About Paul James Beard
Paul James Beard II is a seasoned land-use and environmental attorney based in Sacramento, California. He has been a member of the State Bar of California since 2000, holding State. His practice focuses on land-use entitlements, environmental litigation, and appellate advocacy. Mr. Beard earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and English from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1997. He then obtained his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 2000. Following his admission to the California State Bar, he began his legal career at Latham & Watkins LLP, where he gained experience in various areas of law. In 2003, Mr.
Beard joined the Pacific Legal Foundation as a Staff Attorney, and later became Principal Attorney. During his tenure, he led the Coastal Land Rights Project, overseeing litigation against the California Coastal Commission. He successfully briefed and argued Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District, 570 U.S. 595 (2013), in the United States Supreme Court, establishing that monetary exactions as a condition of land use and development trigger heightened scrutiny under the Takings Clause. In 2015, Mr. Beard transitioned to Alston & Bird LLP, where he co-chaired the Coastal Land Use Group.
He litigated and counseled permit applicants on takings, land-use, and environmental issues in California. His work included representing clients in significant cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, such as Sheetz v. El Dorado County, resulting in a unanimous decision for his client. In 2019, he joined FisherBroyles LLP as a Partner, continuing his focus on land-use and environmental litigation. He represents many clients, including those in the oil-refining and railroad industries, residential and commercial developers, mobile home parks, landlords, and nonprofit associations. His substantive areas of expertise include federal constitutional law, such as Takings, Due Process. Contracts Clause, as well as various state and federal environmental statutes, including the California Coastal Act, CEQA, and NEPA.
Mr. Beard has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for his expertise in Land Use and Zoning Law. He is also a California-certified appellate lawyer and regularly appears before the California and federal courts of appeal, as well as the United States Supreme Court. He is admitted to practice in California and Texas. His office is located at 453 S. Spring St., Suite 400-1458, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
