, and natural resource litigation.  She is experienced in representing clients before regulatory and permitting agencies, including Regional Water Quality Control Boards, the State Water Resources Board, the California Coastal Commission, and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Ms. Lewis carries significant experience representing individuals and businesses in state and federal courts, before administrative tribunals, arbitration panels and in mediations.  She has handled matters under the California Environmental Quality Act, the Brown Act, toxic tort law, eminent domain law, and numerous federal and state environmental statutes and regulatory schemes.

Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Ms. Lewis was partner in the law firm formerly known as Hatch & Parent.  Before becoming an attorney, she was a psychotherapist for 14 years.

Education

• J.D., Marquette University Law School, 1993, magna cum laude
• M.A., Social Work, University of Nebraska
• B.A., University of Nebraska

Admissions

• California 1998
• Wisconsin 1993
• United States Supreme Court
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
• 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
• D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States District Court for the Central, Eastern, Southern, and Northern Districts of the State of California, for the Western District of Michigan, and for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Representative Matters

Represented developer in CEQA litigation against environmental group

Represented a major California water agency in an arbitration involving the economic impacts of a water transfer agreement

Represented major California water agency relating to federal litigation under NEPA and water rights involving the All American Canal

Defended a municipal water district in an inverse condemnation and tort case, resulting in settlement

Defended a major manufacturer in a product liability case, resulting in dismissal of all claims

Represented a public entity water district in an eminent domain case in federal court under the court's diversity jurisdiction and successfully obtained a denial of attorney's fee motion

Defended municipality in an inverse condemnation action which was dismissed on a motion for summary judgment

Successfully defended public utility district in a writ of mandate challenge to the district's award of a public contract, resulting in a denial of writ of mandamus

Defended a municipality in a Brown Act case, resulting in a denial of writ of mandamus

Environmental litigation cases include a CERCLA action brought by the United States for the remediation of a landfill in the South Tahoe Basin

Represented individuals in real property transaction disputes

Business litigation cases include partnership disputes

Represented property owners and public entities in condemnation cases.

Memberships

• Member, Environmental and Litigation Sections of the California State Bar Association
• Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference for the Central District of California, 2005-2008
• National Delegate for the Central Coast Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, 2007
• Santa Barbara County Bar Association Board Member, 2005
• Santa Barbara County Legal Aid Foundation Board of Directors, 2001-2004
• Santa Barbara Women Lawyers Board of Directors, 2000-2002