Dana P. Palmer

Dana has an unusually successful track record advocating on behalf of clients before state and federal agencies, including the California Energy Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Water Boards, and California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. In addition, Dana has advised clients on complex California Public Utilities Commission rulemakings, defended clients facing California Coastal Commission enforcement, and advanced clients’ interests before the California Air Resources Board, local air districts, and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).

Renewable Energy / Energy Transition

As a co-chair of the firm’s cross-practice Renewable Energy Industry Group, Dana advises developers, investors, and lenders on all aspects of renewable energy development, transactions, and litigation, including permitting, environmental, land use, and energy regulatory aspects. He helps clients navigate quickly changing regulatory requirements and evolving policy and market conditions. In his more than two decades in practice, Dana has worked on multiple solar, wind, and battery storage (BESS) projects.

In recent years, Dana has helped developer clients with some of the first projects approved by the California Energy Commission under its AB 205 Opt-in Certification Program. Dana also serves as a co-editor of the firm's weekly Renewable Energy Update newsletter.

Contaminated Land: Transactions & Litigation

Dana advises prominent real estate investors and developers on complex issues concerning contamination arising from the purchase, sale, development, and litigation of contaminated properties. Dana focuses on cost-efficiently addressing environmental liabilities, whether the matter might involve, for example, a California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act (CLRRA) agreement, the strategic use of environmental insurance, a comfort letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or a self-directed cleanup designed to satisfy traditional lenders. Working with Allen Matkins’ market-leading real estate practice, Dana’s breadth and depth of experience place him in the highest tier of environmental transactional practice. When litigation arises involving property with contamination, he works seamlessly with the firm’s litigation department to aggressively represent his clients, always with an eye on the bottom line.

Early in his legal career, Dana was one of the most junior attorneys to chair the California State Bar's Environmental Law Section. This position created relationships around California that often prove useful for his clients today. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Dana worked in the environmental sector in various capacities, including as Special Assistant to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In that capacity, he represented the U.S. Department of Commerce at COP 6 in The Hague. He also served as a legislative fellow on environmental issues for the office of a U.S. senator and worked for several years at the industry-leading consulting firm ICF, where he served private and public clients on energy and climate policy projects.

Dana is a committed member of the firm's Diversity & Inclusion committee.