Jennifer L. Meeker

Meeker is co-chair of Nossaman's insurance recovery group and is a member of the firm's litigation department, where she specializes in appellate law.

The mid-July surge in Covid-19 infections had her sheltering at home--not that she's a stranger to remote work. "Before all this, I worked from home at least three days a week," Meeker said. "Now that L.A. is exploding with cases we are all heavily encouraged to stay home."

Meeker led the appellate team that prevailed for the San Francisco County Transportation Authority on the important question of whether it is an agency of the state and not of the City and County of San Francisco. The win at the 1st District Court of Appeal in December 2019 affirmed the trial court's finding that as a state agency the SFCTA is not subject to San Francisco's Sunshine Ordinance. SF Urban Forest Coalition v. City and County of San Francisco, A155098 (1st DCA, op. filed Dec. 19, 2019).

"We were awarded summary judgment at the trial court level and the other side appealed," Meeker said. "This was a wonderful win. The SFCTA was authorized by the state Legislature, it has its own budget and issues its own bonds and it's not subject to the city attorney. The ruling hopefully nipped any future similar claims in the bud, which enables the two entities to function as they were intended to function. We had the law and the facts on our side."

Meeker also won for client Laguna Beach Golf and Bungalow Village LLC, over a coastal development permit issued for a resort known as "the Ranch" in Aliso Canyon, an environmentally sensitive area. Fudge v. California Coastal Commission, B281700 (2d DCA, op. filed Oct. 3, 2018).

"The owner wanted to preserve the resort and remodel it. The Coastal Commission agreed to the plan, with conditions, but a local resident, Mark Fudge, who has filed anti-development suits, protested," Meeker said.

Fudge claimed he was denied due process as he appealed the City of Laguna Beach's approval of the coastal development permit for the project, according to court documents. The trial court dismissed the action against that defendant and an appellate panel affirmed that decision. "We were on the same side as the attorney general and the commission. We showed the court that everything complied with the rules."

Meeker serves on the board of governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers' Los Angeles chapter and serves as co-chair of the group's 2020 annual seminar. In the age of Covid, however, the seminar has been pushed ahead a year and is now set for a venue on Hawaii's Big Island in 2021.

"Although I am sad that I will not see the many wonderful judges and lawyers who are members of the organization this year, the last thing I would want is for a large group of judges and lawyers to convene and have something bad happen," she said.

-- John Roemer