Category: Press Releases

Meyers Nave is Lead Counsel on BNSF’s Landmark Barstow International Gateway (BIG) Project, Securing Barstow City Council Approval and First-of-Its-Kind SB 149 Certification

Meyers Nave is lead counsel to BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) on the Barstow International Gateway (BIG) project, one of the most significant private freight infrastructure investments in California history. On June 17, 2026, the Barstow City Council approved the project, marking a landmark milestone in a matter that spans land use, environmental law, CEQA strategy, transportation infrastructure, and statewide economic policy.

The BIG project is a $4 billion, 4,500-acre, state-of-the-art integrated rail facility scheduled to break ground later this year on the west side of Barstow, California. The project has received gubernatorial certification as a transportation-related infrastructure project under Senate Bill 149 (SB 149). As BNSF noted in announcing the City Council’s approval, it is the first transportation-related project “and one of only 10 local or regional transportation projects statewide to earn the designation.” As found by California’s Governor in certifying BIG under that statute, BIG “represents $4 billion private investment in California, will help reduce congestion in Port-adjacent communities, improves supply chain reliability, and support the transition to a zero-emission freight system.”

For certified projects, any CEQA litigation challenging the environmental impact report or project approvals, including appeals, must be resolved within 270 days, providing critical scheduling certainty for a project of this scale and complexity.

“The Barstow International Gateway represents a fundamental shift in California freight infrastructure: moving goods from port-dependent congestion to a rail-centered, inland logistics model. For BNSF, SB 149 certification brings meaningful schedule certainty to one of the most consequential freight infrastructure projects in the state.”

— Amrit Kulkarni, Principal & Chair, Land Use, Environmental Law, and Transportation & Infrastructure Practice Group, Meyers Nave

The Meyers Nave team is led by Amrit Kulkarni and supported by multiple attorneys across the firm’s Land Use, Environmental, and Litigation practice groups.

The BIG project is designed to streamline goods movement between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and destinations across the United States. Containers will move directly from ships to trains via the Alameda Corridor and along the BNSF mainline to Barstow, where freight will be processed using zero-emission cargo-handling equipment and routed across BNSF’s national rail network. The project is projected to eliminate approximately 205 million truck miles traveled in 2028, growing to 312 million truck miles by 2048 — reducing highway congestion and improving air quality across Southern California. Because of BIG’s innovative design, BIG will result in a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, one of the requirements for obtaining certification under SB 149.

The economic impact will be transformative, including approximately 62,000 construction-related jobs and 15,000 long-term operational jobs. Within the City of Barstow, BIG is expected to produce approximately 5,400 new direct jobs, $938 million in total earnings, and $2.9 billion in total economic output over its first 20 years of operation.

Learn more:

Read the full BNSF Press Release

Read the full Meyers Nave Press Release

Meyers Nave Announces Deborah J. Fox as Next Managing Principal

Los Angeles; December 23, 2025 — Meyers Nave proudly announces that Deborah J. Fox will become the firm’s next Managing Principal effective January 1, 2026. Fox succeeds David Skinner, who has led the firm for more than 15 years and will continue his active eminent domain practice following the transition.

“David’s steady leadership and vision have guided Meyers Nave through significant growth and evolution,” said Fox. “He has positioned the firm as one of California’s premier mid-sized law firms, and I am honored to build on that legacy while leading us into our next chapter.”

Fox, a trial lawyer and chair of the firm’s Trial & Litigation Practice and member of the Executive Committee, has been with Meyers Nave for 18 years. Known for her strategic counsel and courtroom acumen, she has represented clients in some of California’s most complex and high-profile cases. Her leadership combines deep litigation experience with a collaborative, client-focused approach that reflects the firm’s core values: service, integrity, excellence, and growth. She is the second woman to lead the Meyers Nave in its almost 40-year history.

“Deborah brings a rare mix of legal excellence, business acumen, and firm-first leadership,” said Skinner. “Her energy and vision will continue to drive Meyers Nave’s success for years to come.”

The transition coincides with the appointment of Martha Joerger as Executive Director, also effective January 1, 2026. Joerger will lead operational initiatives that advance the firm’s strategic priorities and support Fox in her dual role as Managing Principal and active litigator.

Meyers Nave remains focused on its core mission: partnering with clients across California to deliver exceptional results in and out of the courtroom. The firm’s leadership transition marks both continuity and forward momentum, strengthening its foundation while positioning for long-term growth.

 

About Meyers Nave
Meyers Nave is a full-service California law firm providing litigation, transaction, and regulatory compliance legal services to corporations, government entities, non-profits and public-private partnerships. Since 1986, the firm has combined deep California roots with a results-driven approach to complex legal challenges. Learn more about Meyers Nave.

Meyers Nave and Sohagi Law Group Combine

Combination Creates Formidable Environmental and Land Use Practice in California

LOS ANGELES:

January 22, 2025 – Meyers Nave announced today that it has joined forces with The Sohagi Law Group (SLG), a California boutique environmental and land use law firm, effective February 1. SLG Founder and Managing Partner Margaret Sohagi, Partner Nicole Hoeksma Gordon, Partner R. Tyson Sohagi, Senior Of Counsel, Albert I. Herson, and Senior Associate Mark Desrosiers, based in Los Angeles, will join Meyers Nave.

“This combination brings together two premier environmental and land use groups that collectively work on some of the most prominent infrastructure, development and related litigation in California,” said Meyers Nave Managing Principal David Skinner. “The attorneys in both groups have known each other for years, often times working on the same projects.”

Margaret Sohagi, a trailblazer in environmental and land use law, founded her women-owned firm nearly two decades ago. Under her leadership, it has become one of California’s premier law firms, offering expert counsel in areas such as air quality, climate change, planning and zoning, water supply, energy and coastal resources. The firm is also renowned for its work in high profile California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and land use litigation.

“We have a longstanding relationship with Meyers Nave, sharing many common clients and having worked on some of the most advanced and complex projects across California. We have a shared commitment to excellence, especially in land use law and in delivering client service that is second to none,” said Margaret Sohagi. “Joining Meyers Nave expands our ability to service our clients and unlocks growth opportunities.”

The combination with SLG enhances Meyers Nave’s environmental and land use practices, led by Amrit Kulkarni. The firm represents government, private businesses and public-private partnerships involved in all types of development projects throughout California and services clients in several core industries, including transportation and infrastructure, energy, real estate and housing, water resources, government and public policy, sports and entertainment, and supply chain and logistics. The firm’s recognition as go-to land use law experts is underscored by its attorneys serving, since 2006, as co-managing editors and chapter authors of California Land Use Practice, an annually updated treatise published by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB).

Margaret Sohagi, widely recognized as one of California’s leading land use attorneys and a former city planner, collaborates closely with clients to navigate the intricate legal landscape of land use, climate change, and CEQA at both administrative and judicial levels. As a longstanding CEQA instructor for California’s Continuing Judicial Studies Program, Margaret has had the unique opportunity to instruct Superior Court judges, appellate justices and court attorneys on the law. She earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School (1986), and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nicole Gordon advises clients on complex environmental and land use matters at the administrative, trial and appellate level. Her experience includes projects under CEQA, NEPA, the federal and California Endangered Species Act (ESA), and planning and zoning laws. She has successfully represented clients in high profile litigation, including at the California Supreme Court. Since 2021, Nicole has been co-chair for CLE International’s Annual CEQA Super Conference, and she is a former chair of the Environmental Law Section of the California Lawyers Association. The Los Angeles Business Journal named Nicole as one of California’s “Most Influential Women Attorneys” and a “Leader of Influence in Their 40s.” She earned her J.D. from University of Southern California, Gould School of Law (2005).

R. Tyson Sohagi, who earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley, focuses his practice on environmental law, land use, planning, housing law, the Coastal Act, CEQA, NEPA, the Public Trust Doctrine and Election Law. He advises clients on infrastructure projects (transmission lines, port facilities, airport facilities, intermodal and on dock railroad facilities, utility plants), general plans, specific plans, specific development proposals, and other land use issues. Tyson authored Lexis Nexis’ CEQA Compliance Practice Guide. The Los Angeles Times named him “Legal Visionary” in 2024. He earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (2007).

Albert I. Herson, an environmental attorney and planner with over 35 years of experience, advises public agencies on complex land use and environmental law matters, including CEQA, NEPA, and natural resources law. A co-author of widely used CEQA and NEPA guides, Mr. Herson has prepared and reviewed hundreds of CEQA documents for large-scale projects, including General Plans, EIRs, and regional transportation plans. Mr. Herson is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP) and Past President of the APA California Chapter. Mr. Herson earned his J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Mark Desrosiers focuses his practice on projects under CEQA and planning and zoning laws. Best Lawyers in America named Mark to its “Ones to Watch” list. Mark earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of San Francisco School of Law (2014).

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About Meyers Nave

Founded in 1986, Meyers Nave celebrates more than three decades of prominent clients, dedicated employees and precedent-setting work. Meyers Nave is a full-service California law firm providing transaction, litigation and regulatory compliance legal services to corporations, government entities, non-profits and public-private partnerships. Learn more about Meyers Nave.

 

Los Angeles Business Journal Names Amrit Kulkarni to 2023 List of Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys

The Los Angeles Business Journal has named Amrit Kulkarni, the Chair of the firm’s Land Use, Environmental Law, and Transportation and Infrastructure practice groups, to its 2023 list of “Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys.” The feature profiles “minority attorneys considered to be particularly impactful on the legal scene while serving as trusted advisors in the Los Angeles area.”

Amrit was noted as a “California infrastructure heavyweight, providing transaction and litigation counsel on many of the state’s and Los Angeles area’s highest profile, most complex, and sometimes controversial commercial and urban development projects.”

The LABJ highlighted Amrit’s experience serving local, state and national clients involved in the development of airports, passenger transit systems, freight rail networks, ports, highways, water resources, mixed-use residential developments, university campus expansions, and a wide range of commercial and industrial facilities. Amrit also provides transactional counsel during a project’s planning, development and implementation phases, as well as litigation expertise when clients need to defend or challenge a project.

Learn more about Amrit and his practice.

View the LABJ’s 2023 List of Leaders of Influence: Minority Attorneys.

Meyers Nave Ranked as a “Best Law Firm” in Eight Categories by the 2023 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers®

Best Lawyers® and U.S. News & World Report have announced the release of the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings in which Meyers Nave received rankings in eight categories, including two Tier 1 rankings in Environmental Law and Natural Resources Law in the Metropolitan Oakland area.

In addition to our Tier 1 rankings in Environmental Law and Natural Resources Law in the Metropolitan Oakland area, the firm was also ranked in the following categories:

Metropolitan Tier 2

  • Los Angeles – Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
  • Oakland – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Municipal Law

Metropolitan Tier 3

  • Los Angeles – Litigation – Environmental
  • Oakland – Land Use & Zoning Law
  • Sacramento – Municipal Law

Firms included in the 2023 edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” are recognized for professional excellence with consistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.

To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must first have a lawyer recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®, which recognizes 6% of lawyers practicing in the United States. Eight of our attorneys were recognized in 2023 as “Best Lawyers” in their fields.

The Best Law Firms list is determined by client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in the field and review of additional information provided by law firms.

Best Lawyers says, “Achieving a tiered ranking in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.”

Meyers Nave Represents the Tongva Community in Historic Reclaiming of Ancestral Land in Los Angeles Area After 200 Years

Meyers Nave represented the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy in one of the first private land returns to Native Americans in the Los Angeles area. This historic event was widely reported by several Los Angeles media outlets and marks the first time in the nearly 200 years since the California mission system ended that land has been returned to the Tongva people.

Reclaiming ancestral land is rare for any Native American nation, tribe, or band. It is particularly complicated for the Tongva, who lack federal tribal status. Because the tribe was not equipped to process the bequest, Meyers Nave stepped in to provide legal support and advice to the Conservancy which resulted in the successful donation of the property, located in Altadena.

As noted in last week’s Los Angeles Times, “Tongva leaders said they hope the land can provide paths for the community to reconnect with its culture and promote healing from the centuries of trauma.”

Meyers Nave is proud to represent the Conservancy and to have helped secure this landmark victory for the Tongva people.

Meyers Nave Obtains Dismissal of Two High-Stakes Federal Lawsuits Against the City of Los Altos Under the Telecommunications Act

Meyers Nave successfully obtained the dismissal of two high-stakes federal lawsuits brought by AT&T and Verizon, respectively, asserting claims against the City of Los Altos under the Telecommunications Act.

The carriers filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (Judge Davila) after their combined 13 small cell wireless facility applications were denied by Los Altos for allegedly failing to comply with the City’s 2019 wireless ordinance. The carriers each filed motions for summary judgment, contending that the City’s denials of their small cell sites were not supported by substantial evidence, and that the denials violated the Telecommunications Act for effectively prohibiting the provision of wireless services in Los Altos.

While the motions for summary judgment were pending, Meyers Nave led a team of land use and telecommunications experts to devise a state-of-the-art wireless ordinance for Los Altos that achieved the City’s land use policy objectives while avoiding provisions that were at a greater risk of being successfully challenged under the Telecommunications Act.

In addition to drafting the ordinance, the Meyers Nave team shepherded the ordinance through the complex CEQA process and approval by the Planning Commission and City Council after a series of public hearings. The process required for the development and adoption of a new wireless ordinance – while the prior wireless ordinance was the subject of federal litigation – was highly nuanced and strategic, requiring careful guidance of the City in the face of scrutiny from the carriers and the public alike.

Following the successful adoption of the new ordinance, the Meyers Nave team moved the Court to dismiss the carriers’ pending cases on mootness grounds. Although hotly contested by the carriers, Judge Davila sided with the City and dismissed both cases on the precise grounds articulated in the briefing.

Deborah Fox, who led the Meyers Nave team on this matter, said: “The rights of localities to regulate wireless facilities under the Telecommunications Act is a rapidly evolving area of the law where the advocacy of legal counsel plays an especially critical role in shaping the developing jurisprudence in this area. That, combined with simultaneously litigating an existing wireless ordinance while developing a new wireless ordinance, made this case particularly intellectually and strategically complex. We were happy to both defeat the two federal cases while at the same time assisting Los Altos with the adoption of a new state-of-the-art wireless ordinance.”

The Meyers Nave team included Deborah Fox, David Mehretu and Kristof Szoke. Learn more about our Trial and Litigation capabilities.

Meyers Nave Named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2022 Most Admired Law Firms List

Meyers Nave is proud to once again be named among the 2022 Most Admired Law Firms by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The publication noted that the firms selected are “consciously working towards creating positive and supportive environments to help drive the success of their attorneys.”

The publication noted that Meyer Nave has “tallied numerous wins in pro bono and land use matters with a strong public interest, including the new Los Angeles Clippers stadium and the site for the City of Anaheim’s “Big A 2050” mixed-use plaza for the Los Angeles Angels.”

Meyers Nave aims to distinguish itself by the meaningful work it does for its clients, the difference it makes in its communities and the leadership roles its attorneys hold in the legal profession. The firm is also committed to improving inclusion and engagement throughout its offices, in the legal profession and California’s communities.

Catherine Carlisle Named One to Watch in the Commercial Litigation Category by Best Lawyers

Of counsel Catherine Carlisle was recently named a lawyer to watch by Best Lawyers in the Commercial Litigation category.

The Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch recognitions given to attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice in America. Learn more about Cathy and her background.

Meyers Nave’s Eminent Domain Team Partners With L.A. County Metro to Acquire Property From the Beverly Hills Unified School District for the Westside Purple Line Subway Extension Project

Meyers Nave’s Eminent Domain Team is proud to partner with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“Metro”) on its property acquisition needs to extend the Westside Purple Line Subway Extension Project from Downtown Los Angeles to Westwood/UCLA. We recently concluded trials relating to subsurface subway tunnel easements located beneath the Beverly Hills High School and Beverly Hills Unified School District Administration Building.

David Skinner, lead counsel from Meyers Nave’s Eminent Domain Team, explains, “Certainly, trials should be a last resort in eminent domain proceedings. Public entities should always try to resolve their property acquisition needs with landowners by settlement. This is particularly true where the landowner is another public entity.” But, here, there were two separate trials to resolve BHUSD’s legal claims. The first was a “bench trial” in December 2019 to confirm Metro’s legal right to acquire the subsurface subway tunnel easements (as a “compatible” and/or “more necessary” public use) by eminent domain. The second was a “jury trial” in July 2022 to resolve BHUSD’s claims for “just compensation,” including the fair market value of the subsurface easements and severance damages to the remainder property. Ultimately, while BHUSD asked the jury to award (for both cases) a total of $53,814,000, the jury verdict was $1,046,000.

These trial results support Metro’s efforts to reduce traffic, congestion and carbon emissions from automobile use, and to make affordable public transportation options available to all in Los Angeles.

In addition to David Skinner, the Meyers Nave team also included associate Kristof Szoke.