Stuart I. Block is a partner in the San Francisco office of Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP focusing on environmental law, particularly brownfield redevelopment and related litigation.

Mr. Block represents developers, manufacturers, municipalities, property owners, redevelopment agencies, trade groups, utilities, and high technology companies in the context of real estate acquisition and redevelopment, project permitting, and environmental litigation, including cost recovery under state and federal law. Mr. Block also has extensive experience representing clients in connection with California’s Proposition 65, including litigation, compliance counseling, and legislative advocacy. Mr. Block is also very active in pursuing legislation to facilitate urban redevelopment, and was intimately involved in the drafting and approval of the California Land Reuse and Revitalization Act (AB389, formerly SB493), signed by the Governor in September 2004.

Mr. Block serves on the National Environmental Subcommittee of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP); as a member of the Jobs-Housing Coalition for the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Building Industry Association; and as a member the Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. He is a past Chair of the Barristers Committee on Environment and Real Estate Law. Mr. Block lectures frequently on environmental and redevelopment issues for various industry and trade groups, including the Associated General Contractors of California, the California Building Industry Association, the California Center for Land Recycling, the California Redevelopment Association, and the California Bar Association.

Mr. Block graduated from the UCLA School of Law (J.D. 1992), where he served as Articles Editor of the UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology from Stanford University with honors in 1989. Mr. Block also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Harry Hupp of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Mr. Block’s published articles include: “Environmental hazards: It’s buyer beware or pay a hefty price later - 10 steps you can take to protect yourself in a deal,” East Bay Business Times, Nov. 2005; “Environmental Issues in Retail Leasing,” Retail Leasing (2007), California Continuing Education of the Bar; "The Polanco Act: Unlocking Property Value in Urban Areas," Builder Digest, Dec 2000; "The Legal Framework for Brownfields Redevelopment in California: A Practical Guide for Sellers and Other Potentially Responsible Parties," California Environmental Law & Remediation Reporter, June 1999, with J. Hernandez, E. Lake; "Sick Room," The Changing Face of Environmental Law (Suppl. to The Daily Journal), Oct. 1995; and "Corporate Officer Civil Liability Under CERCLA," 12 Bank and Corporate Governance Law Reporter 422, May 1994, with G. Smith, J. Walters.

Prior to joining Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP, Mr. Block was an associate then a partner with Beveridge & Diamond LLP.

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