In
September 1997 five partners at the oldest firm in San Joaquin County
broke away to form their own firm. Shortly thereafter a founding member
of a small prestigious Stockton litigation firm, Freeman & Brown,
joined them. The new firm, now called Herum Crabtree Brown, was established
to allow its partners to fulfill their desire to provide a consistently
high quality, client driven, technologically advanced, professional
service firm. The partners believe that a small and efficient law
firm can provide the highest quality legal specialized services at
a lower cost than a large, multidiscipline and multi-office law firm.
In less than three years this new firm has nearly tripled in size
and is now recognized as a leader in the Central Valley of California.
According
to the chief economist for the Great Valley Project, "San
Joaquin County's central location and range of transportation links
(highway, rail, air, and water, including a deep-water channel)
have truly made it a favored location." The annual report
of the State Finance Department repeatedly emphasizes that the Central
Valley and more particularly San Joaquin County leads California
in economic growth and opportunity. These factors contribute to
San Joaquin County becoming the ninth Bay Area county, and Herum
Crabtree Brown benefits from the diverse and sophisticated legal
work brought by this economic change.
These
factors allowed Forbes Magazine to declare in May 2002 that Stockton
is the 24th best community (out of 300 nationwide) to work and grow
a business.
Our
practice areas reflect the growing and dynamic regional economy.
Our attorneys are recognized regionally and state-wide for their
expertise in such diverse areas as land use, water, real estate,
complex business litigation, sophisticated business formation and
transactions and environmental law.
LAND
USE PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND LITIGATION
Our
attorneys assist a wide range of clients to include:
Individual landowners,
shopping centers developers,
residential real estate developers,
business park developers,
churches,
mining and aggregate interests,
regional and national development corporations,
and public agencies in all aspects of the land development process.
This
assistance includes all aspects of the land use entitlement process
from filing applications to and through the final administrative
approval for general plan amendments, use permits, subdivision
maps, EIRs and endangered species problems. We also serve as special
counsel to public agencies involved in redevelopment projects
and plans. Since our firm's inception in 1997 our attorneys have
made literally hundreds of presentations to local government planning
bodies. More details concerning the type and complexity of the
land use matters handled by our firm are available at the newspaper
link.
A
major aspect of this practice area involves the proper interpretation
of:
general plans,
specific plans,
zoning regulations,
state and local regulations and
the California Environmental Quality Act.
If disputes develop which necessitate
litigation, our attorneys have an exceptional depth of knowledge
and experience in representing clients through the court process.
Our attorneys have handled over twenty five appeals that have been
decided by appellate courts, and have represented clients before
the California appellate courts, the Federal Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals and the State Supreme Court. A representative sampling
of our representation of clients on land use matters is found at
the court cases link. See the biographies of Steve Herum and Brett Jolley.
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WATER
LAW
Our attorneys act as general or special counsel on water matters
for a number of public agencies including:
water districts,
irrigation districts,
cities and counties, and
private property owners.
w e assist these public agencies
to obtain additional water supplies, defend existing water rights
and defend against government and environmental claims. For instance,
the firm has substantial experience in rare but important water
rights adjudications of entire stream systems. We also have been
involved in obtaining water rights for new towns. Our attorneys
are regularly involved in negotiations with local, state and federal
agencies as well as appearing before the State Water Resources Control
Board. For more details about this practice area please see the
newspaper and court cases links. See the biographies of Jeanne Zolezzi,
Karna Harrigfeld and Jennifer Spaletta.
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LITIGATION
Our
attorneys are involved in complex business litigation throughout
the United States. We represent business interests in a diverse
number of litigation matters, including:
Trademark
and False Advertising
Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
Specific performance on large land transactions,
Construction,
Contractual
disputes,
Agricultural
product contracts of many kinds.
Lending
Disputes.
The firm has become increasingly involved in consumer class actions.
In June of 2000 we served as lead counsel for a court approved class
settlement of $110 million, the largest class action settlement
in the history of the Central Valley. The firm has been involved in multiple
class actions involving such diverse products as roof tiles, deck
stain, ovens, vitamins, high fructose corn syrup and sheetrock. See the biographies of Jim Brown,
Jennifer Whipple, Jennifer Scott and Stacy Guthmiller.
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BUSINESS, TAX, AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCIAL LAW
Our
business clients range include new, local start up partnerships
and companies, long time local family owned companies, and regional
and national Fortune 500 companies with presence in San Joaquin
and Stanislaus County. This representation involves all aspects
of these business activities, formation, transactional, and tax
matters. Representative clients are involved in manufacturing,
transportation, and personal and professional services.
In
addition, we represent all aspects of the agricultural industry.
Representative clients include:
food
processors,
canners,
agricultural
cooperatives,
dairies
and grape growers.
We
represent some of the largest and most influential farming entities
in California.
Finally
the firm includes attorneys who are certified specialists in tax
and estate planning and probate. We represent clients in all aspects
of both tax and estate matters, including planning and, when needed
representing clients before various tax agencies and courts. See
the biography of Steve Crabtree.
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PUBLIC AGENCIES
We
serve as both general and special counsel for public agencies.
These public agencies include: cities,
counties,
redevelopment
agencies,
water
districts,
irrigation
districts and
other
special districts.
As
general counsel we represent the public agency on a day to day
basis. As special counsel we bring our specialized expertise to
assist the public agency with land use, environmental, water,
and condemnation matters. See the biographies of Jeanne Zolezzi,
Karna Harrigfeld, and Brett Jolley.
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ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
The
laws relating to environmental compliance affect virtually every
business, industry, municipality, and even the general public.
We have attorneys specializing in environmental law who can advise
businesses and individuals on numerous aspects of environmental
law and regulation compliance. We have represented cities concerning
the discharge of pollutants from sewer pipelines, businesses facing
clean up orders and industries attempting to comply with air quality
standards. See the biographies of Jeanne Zolezzi and Karna Harrigfeld.
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REAL ESTATE
Our
attorneys have extensive experience in all aspects of real estate
transactions, including negotiation, and documenting complex land
transactions, review of title reports, and the financing of real
property transactions. We also have extensive experience in negotiating
and documenting commercial and agricultural leases. Our attorneys
advise clients and prepare documents concerning business organization
and planning for real estate development, including joint venture
agreements, development agreements, rental agreement and leases.
When required our attorneys also write opinion letters for financing
associated with subdivision purposes and refinancing of commercial
shopping centers. See the biographies of Steve Herum, Steve Crabtree,
Jeanne Zolezzi.
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