San Diego Attorney Howard E. Susman Joins Stoel Rives
3/1/2006

San Diego-based attorney Howard E. Susman has joined Stoel Rives where he will continue his litigation and transactional practice focusing on the renewable energy industry.  Portland-based Stoel Rives has offices throughout the Pacific Northwest including four in California — San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and a new office in San Diego.  Susman will divide his time between the San Francisco and the new San Diego office.

In California, Stoel Rives represents entities and businesses ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups and municipal agencies.  It has depth and experience in many areas, including litigation and transactional counseling services in energy, natural resources, the environment, real property, commercial transactions, governmental relations, products liability, and title insurance.  Susman joins Stoel Rives from the San Diego office of Duckor Spradling Metzger & Wynne where he was a partner. Prior to that Susman was at Hillyer and Irwin, where he served as managing partner from 1996 to 1999. 

"We are thrilled to have Howard joining our team in the resources, development, and environment practice group,” said Peter Mostow, chair of the firm’s renewable energy team.  “Howard shares our goal of delivering unequalled service to our energy clients, and we are confident his history and experience in wind project development, insurance and litigation will be of great assistance to them.”

Since the wind industry's inception in the early 1980s, Susman has represented wind industry clients in every phase of project development, operation, and transfer.  With a national reputation as one of the leading lawyers involved in renewable energy, he has represented clients in both transactional and litigation matters.   His experience extends to all aspects of wind power including real estate and environmental matters, construction, equipment performance and project operations, consulting and business relationship matters, insurance coverage, and complex business litigation.

“Howard’s experience will serve our current and future environmental resource clients well,” said Christopher Keele, Stoel Rives’ California managing partner based in San Francisco.  “Stoel Rives’ looks forward to playing a major role in assisting with the development of renewable natural resources to lessen dependence on finite resources and Howard’s expertise will further that effort.”

Additionally, San Francisco-based attorney, Sandi L. Nichols, will be joining Susman in working from the San Diego office.  She will split her time between San Diego and San Francisco to continue to serve the firm’s Southern California clients, including the Port of San Diego, and to expand the firm's work there in land use, environmental and natural resources counseling and litigation.

Susman is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of San Diego School of Law.  He is a certified mediator and a member of the American and San Diego County Bar Associations and is a past president and director of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers of San Diego.

Stoel Rives LLP is a multipractice business law firm with operations throughout the western United States. With more than 350 lawyers, Stoel Rives is a regional leader in natural resources and environment, energy, litigation, corporate, and intellectual property law. For more information about Stoel Rives and its offices in California, Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho, visit www.stoel.com.