University of California (UC)

Meeting the Broad Legal Needs of the Nation’s No. 1 Public University System

For over a decade, Meyers Nave has guided the University of California and its flagship campuses through a wide range of high-profile development projects and complex legal challenges—overcoming land use and environmental hurdles, building public-private partnerships (P3s), defending UC in complex litigation, setting precedent in eminent domain, and conducting sensitive investigations.

We are incredibly proud of our track-record, delivering UC’s most important projects on accelerated schedules while avoiding or quickly defeating all litigation challenges for the Regents and the following campuses:

Shaping California’s Education Landscape

Meyers Nave partners with UC to design, implement, and bulletproof a new generation of Long-Range Development Plans (LRDPs) and Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) to withstand litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other laws. Our work allows UC to support tens of thousands more students by adding millions of square feet of new offices, housing, healthcare, academic buildings, research centers, and student services across the following campuses:

Individual Projects & P3s

We also advise on and protect individual UC projects, many of which are built on creative funding models and P3s developed and implemented by Meyers Nave, including:

• UC Merced 2020 Project
  Meyers Nave helped deliver the $1.2 billion Merced 2020 project, the largest P3 social infrastructure project in U.S. history. We crafted a forward-thinking master plan, negotiated innovative utility and transportation agreements, and addressed critical wetland requirements with local governments. This enables Merced, UC’s newest and fastest-growing campus, to support up to 10,000 students.
• UC San Diego – 8980 Building P3 Project
  We ensured compliance and avoided the threat of litigation to develop a cutting-edge P3 project near UC San Diego (formerly known as La Jolla Innovation Center). This transit-friendly, state-of-the-art facility houses programs from UC San Diego Health, School of Medicine, and Extension, offering research and outpatient services.
• UC San Francisco – Parnassus Heights
  Meyers Nave worked with co-counsel to successfully defeat a preliminary injunction aimed at halting UCSF’s plan to redevelop the Parnassus site, including the construction of a new hospital.

Defending UC in Court and Setting Precedent

Meyers Nave defends UC’s most significant and highest-profile projects and development plans in state and federal courts—up to and including the California Supreme Court.  

• UC Berkeley – Landmark Supreme Court Victory for People’s Park Housing
  We secured a unanimous California Supreme Court ruling in a landmark CEQA case, clearing the way for UC Berkeley’s LRDP and a transformative housing project at the historic “People’s Park” site. The decision set a precedent by rejecting “social noise” as an environmental impact and reaffirmed the Legislature’s authority to shape CEQA—removing a major hurdle to critical housing development (Read Press Release Here).
• UCLA – Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center
  We provided crucial pre-litigation advice to strengthen the EIR for UCLA’s 294,000-square-foot, $162-million Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center. When a community group launched a negative publicity campaign and sued to block the project, we defeated every claim—including CEQA, taxing, and zoning—winning two trials, six appeals, and $200,000 in fees.
• UC Berkeley – Solar Energy Research Center
  We advised UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) on NEPA/CEQA reviews for the Solar Energy Research Center (SERC), among the first to evaluate environmental impacts of nanoparticle research. We also successfully defended the project in Save Strawberry Canyon v. Regents of the University of California. SERC is a highly sophisticated research laboratory devoted to nanoscale photovoltaic and electro-chemical solar energy systems (creating fuel from sunlight).
• UC Berkeley – Enrollment Litigation
  Meyers Nave attorneys successfully defended UC Berkeley in a high-profile CEQA lawsuit challenging increased student enrollment on the grounds that it exceeded projections in the University’s Long Range Development Plan. The case raised novel legal questions about whether enrollment growth triggers CEQA review, ultimately resulting in a published decision from the First District Court of Appeal, new case law, and legislative clarification. The litigation attracted significant public and media attention, particularly around whether UC Berkeley would be forced to reduce its Fall 2022 freshman class. After the Legislature intervened to preserve enrollment, we guided the case to a successful conclusion.
• UC Santa Cruz – North Campus Expansion
  We defended UC Santa Cruz’s North Campus expansion by securing key wins in challenges to water and power services for the development. We also obtained a rehearing on an adverse appellate ruling and advanced the case to the Supreme Court for review.
• UC Berkeley – University Village Project
  We advised UC in a CEQA challenge to the City’s approval of the University Village project, which includes a 175-unit senior housing facility, 80,000 square feet of retail space, a grocery store, parking, pedestrian and bike paths, and stormwater drainage facilities.
• UC Davis – LRDP
  We helped UC Davis prepare and review its LRDP and corresponding EIR. When challenged in court, we vigorously defended the EIR and CEQA findings, with the trial court dismissing all claims.
• UC San Diego – Hillcrest Medical Center & LRDP
  We advised UC San Diego on replacing a 57-year-old hospital and 36 buildings with 1.4 million square feet of new medical facilities in the Hillcrest Health Care District. We developed a permitting and CEQA strategy for the LRDP, reviewing key documents to mitigate litigation risks. After finalizing the EIR, only one writ of mandate was filed and later dismissed with prejudice.
• UC San Diego – Theater District Litigation
  We successfully defended writ of mandate litigation filed by two community groups challenging a new college proposed for the La Jolla campus at UC San Diego. Our efforts led to a negotiated settlement that allowed the project to begin construction without delay.
• UC Santa Cruz – Student Housing West Project
  Meyers Nave guided UC Santa Cruz through the preparation of an EIR for two student housing projects at UC Santa Cruz, accommodating approximately 3,000 students through a P3 delivery model. We successfully defended the EIR against five lawsuits and are currently representing UC in two court of appeal cases challenging the project approvals.

Setting Precedent in Eminent Domain

Meyers Nave represented the Regents and UCLA in numerous acquisitions across Los Angeles County for a major hospital expansion project, including the first and only case to interpret California’s 1975 business goodwill statute on a business owner’s duty to try relocating before claiming loss of goodwill. This case continues to inform eminent domain across the state.

High-Stakes Workplace Investigations

When sensitive and highly politicized issues threaten UC’s reputation, Meyers Nave delivers independent investigations that cut through complexity and uncover the facts. With a keen understanding of what’s at stake, we blend investigative precision with litigation know-how to produce thorough, credible reports—ready for court, arbitration, public release, or internal use. We’ve investigated antisemitism on UC campuses involving the harassment of students, faculty responses, and arrests during encampment protests. We’ve also led investigations of leadership and key staff.

The Go-To Firm for a Reason

Meeting the broad legal needs of the nation’s No. 1 public university system means shaping law, defending high-stakes projects, and building legal frameworks that hold up under scrutiny. These wins don’t happen by default. They happen when the work is done by the right team. Meyers Nave is proud to be a legal engine driving UC’s ability to expand, build, and lead the way in higher education across California.