About Us
Jennifer F. Novak
At age five, Jennifer Novak set two goals: to be a lawyer and a mom. Today, she is proud to have achieved both. In fact, Jennifer is a second-generation California lawyer. She has practiced litigation across various fields since 1996. Previously, she served as a Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. During that time, she handled cutting-edge legal issues.
These complex matters were valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Ultimately, she advocated strongly for the People of California. Now back in the private sector, she founded this firm. Her primary goal is to serve clients who value environmental laws. Furthermore, she strives to keep the regulatory process fair for businesses focused on compliance.
Based upon her experience representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 and national companies, to retirees who operated manufacturing businesses decades ago, she understands the stress and uncertainty that a threatened (or actual) lawsuit brings. Jennifer believes in demystifying environmental laws, providing comfort through stressful times, and working alongside her clients to fight for them every step of the way.
Education
University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law — 1996
Publications
“The Value of Simplifying Case Presentation,” Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, Feb. 2005
Speaking Engagements
- “What You Don’t Know About Environmental Law (But Should),” Provisors Conejo Valley Real Estate Affinity Group, June 26, 2025 (speaker).
- “Emerging Contaminants: Microplastics,” Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies, ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, June 16, 2024.
- “Why Are House Republicans Trying To Sell Public Land In Utah And Nevada?,” Forbes Breaking News Interview, May 12, 2025
- “What You Don’t Know About Environmental Law (But Should),” Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council, May 9, 2025 (speaker).
- Clean Water Act, Environmental Law Institute’s 21st Annual Western Boot Camp on Environmental Law, April 29, 2025 (presenter).
- “Microplastics Laws: New Environmental Regulations,” Interview by Isabel Drugan, City of St. George’s in London, February 3, 2025.
- “Update on PFAs and Emerging Contaminants,” County Counsels’ Association of California, October 17, 2024 (co-speaker).
- “What You Don’t Know About Environmental Law (But Should),” Provisors Los Angeles Real Estate Affinity Group, September 25, 2024 (speaker).
- “Jennifer Novak: Navigating the Legal Landscape – Insights from a Seasoned Environmental Lawyer,” The Power of Connections Podcast, June 3, 2024.
- “Jennifer Novak: Finding Balance In Everything,” Nice Guys on Business podcast, April 22, 2024.
- “Building Trust with Jennifer Novak,” Lawyer Business Advantage podcast, March 20, 2024.
- “Jennifer Novak: Environmental Issues & Small Business,” Net Profit Podcast — Accelerate Your Profits with Ryan Kimler, February 14, 2024.
- Microplastics in Groundwater, American Ground Water Trust and Association of Ground Water Agencies, 2024 California Groundwater Conference, February 7, 2024 (panelist).
- “Jennifer Novak: Sidestepping Environmental Traps That Can Taint Family Wealth,” Master your Millions podcast, February 7, 2024.
- “Sp[oil]ing” For A Fight, California Lawyers Association, 2023 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, October 21, 2023 (moderator).
- “Reverse Your Thinking About Environmental Impact,” Reverse Your Thinking podcast, October 13, 2023.
- Environmental Legal Issues, Provisors: LAX/Long Beach Real Estate Affinity Group, May 10, 2023 (speaker).
- “Jennifer Novak on Representing the Environment in Court,” The California Appellate Law Podcast, June 20, 2023.
- What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You: How Environmental Law Can Help Your Practice, Riverside County Bar Association, May 9, 2023 (co-presenter).
- “Environmental Laws and Regulations for Emerging Microplastics Concerns Series– Near-Term and Future Potential Regulatory Efforts,” Environmental Law Explored: A Podcast SEERies, American Bar Association, March 21, 2023.
- IGP Compliance & Enforcement Review, Industrial Environmental Coalition of Orange County (IEC/OC), March 16, 2023 (presenter).
- The Potential Impacts of the Proposed Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Stormwater Permit on Facilities Within the Los Angeles and Long Beach Watersheds, California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) 2022 Annual Conference: Celebrating Milestones: Taking the Next Step for Stormwater, October 26, 2022 (panelist)
- The Clean Water Act at 50: Clean Water Act Enforcement Panel, U.C. Davis King Hall School of Law/California Environmental Law and Policy Center, October 7, 2022 (panelist)
- Updates and Demo for California Construction Stormwater Permits, Alameda County Bar Association, August 10, 2022 (co-presenter)
- Getting the Dirt: How to Keep Real Estate Transactions Free from Environmental Problems, Provisors Orange County Real Estate Affinity Group, May 19, 2022 (co-presenter)
- What Is Environmental Law and How It Might Help Your (Yes, Your!) Own Practice, California Lawyers Association Solo & Small Firm Section, May 18, 2022 (co-presenter)
- Updates and Demo for California Construction Stormwater, The Bar Association of San Francisco, April 29, 2022 (co-presenter)
- Provisors Los Angeles Estate and Succession Planning Affinity Group, July 8, 2021 (panelist)
- A New Business Environment or More of the Same? Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, March 14, 2021 (presenter).
- Environmental LawyHERing: Overcoming Bias and Making Change, MSheLe, March 17, 2021 (presenter).
- Eye on the Prize: How We Use Standards of Review to Negotiate Environmental Law Disputes and Play the Long Game in Case of Government Overreach, Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Monthly Brown Bag Series, November 17, 2020 (co-presenter).
- Split the Check, Please: Dividing Costs Among Responsible Parties, California Lawyers Association, June 4, 2020 (moderator).
- Buyer Beware: How Your Location, Neighbors, and Changing Regulations May Affect Your Environmental Liabilities, South Bay Association of Realtors, February 7, 2020 (presenter).
- 2020 Focus on Agency Enforcement, Los Angeles County Bar Association, December 17, 2019 (moderator).
- The Ports in An Environmental Storm, California Lawyers Association, 2019 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, October 19, 2019 (moderator).
- Los Angeles River Stormwater Use and River Restoration: Competing or Compatible Visions?, California Lawyers Association, 2019 Annual Meeting, October 12, 2019 (speaker).
- California Environmental Laws Every Small Business Should Understand, California Lawyers Association, Solo & Small Firm Summit: the 21st Century Law Firm, June 15, 2019 (speaker).
- The Storm Over Implementing TMDLs in the Industrial Storm Water General Permit, California Lawyers Association, 2018 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite, October 19, 2018 (moderator).
- Environmental Enforcement 101, California Lawyers Association, First Annual Sections Meeting, September 15, 2018 (moderator).
- Building the Brick House: Identifying the Environmental Laws that Might Affect Your Business and Keeping the Big, Bad, Wolf at Bay, Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, June 6, 2018 (speaker).
- Cost Recovery Under California’s HSAA: New Cases Clarify the Right to Sue and Causation, American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, March 6, 2018 (moderator).
- It’s Raining. It’s Pouring. Are We Ready for Storing?, California Bar Association Environmental Law Section, May 5, 2017 (moderator).
- California Water Quality: Federal and State Law Basics and Enforcement Issues, Southern California Environmental Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Association, January 26, 2017 (co-presenter).
- High Stakes CERCLA Litigation: Lessons Learned from the Rialto-Colton Basin Litigation, 28th Annual Environmental Law Symposium: Saving Our Environmental Dollars and Sense, Los Angeles County Bar Association, April 4, 2014 (speaker).
- Litigating Contamination Property Claims as a Solo or Small Firm: It Takes a Village, Los Angeles County Bar Association, February 20, 2014 (speaker).
- Clean Water And Stormwater in Southern California, Law Seminars International, December 10, 2012 (program co-chair and speaker).
- The Attorneys’ Perspective on Civil Cost Recovery Actions, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Investigators’ Conference, February 22, 2012 (all-day speaker).
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- So You Think It Never Rains in Southern California? An Update on Municipal, Construction, And Industrial Enforcement and Compliance, Los Angeles County Bar Association, June 17, 2010 (speaker).
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- Rialto Basin Perchlorate Groundwater Dispute, California Water Law Conference, Water Law Institute, November 5, 2009 (speaker).
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- Investigate, Remediate, Compensate: The Keys to Federal and State Cleanups, Los Angeles County Bar Association, April 17, 2008 (speaker).
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- Clean Water Act: Empower the People Workshop #3, Santa Monica Baykeeper, September 20, 2006 (speaker).
- Parenthood and the Practice of Law, Part II, Los Angeles County Bar Association, April 7, 2005 (moderator).
- Storm Water Permitting in California: Strategies for Keeping Your Municipality, Agency or Business in Compliance, Lorman Education Services, March 30, 2005 (panelist).
Published Cases
- Inland Empire Waterkeeper v. Corona Clay Co., 17 F.4th 825 (9th Cir. 2021)
- Arconic v. APC Investment, 969 F.3d 945 (9th Cir. 2020)
- Natural Resources Defense Council v. County of Los Angeles, 673 F.3d 880 (9th Cir. 2011), reversed 1/8/13 on other grounds.
- City of Arcadia v. State Water Resources Control Bd.(2010) 191 Cal.App.4th 156
- County of Los Angeles v. Commission on State Mandates (2007) 150 Cal.App.4th 898
- County of Los Angeles v. California State Water Resources Control Bd. (2006) 143 Cal.App.4th 985
- Shamsian v. Department of Conservation (2006) 136 Cal.App.4th 621
- City of Rancho Cucamonga v. Regional Water Quality Control Bd. – Santa Ana Region (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 1377
Megan Meadows has practiced law in California for over 18 years. Additionally, she has been with our firm for more than eight years. She deeply values the need for creative and sustainable client solutions. Interestingly,
Megan ran track at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moreover, she was featured in the 2007 documentary “A Lawyer Walks into a Bar.” Consequently, she shared in its Grand Jury Prize win at South by Southwest.
Education
Publications
- American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law, The Year in Review 2023: Clean Water Act Section 505 – Water Quality and Wetlands Committee Report-Update on Standing in Citizen Suits.
- California Lawyers Association, The Practitioner, Solo and Small Firm, Vol. 29, Issue 1, Spring 2023, The Heart of the Matter: How the Heart and Brain Cooperate for Both Good and Bad (Co-author)
- California Lawyers Association, The Practitioner, Solo and Small Firm, Vol. 29, Issue 2, Summer 2023: “Can Ignorance Ever Be A Legal Defense? What You Don’t Know Might Protect You From Environmental Liabilities (With Caveats, Of Course)” (Co-Author)
- American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law, The Year in Review 2022: Clean Water Act Section 505- Water Quality and Wetlands Committee report-Update on Standing in Citizen Suits
- American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law, The Year in Review 2021: Clean Water Act Section 505- Water Quality and Wetlands Committee report-Update on Standing in Citizen Suits
- California Lawyers Association, The Practitioner, Solo and Small Firm, Vol. 26, Issue 2, Winter 2020. Getting Clients in the Door: How a Client Can Find the Door Even When It’s Off the Beaten Path
Speaking Engagements
- L.A. City Civil Rights Department, L.A. Law Day (speaker)
- What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You: How Environmental Law Can Help Your Practice, Riverside County Bar Association, May 9, 2023 (co-presenter)
- What Is Environmental Law and How It Might Help Your (Yes, Your!) Own Practice, California Lawyers Association Solo & Small Firm Section, May 18, 2022 (co-presenter)
- Eye on the Prize: How We Use Standards of Review to Negotiate Environmental Law Disputes and Play the Long Game in Case of Government Overreach, Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Monthly Brown Bag Series, 11/17/20 (co-presenter)
Nichole is a Southern California native. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy. She joined the firm in 2023. Before arriving here, she gained invaluable experience interning with key environmental law entities. Afterward, she worked with Los Angeles Deputy City Attorneys in the Environmental Protection Unit. Because of this, she possesses a unique understanding of a public attorney’s perspective. Therefore, she can collaborate effectively to benefit our clients.
Initially, Nichole’s journey into law stemmed from her background as a scientist. Specifically, her scientific and public sector experience inspired her career shift. She realized she wanted to guide companies through complex environmental regulations. She firmly believes that legal compliance leads to significant cost savings. By reducing penalties and legal fees, efficient resolutions boost overall profits. When she is not at work, Nichole enjoys playing basketball. Finally, she loves exploring new countries and visiting her family’s homeland in Colombia.
Education
Vermont Law School, MELP (Master of Environmental Law and Policy)
California State University at Monterey Bay, B.S. Biology
Publications
Demetria Mantalis joined our team in 2022. She graduated magna cum laude from Pace University in New York City. There, she earned an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies. Later, Demetria pursued her passion at Loyola Law School, graduating in 2024. During law school, she volunteered at the LA Mission’s legal clinic. As a result, she provided valuable assistance to underserved communities.
Importantly, her upbringing near a formerly radioactive site shaped her career path. This experience sparked a deep commitment to addressing environmental challenges. She is dedicated to strong legal advocacy. Outside of work, Demetria enjoys photography and hiking adventures. Lastly, she loves curling up with a great book.
