Thursday, February 8, 2007
Page 3
Randolph Visser Joins Sheppard Mullin’s Local Office
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Veteran environmental lawyer Randolph C. Visser has left Morgan Lewis & Bockius to join Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton’s as a partner in its Los Angeles-based construction, environmental, real estate and land use litigation practice group.
Visser, who started his new job Monday, told the MetNews he felt Sheppard Mullin would be a “perfect platform” for the continuation of his 30 years of practice.
“It’s Los Angeles-based and California-focused—my practice is primarily California-focused—and it has a large base of industrial clients,” the 57-year-old lawyer said.
Visser added that he was brought into the firm’s environmental law practice group to take the role of a “senior leader,” and hopes to enrich his colleagues with his three decades of experience.
“I’ve really had the unique opportunity to work with some of the best environmental lawyers in the world, and I think I have acquired some of their judgment and experience,” he said.
Guy Halgren, Sheppard Mullin’s chairman, remarked that the firm has a strong cadre of mid-level environmental partners and bringing Visser in “adds some maturity and experience to the group which is going to be very helpful.”
Halgren noted Visser’s expertise in the area of air quality:
“He’s one of the top air quality lawyers in the state, if not the country, and our environmental practice had just about everything except that, so adding Randy and his Air Quality expertise really rounds out our group.”
Visser was formerly head of the Los Angeles Environmental Practice Group at Morgan Lewis, where he worked as a partner beginning in 1984. From July 1980 to 1984, as well as 1974 to August 1978—serving in the interim as a lecturer in the UCLA School of Law’s trial advocacy clinical program—he was with Lawler, Felix and Hall.
His experience includes an extensive background in environmental compliance and government contracts counseling, litigation, and matters concerning state and local air quality laws. He also represents numerous commercial, transportation, energy and government contract-related businesses in matters of land use and the environmental permitting of complex projects.
He has written and spoken extensively on environmental law matters, and is a member of numerous professional organizations including the environmental sections of both the State Bar and the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Environmental Section.
Visser earned his law degree from the UCLA School of law in 1974 and his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in 1971.
Copyright 2007, Metropolitan News Company