California Environmental Law Specialists

JAMES D. MATHISON, ESQ.

Mr. Mathison is a partner at Brown & Winters. His practice focuses on litigation and insurance coverage matters. Currently, his work emphasizes environmental, redevelopment and land use actions. Subject matters include litigation under The Polanco Redevelopment Act to compel the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties toward Brownfields redevelopment; litigation under CERCLA and related laws to obtain and allocate cost recovery for property contaminated by various historical uses such as former dry cleaner sites, landfills, shipyards, bulk oil terminals and other industrial businesses; landslide litigation; and insurance coverage pertaining to many of these types of actions. Generally, these matters involve complex litigation with numerous parties. Mr. Mathison directs insurance archaeology activities to locate and identify older insurance policy evidence, and pursues claims tenders to obtain insurance coverage, including coverage litigation in disputed matters. Mr. Mathison also litigates a variety of other civil actions.

Prior to joining Brown & Winters upon its formation in January 2008, Mr. Mathison worked as an attorney with Daley & Heft, LLP in Solana Beach, California. From 1991 to 1995 he worked on general litigation matters, consisting primarily of public entity tort defense, personal injury and insurance defense cases.

From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Mathison was responsible for successive large legal projects involving extensive eminent domain litigation to acquire properties for public use. One project involved the condemnation of residential and commercial land for the construction and realignment of highway 76 through Oceanside, California. Dozens of parcels were acquired for this project and several of the actions proceeded through trial. Another project involved the acquisition of property in downtown San Diego, California, for the construction of a new professional baseball park for use by the San Diego Padres. This area was largely old, dilapidated warehouses and industrial sites before the redevelopment project. Numerous parcels were litigated by eminent domain, and many were contested as to compensation because of the economic incentives and increased property values co-incident with the implementation of the ballpark project. Valuation impacts from historical contamination detected at many of the properties was also prevalent. Several cases proceeded through trial.

From 2000 through 2007, Mr. Mathison focused on environmental, land use and insurance matters. He litigated complex contaminated sites under The Polanco Redevelopment Act, CERCLA and related statutory and common law-based actions. He negotiated and litigated insurance coverage, primarily for municipalities; performed insurance archaeology activity; and handled the response to claims asserted by the environmental regulatory agencies and other civil actions.

Mr. Mathison was admitted to the California State Bar in 1990 and the Texas State Bar in 1991. He obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1990, graduating in the top 25 percent of his class. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at San Diego in 1987. Mr. Mathison is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association.

 

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