John C. Lemmo is a member of Procopio's Environmental, Land Use and Governmental Affairs Practice Group, and represents public agencies, private developers and landowners in matters involving environmental and land use regulation and litigation.  He has extensive experience working with and on behalf of local and state governmental and regulatory agencies on permitting, entitlement, compliance, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and enforcement matters.

Prior to joining Procopio, Mr. Lemmo practiced in the areas of public agency, environmental regulation and general commercial litigation with Foley & Lardner LLP.  Prior to joining Foley & Lardner, he was with a boutique firm in Beverly Hills, where he practiced real estate, environmental and business litigation.  Before graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law, Mr. Lemmo served as a student attorney with its Environmental Law Clinic and, after graduating, served as staff counsel for a nonprofit public interest organization.

Representative Matters

• Provides counseling and litigation defense for water districts, school districts, charter schools, cities, and redevelopment and other local agencies

• Served as legal counsel in connection with large, controversial public projects; residential, commercial, and industrial approvals; and litigation with respect to CEQA and NEPA issues

• Serves as special counsel to city council for administrative appeals

• Provided counseling and litigation defense related to sewer service allocation, and other rate-payer disputes

• Provided counseling and litigation defense related to taxpayer challenge to general obligation bond issuance and program

• Provides counseling and litigation defense in connection with the formation and operation of charter schools

• Represented board member in special district election dispute

• Provided cost recovery and enforcement defense representation involving LUSTs and other hazardous waste-related cleanups, as well as counseling and negotiation for brownfields representation

• Represented agencies and property owners in direct and inverse condemnation eminent domain litigation

• Provides counseling and litigation defense in connection with coastal development permits (Coastal Act)