Jennifer Faye Novak
Law Office of Jennifer F. Novak
I have practiced law in California for more than 23 years with a career that includes private practice, as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice, and as a clerk to an appellate court judge. Our firm represents property owners and businesses in environmental litigation and as advisors for matters involving soil and groundwater remediation, Clean Water Act citizen suits, Water Board investigation orders, and more.
We work with our clients to identify the best strategies for their needs. What matters most is our clients’ comfort level and for them to know they have a supporter, advisor, and advocate in their corner. We help our clients assess their risks and liabilities, develop a strategy, and then see it through to the end. Our clients range from Fortune 500 companies and national corporations to individual landowners and small businesses. For some, the best result is to minimize financial liability. Other clients seek quick resolution without endangering their reputations, causing unnecessary stress, or damaging their relationships with regulatory agencies. Others simply want a second opinion. But when the need arises, we are prepared to litigate in state and federal court, and all the way through appeal.
I have represented or worked alongside of a wide variety of local, state and federal agencies, including U.S. EPA, State Water Resources Control Board, various Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Air Resources Board, U.S. Department of Justice, and the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General.
The Law Office of Jennifer F. Novak is certified as a small business enterprise and as a woman-owned, minority-owned, business.
- Environmental Law
- Gov & Administrative Law
- Administrative Law, Election Law, Government Contracts, Government Finance, Legislative & Government Affairs
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
- California
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- English
- Founder and Managing Attorney
- Law Office of Jennifer F. Novak
- - Current
- Represent and advise clients on general and environmental litigation, compliance, and transactional matters involving groundwater and soil contamination, water quality, water rights, air quality, remediation, and administrative law. Recent matters include: trying a Clean Water Act citizen suit case to jury verdict; representing a metal plating company in a CERCLA/RCRA action involving the Omega Superfund Site; representing property owners in cost recovery lawsuit by California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC); negotiating with DTSC on behalf of a research facility to allow on-site hazardous waste storage; representing a former transmission rebuilding company in a CERCLA/RCRA action; negotiating with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board on behalf of landowners and industrial facilities identified as potentially responsible parties for soil and groundwater contamination; representing a Central Valley fertilizer manufacturer in negotiations with local and state agencies; advising a statewide transportation trade organization for an administrative challenge under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); advising environmental non-profit organizations in permit adoption proceedings and general water quality matters; and acting as co-counsel protecting agricultural interests from damage caused by underground injection wells.
- Attorney
- Egoscue Law Group
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- Represented and advised clients, including investor-owned and public utilities, municipalities, industrial facilities, a dairy, developers, and property owners in regulatory compliance, and administrative enforcement matters.
- Deputy Attorney General
- California Department of Justice
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- Responsible for all stages of case management, from inception through appeal, primarily as lead trial and appellate counsel. Significant cases included: prosecution of companies responsible for groundwater and soil contamination; defense of storm water permits, basin plan amendments, and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation; protection of California’s water rights; recovery of fire suppression costs; defense against claims that state regulation and policies violated the Endangered Species Act; and prosecution of illegal importation of diseased citrus products. Represented numerous agencies and departments, including: State Water Resources Control Board; various Regional Water Boards; Parks and Recreation; Forestry and Fire Protection; Air Resources Board; Fish and Wildlife; Conservation; and Food and Agriculture. Worked with other federal and state agencies, including U.S. EPA, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Public Health, and California Public Utilities Commission.
- Litigation Associate
- Robie & Matthai
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- Responsible for all aspects of case management for professional malpractice, insurance coverage, and product liability cases, including trial preparation, depositions of percipient, party, and expert witnesses, law and motion, selection and preparation of expert witnesses, arbitration, trial assistance, and client relations.
- Litigation Associate
- Bonne, Bridges, Mueller, O’Keefe & Nichols
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- Responsible for case management and work up for trial for medical malpractice defense firm.
- Judicial Law Clerk
- California Court of Appeal
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- Researched civil, criminal, and juvenile dependency cases, and prepared draft opinions for the Honorable Norman L. Epstein, Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Four.
- University of California - Davis
- J.D. (1996)
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- Honors: U.C. Davis Law Review: Staff Editor, 1995-1996; Member, 1994-1995; Order of Barristers; American Jurisprudence Award for Appellate Advocacy; Winner, Carr Trial Competition; Winner, 27th Annual Neumiller Competition and Best Oral Advocate; Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition Team Member 1994-1996 and Best Oral Advocate (1st place 1996, 3rd place 1995) in regional competitions; Legal Writing Teaching Assistant, Spring 1996
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- University of California - Berkeley
- B.A. (1993) | City and Regional Planning
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- Attorney General's Award Recipient
- California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
- Attorney General's Award Recipient
- California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
- California Lawyers Association
- Chair, Environmental Law Section
- - Current
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- California State Bar # 183882
- Member
- - Current
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- The Value of Simplifying Case Presentation
- Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine
- A Trial Preparation Checklist
- Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine
- Storm Water Permitting in California: Strategies for Keeping Your Municipality, Agency or Business in Compliance, MCLE program, Pasadena, California
- Lorman Education Services
- Co-presenter to discuss basics of storm water permitting and law.
- Parenthood and the Practice of Law, Part II, MCLE program, Los Angeles, California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Organized and moderated panel to look at strategies for balancing home and work lives.
- Clean Water Act: Empower the People Workshop #3, Community Workshop, Redondo Beach, California
- Santa Monica Baykeeper
- Co-presenter to explain basics of stormwater litigation.
- Investigate, Remediate, Compensate: The Keys to Federal and State Cleanups, MCLE program, Los Angeles, California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Co-presenter for program discussing basics of voluntary and enforcement-related soil and groundwater investigations and cleanups.
- Rialto Basin Perchlorate Groundwater Dispute, California Water Law Conference, Palm Springs, California
- Water Law Institute
- Co-presenter to discuss state enforcement of groundwater contamination case.
- Website
- California Environmental Lawyer website
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