Chatsworth Environmental Lawyers

Daniel F. Freedman is a Government, Land Use, Environment and Energy partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, LLP. He handles a broad array of complex matters involving real estate development, zoning, land use entitlements, and compliance with local, state and federal regulations such as CEQA, NEPA, Coastal Act, federal and state housing laws, and historic designation regulations. Daniel is committed to providing skilled and knowledgeable advocacy focused on the best possible outcomes for his clients, who he has more than a decade of experience advising on residential, industrial, commercial and mixed-use developments, as well as projects involving renewable energy,...

David Strouss concentrates his practice in representing children with catastrophic birth defects as a result of a parent's exposure to chemicals in the workplace. He represents children born with serious birth defects whose parents occupations include semiconductor manufacturing, agriculture, furniture making, industrial manufacturing, and scientific laboratories. Mr. Strouss prosecuted and successfully resolved some of the country’s first cases involving birth defects caused by glycol ethers and other solvent exposures in the semiconductor industry. He currently represents over 150 plaintiffs with birth defects in the United States and South America due to parental occupational and environment exposures. Mr. Strouss has also...

I am an experienced California attorney focused on Land Use, Zoning, Environmental, Litigation and Construction Law matters.

First a licensed architect, I attended law school to further my interest in construction and development. With over 25 years of experience, I bring a depth of knowledge and unique insight to help clients achieve their goals and objectives.

Outside of work, I enjoy international travel and a new passion for 50's modernist architecture. I can often be found taking architectural tours, running by Richard Neutra houses in Silverlake, and biking along beachfront structures.

I have practiced law in California for more than 23 years with a career that includes private practice, as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, and as a clerk to an appellate court judge. Our firm represents property owners and businesses in environmental litigation and as advisors for matters involving soil and groundwater remediation, Clean Water Act citizen suits, Water Board investigation orders, and more.

We work with our clients to identify the best strategies for their needs. What matters most is our clients’ comfort level and...

Michael P. Thornton is founder and chair of Thornton Law Firm LLP. A nationally recognized expert on toxic tort litigation, Mr. Thornton graduated from Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt Law School. In the 1970’s he successfully undertook the representation of a number of shipyard and construction workers who had developed asbestos-related diseases. Over the years, the firm has grown to become the largest firm in the Northeast representing victims of asbestos and other toxic materials. The firm has brought justice to workers who contracted cancer and other health issues from exposure to chemicals, defective drugs, and defective products, and to...

Mr. Young is a graduate of Harvard College and The Cornell Law School. He was Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alaska, and Assistant Attorney General of Alaska. Mr. Young was a member of the legal team involved in the structuring and financing of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, one of the largest construction projects in the United States. He was further involved in the litigation which allowed the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline to be successfully built. Besides business transactions and litigation, Mr. Young is experienced in complex litigation against State and Federal Governments and Agencies, including...

Philip Shakhnis is a forceful, meticulous and compassionate attorney with over 20 years of experience representing tenants. Philip has represented hundreds of tenants forced to live in slum conditions. Philip has also helped tenants poisoned by carbon monoxide leaks, exposed to mold and whose children have been lead poisoned. Philip is at the forefront of representing tenants wrongfully evicted from properties protected by local rent control laws. Philip focuses his law practice on representing tenants because he strongly believes that every family and every person deserves the right to a safe, decent and healthy home. As part of his experience...

Thomas A. Bloomfield is an experienced environmental attorney, negotiator and trained mediator. Tom is adept at understanding technical and financial issues and efficiently using that information to best represent the legal interests of his clients and, as a neutral, to help parties resolve disputes. He is skilled at bringing together parties with diverse interests to solve complex problems in a manner that best achieves the objectives of the stakeholders and avoids unnecessary litigation and protracted disagreements. Throughout his career, Tom has represented private businesses, governmental entities, individuals and non-profit organizations.

Diane Park specializes in estate and trust administration, as well as estate, trust and conservatorship litigation. In administrative matters, Diane is respectful of her clients’ grief, helping them navigate the many decisions that ultimately bring them peace-of-mind. In litigation matters, she is sensitive to the stressful nature of disputes in general, maintaining focus on achieving resolution as quickly as possible. With a background in civil litigation, Diane is well-versed in the litigation process, contributing to her efficiency.

Diane is on the Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In this capacity, she collaborates...

Brad Mitchell is a partner at Thornton Law Firm LLP. His main area of practice is toxic exposure litigation, including cases involving birth defects, cancer, and exposure to glycol ethers, benzene, solvents, and other hazardous substances. Mr. Mitchell has represented clients who have been exposed to toxic substances working in semiconductor chip manufacturing, printing, parts washing, and other industries and occupations. Brad J. Mitchell is a graduate of Colby College (B.A., May 1989) and Vermont Law School (J.D. 1998). Mr. Mitchell was a Note Editor for the Vermont Law Review. Mr. Mitchell is a member of...

Christian Uehlein is of counsel to Thornton Law Firm LLP. He joined the firm as an associate in 2006. Mr. Uehlein is a graduate of Colorado College (B.A. 2002) and New England School of Law (J.D. 2006). He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2006, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2007, Montana in 2016, and Wyoming in 2020, and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2007. Mr. Uehlein focuses his practice on representing victims of toxic exposures as well as employers and business in insurance premium disputes. Since...

Santino Tropea is a founding partner of Tropea McMillan. A significant portion of his practice includes representation of clients in toxic tort claims, actions brought under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and all phases of CERCLA and the Superfund process. He has successfully represented clients in regulatory disputes and negotiations with both state and federal agencies, and has implemented supplemental environmental projects/pollution prevention plans to reduce or eliminate fines and penalties. He defends Proposition 65 cases and citizen's suits alleging False Claim Act violations and other related matters. Santino's experience includes representation of California municipalities, large chemical,...

I am a native of Kansas City. I received my B.A. from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, a Ph.D. in cellular biology from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS and a J.D. from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. I represent businesses and individuals in transactions, including purchase and sale of real estate, commercial, retail and industrial leasing, and commercial, retail and industrial financing. I am a frequent speaker in real estate leasing and real estate financing. I also serve as a board member for IRBCo, an independent review board for medical...