Garrett Bergthold is an associate in Berliner Cohen’s Land Use and Municipal Law practice group, where he represents both public- and private-sector clients. On the public side, Garrett advises city departments and elected officials on complex legal matters under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Mitigation Fee Act, the Housing Accountability Act, the Density Bonus Law, and the Subdivision Map Act. He also advises on public transparency statutes, including the California Public Records Act and the Ralph M. Brown Act. He also represents public clients in litigation, including CEQA challenges. On the private side, Garrett helps clients secure the entitlements their projects need and defends those approvals against challenges from neighbors and project opponents.
Beyond his land use and municipal practice, he has also litigated breach of lease disputes and quiet title actions. During law school, Garrett externed for Justice Ronald B. Robie of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. Before he began his legal career, Garrett was a newspaper reporter who covered mainly municipal governance. That experience gives him firsthand insight into how local government works.
