Donald C. Nanney

Donald’s practice focuses on environmental law and real estate, including environmental aspects of business and real estate transactions, regulatory compliance counseling, environmental assessments/audits, contractual allocation of environmental risks, environmental insurance, environmental litigation, claims and penalties, hazardous materials emergencies, and sustainability issues.

Donald is the author of Environmental Risks in Real Estate Transactions: A Practical Guide (Second Edition, 1993; First Edition, 1990) and co-author of California Environmental Law Handbook (Third Edition, 1989, through Eleventh Edition, 1999). He has published widely on issues in his areas of focus, with articles appearing in legal journals and other professional and business publications, and has frequently spoken at programs held by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, State Bar of California, and other professional organizations.

Experience

Government/Military Experience

• Planning Commissioner; Commissioner, Board of Zoning Appeals; City of Pasadena, Calif. (2017 – present)

• Member of Citizens Task Force on Financial Administration and Internal Controls, appointed by Mayor of Pasadena, Calif., in response to a $6.4 million embezzlement case by a city employee (2015)

• Veteran, Vietnam War Era (ending in November 1975)

• Captain, U.S. Army, Judge Advocate General’s Corps (Active Duty 1975–1979); assigned as Legal Officer in the Administrative Law Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Department of the Army, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; received Meritorious Service Medal and Honorable Discharge

• Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Signal Corps, Infantry; assigned to graduate studies in law under the Distinguished Military Graduate Program of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (1971-1974)

• Army ROTC Cadet, with full tuition four-year scholarship from U.S. Army, at Stanford University (1967– 1971)

Symposium/Seminar Program Materials

• Anthropogenic Global Warming: Believe it or Not, It's Here, Special Conference Supplement, Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium on Real Estate Law and Business, 2008

• Environmental Insurance: The Top 10 Changes in Policy Terms That Insureds Should Seek and Insurers May Give, Real Property Law Section, The State Bar of California, 2007

• Negotiation of Enviromental Insurance: Key Changes in Policy Terms That Insureds Should Seek and Insurers May Give, Real Property Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2007

• Environmental Indemnities in Loan Documents: Theory and Practice, Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2005

• Phase II Environmental Studies: When, Why & How?, Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2003

• New Brownfields Legislation: Real Progress or Window Dressing?, Real Property Section/Environmental Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2002

• Top 10 Pitfalls for Real Estate Attorneys Reviewing Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Real Property Section/Environmental Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2001

• Learning from Belmont Learning Center (An Environmental Primer for Land Deals), Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association - Los Angeles County Bar Association (Real Property Section), 2001

• Strike While the Market is HOT: Developments and Trends in Contaminated Real Property Transactions, In-House Presentation for confidential client, 1999

• Mitigating Factors in Appraisal and Valuation of Contaminated Real Property (Co-Author) (Program: Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder: What Is Contaminated Property Really Worth, Real Property Section/Environmental Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1999

• To Lend or Not to Lend, That is Still the Question, but Fiduciaries Have Real New Protection from Environmental Liability; (Program: Hazardous Waste and Real Property Transactions), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1998

• Environmental Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions: Will the Hope for a Level Playing Field be Realized? (Program: Hazardous Waste and Real Property Transactions), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1998

• Environmental Insurance is Finally Catching On (Program: Hazardous Waste and Real Property Transactions), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1998

• Asbestos Compliance Duties for Landlords and Tenants and Environmental Insurance (Program: Exploring the Complexities of Commercial Leasing -- A Walkabout with the Pros), The Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium/Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1997

• Toxic Materials Legal and Legislative Update (Program: Fulcrum for the Future: Striving for Environmental Excellence), Association of Environmental Professionals, 1996

• Environmental Liability for Contaminated Real Property (Program: Bridging the Gap (Into Real Property Law), Part II), Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1996

• New Asbestos Regulations: OSHA Rules Affecting Real Property Management (Program: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Real Estate Sales & Brokerage Law and Much More), Real Property Section - The State Bar of California, 1994

• Environmental Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions: Will the Hope for a Level Playing Field be Realized? (Program: Environmental Liabilities in Real Property and Business Transactions), CLE International, 1994

• Landlord/Tenant Liability for Cleaning Up Environmental Contamination (Program: What Your Lease Doesn't Say: Environmental Issues Between Landlords & Tenants), Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1994

• Liability for Cleaning Up UST Releases (Program: Underground Storage Tank Regulation in California: Compliance, Cleanup and Liability), California Business Environmental Assistance Center, 1993

• Accounting for Environmental Liability, Real Estate Accounting Institute - Executive Enterprises, 1993

• Hazardous Waste Issues in Real Property Transactions (Program: Hazardous Waste and Real Property Transactions), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1992

• Exploring the Trends: New Developments in Legislation and Court Cases (Program: How to Conduct and Review Real Estate Site Assessments), HAZMACON, 1992

• Hazardous Waste Issues in Real Property Transactions (Program: Minimizing Risks in International Business Transactions), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1991

• What Every Real Estate Lawyer Needs to Know About: Environmental Due Diligence (Program: Environmental Risks in Real Estate and Business Transactions), Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1991

• Asbestos Regulation (Program: Fundamentals of California Environmental Law Compliance), Government Institutes, Inc., 1991
• Environmental Issues (Program: Resolving Troubled Real Estate Loans), Infocast, 1991

• Impact of Environmental Laws on the Transaction (Moderator of Panel: Environmental Aspects of Real Estate Transactions), Continuing Legal Education Satellite Network, 1990

• Asbestos Notification and Disclosure Laws (Program: Fundamentals of California Environmental Law Compliance), Government Institutes, Inc., 1990

• Developing Standards for Environmental Due Diligence: An Update From a Legal Perspective, Proceedings of the 6th Annual Hazardous Materials Management Conference West, 1990

• Recent Developments Regarding Hazardous Substance Disclosure Obligations of Lessees, Lessors, and Sellers of Real Property (Co-Author) (Program: Fundamentals of Real Property Practice), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1989

• Hazardous Waste Issues in Real Property Transactions (Program: Fundamentals of Real Property Practice), California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1989

• Hazardous Waste Issues in Real Property Transactions (Program: The Real Estate Syndicate Disposes of a "Dirty" Property), The Benjamin S. Crocker Symposium/Real Property Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1989 

University Extension Course Materials

• Environmental Due Diligence in Real Estate Transactions: Will the Hope for a Level Playing Field be Realized? (Course: Environmental Risks in Real Estate Transactions: Performing Assessments and Avoiding Liability), University Extension Programs in Environmental Management - U.C. Riverside, 1994

• Exploring the Trends: New Developments in Legislation and Court Cases (Course: Environmental Risks in Real Estate Transactions: Performing Assessments and Avoiding Liability), University Extension Programs in Environmental Management - U.C. Riverside, 1994

• What Every Real Estate Lawyer Needs to Know About: Environmental Due Diligence (Course: Environmental Risks in Real Estate and Business Transactions), U.C. San Diego Extension, 1991

News

Publications