Paul J. Beard II

Paul Beard is a land-use attorney at FisherBroyles LLP, with a specialty in takings law. As a California-certified appellate lawyer, he has significant appellate litigation experience, including in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2023, he successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review of an important land-use and property-rights case, Sheetz v. El Dorado County, which he will argue in 2024. In 2013, he argued Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District, a landmark Supreme Court case concerning a Florida agency’s attempt to exact money from a developer as a condition of approving wetland permits. The decision establishes that monetary exactions imposed in the permit process are subject to heightened constitutional scrutiny. Paul's practice focuses on permitting and litigation issues arising under the California Coastal Act, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act, among other statutes. He also counsels project proponents on their statutory and constitutional rights in the permit process and assists them in creating the best administrative record when litigation becomes necessary. He represents a range of clients, including agricultural interests, developers and industry associations. Before joining FisherBroyles, Paul was a Partner at Alston & Bird LLP and a Principal Attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), the nation’s premier public interest organization committed to litigating precedent-setting cases that limit the jurisdiction and powers of environmental agencies and regulators. For years, he led PLF’s Coastal Land Rights Project, overseeing litigation against state and local agencies when they violated property owners' rights. Paul started his career at the international law firm of Latham & Watkins (Los Angeles) as a litigation associate. When not working, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife and three children (one human, two canine), reading historical fiction, playing the piano, and practicing MMA.