Douglas E. Wance Joins Sedgwick Orange County as Special Counsel

Veteran Attorney’s Land Use, Water and Environmental Experience Adds Depth to Firm’s Commercial Practices and Environmental Divisions

Irvine, CA, May 29, 2009 - Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP is pleased to announce that Douglas Wance has joined the firm’s Commercial Practices division as a special counsel in its Orange County office. Wance has built a cross-disciplinary practice involving land use, water resources, environmental compliance and natural resources through representation of public agencies, as wells as corporate and nonprofit clients. He has successfully represented private developers, corporations, nonprofits, and public agencies in large-scale acquisitions, developments and projects involving sophisticated financial, real estate, water resource, environmental compliance and land development matters. Many of the projects Wance has worked on include multimillion-dollar developments as well as multimillion-dollar and billion-dollar acquisitions of facilities and ongoing concerns within California. Wance also serves as the general counsel to the Central Basin Municipal Water District.

“We are thrilled to have Doug return to Sedgwick as a member of our Commercial Practices division,” said Curtis Parvin, Sedgwick’s Orange County managing partner. “Doug brings a wealth of experience with public agencies, corporations and developers in the areas of land development, environmental compliance and water. He adds depth to our already thriving Commercial practices, and bolsters our presence in Orange County.”

Wance has experience representing public agencies as well as serving as general and special counsel. His environmental litigation, compliance and permitting background includes representing solid waste disposal facilities, electrical power plants, gasoline refineries and manufacturing facilities in environmental permitting and compliance matters. He has represented his clients' interests before U.S. EPA, the State Water Resources Control Board, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Wance has provided compliance counseling, spill reporting, due diligence reviews, permitting, variances, appeals and enforcement action resolutions for clients with hazardous substance, air and water quality concerns. Finally, he has participated in litigation to defend clients against alleged violation of state and federal environmental laws.

"Sedgwick has an incredible depth of talent, resources and a proven record of success in litigation as well as the closing of major transactional projects,” Wance said. “My clients will greatly benefit from all that Sedgwick has to offer, and I am eager to help the firm's continued expansion of its Commercial Practices Group."

Wance's land development and litigation background includes representing residential developers, public entities, major industrial facilities and other commercial businesses in all phases of project development before local and state agencies, city councils and county board of supervisors.

He has assisted clients in obtaining development and environmental permits and project approvals for power plants, as well as mixed use, school and industrial development projects. Further, he has provided advice on issues concerning the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), state and federal Endangered Species Act, the Subdivision Map Act, wetlands and entitlements. He also has participated in administrative proceedings and successfully litigated the defense of permits and CEQA approvals in trial and appellate courts.

Wance earned his J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1999. He received his B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1996.