Kaela Shiigi
Knowledgeable on a range of federal, state, and local regulatory topics, Kaela focuses on environmental and energy law issues involving project development and regulatory matters.
Kaela Shiigi counsels clients on matters related to the Clean Water Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and municipal land use regulations. Her experience includes reviewing environmental reports for major infrastructure projects, drafting memoranda for utility sector clients, and reviewing environmental aspects of corporate transactions. [see more]
Kaela's practice also extends to litigating environmental issues including CERCLA claims and challenges to project approvals brought under the public trust doctrine, CEQA, and the Hawai'i Environmental Policy Act. Kaela also has litigated constitutional, environmental, and civil rights issues on behalf of pro bono clients.
Prior to her career in law, Kaela was an environmental scientist at AECOM. In this role, she conducted environmental investigations for military and energy sector clients in accordance with CERCLA and wrote reports on investigatory findings.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- UC Berkeley School of Law, J.D., Co-Editor-in-Chief, Ecology Law Quarterly; Associate Editor, California Law Review, 2020
- University of California, Berkeley, B.S., Environmental Sciences, with high honors, 2015
Bar and Court Admissions
-
California
-
Hawaii
Related Employment
- Perkins Coie, San Francisco, CA, Summer Associate, 2019
- Attorney General’s Office, State of California Department of Justice, San Francisco, CA, Natural Resources Law Section Intern, 2018
- AECOM, Honolulu, HI, Environmental Scientist II, 2015-2017
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Project Permitting and Development
California Onshore Wind Projects
Serve as permitting counsel on a large wind project in Santa Barbara County, which requires compliance with state and federal water-related permits, incidental take permits, Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA) Agreements, and local conditional use approvals.
Offshore Wind Project in California
Represented a prospective developer of a proposed offshore wind project near Morro Bay. Researched and wrote memoranda on multifactor bidding, environmental justice considerations, workforce development considerations, and community benefit agreements. Compiled bidding documents for the California lease sale.
Offshore Wind Project in Hawaii
Serve as environmental permitting counsel for a prospective developer of offshore wind in Hawaii. Conducted policy research regarding multifactor bidding and local considerations in preparation for future lease sales.
Ocean Conservancy
Partnered with the Ocean Conservancy to draft a report on offshore wind development in the United States. Drafted sections regarding the current regulatory landscape for offshore wind development.
Reservoir Project in California
Serve as environmental counsel for a large offstream reservoir project in northern California. Reviewed and provided comments on aquatic, wildlife, and environmental justice sections of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review documents.
Land Use Development
Counsel major tech and biotech companies on land use regulatory issues and policy development in California.
Transactional
Provide counsel to Clearway Energy, Inc., a leading publicly traded renewable energy infrastructure investor, in its acquisition of equity interests in solar projects in California and Hawaii.
Litigation
Represent a real estate developer on Maui in a dispute over environmental approvals for a residential project under the Hawai`i Environmental Policy Act (HEPA).
Pro Bono
- Represent the Friends of Blue Mound State Park in federal and state cases in Wisconsin on issues related to the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act (WEPA) and First Amendment violations.
- Represented domestic violence nonprofits by filing amicus curiae briefs in Washington and California appellate courts.