Overview

Tamsen Plume is the executive partner of Holland & Knight's San Francisco office, with more than 23 years of experience in complex land use and environmental law. She represents project proponents in land use and environmental permitting, compliance and due diligence matters for complex land use, development and redevelopment projects, including acquisition of public property. Ms. Plume's practice includes all aspects of land use entitlements, including development agreements and other specialty land use contracts, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Planning Law, Subdivision Map Act, State Density Bonus Law and Housing Accountability Act.

Ms. Plume's practice includes:

  • land use and environmental due diligence for real estate transactions, including coordination of complex multistate diligence efforts
  • local land use entitlements, including development agreements, general plan, specific plan and zoning compliance and amendments, use permits, design review and permitting
  • former redevelopment (dissolution law) compliance, including Oversight Board and Department of Finance approvals
  • Subdivision Map Act compliance, including Vesting Maps, phasing, exemptions and extensions
  • State Housing Law, including State Density Bonus Law, Housing Accountability Act, SB 330, SB 35, AB 2011, AB 2097, Housing Element Law, Builder's Remedy and related compliance and enforcement
  • environmental review and compliance, including CEQA and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
  • acquisition of public property, including disposition and development agreements, purchase and sale agreements and Surplus Lands Act compliance
  • resource agency permitting and compliance, including Clean Water Act (CWA) compliance, CWA Section 404 wetlands fill permits, CWA Section 401 water quality certification, federal and state Endangered Species Act
  • advice related to a wide range of land use issues: tribal resources, historic resources, architectural resources, local agency formation commission (LAFCO) and annexation and incorporation, special districts, climate, transit, transportation, transportation management associations (TMA), park, school mitigation agreements, conservation easements, agriculture, Coastal Zone and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), state lands, public lands, fees, exactions and mitigation measures

Representative Experience

Credentials

Education
  • University of Virginia, B.A., with honors
  • University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, J.D., cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • California
  • District of Columbia
Court Admissions
  • All State Courts in California
  • All U.S. District Courts in California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Memberships
  • The American College of Real Estate Lawyers
  • Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco, Board Member, 2017-2019
  • California State Bar Association
  • Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Thurston Society, Hastings College of the Law
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI)
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Francisco P3 Local Product Council
  • International Council of Shopping Centers
  • Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)
  • Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP)
  • San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR)
Honors & Awards
  • Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2024
  • California Super Lawyers magazine, 2022, 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Land Use and Zoning Law, Environmental Law, 2011-2023
  • 100 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business, San Francisco Business Times, 2020
  • Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use, 2013-2023
  • Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020
  • The Legal 500 USA, Real Estate and Construction: Construction, 2014
  • Phi Beta Kappa

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News