Contact Information

1901 Harrison St. 9th Floor

Oakland, CA 94612

510.273.8780

lcastella@mhalaw.com

Practice Focus

Public Law

Eminent Domain

Land Use

Litigation

Indian Law

J. Leah Castella | Senior Attorney

Professional Experience

Leah Castella joined McDonough Holland & Allen PC in 2007 as a member of the firm's Public Law Practice Group in Oakland. Leah has extensive experience in civil litigation on behalf of public agencies and private entities. She specializes in litigating municipal law cases, including inverse condemnation, Proposition 218, election law, and land use matters. Leah also has in depth knowledge of Federal Indian law, and counsels her clients on issues related to Tribal Sovereignty, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and the fee to trust process.

Representative Matters

Represented municipality in an inverse condemnation trial in the Northern District of California

Court of Appeals victory upholding the constitutionality of a municipality's transit occupancy tax

Represented a municipality in a Proposition 218 challenge to a 911 Fee

Obtained a landmark summary judgment ruling holding that a Tribe's banishment and disenrollment of a tribal member is a punitive sanction and is reviewable under the Indian Civil Rights Act

Successfully settled a claim for breach of a casino management agreement for $50 million

Publications

Author, "Follow the Money and Fight Terrorism: The USA Patriot Act Takes Shape,"Bank & Lender Liability, Vol. 8, Issue 13, November 27, 2002. With Raymond C. Marshall.

Author, "The USA Patriot Act of 2001: New Obligations and Opportunities in the Fight Against Global Money," Laundering, Bank & Lender Liability, Vol. 7, Issue 11, December 20, 2001. With Robert E. Sims.

Author, "The United States Border as a Barrier to Cultural Survival," Texas Journal of Civil and Political Liberties, Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2000.

Author, "When is a Mistake a Crime? The Ever Shrinking Mens Rea Requirement for Environmental Crimes," Environmental Liability, Enforcement & Penalties Reporter, Vol. 10, No. 2, December 1999. With Raymond C. Marshall & Robert E. Sims.

Author, "The Use of Qui Tam Suits in Environmental Litigation," Texas Environmental Law Journal, Vol. 27, No. 3, Spring 1999.

Leadership Positions/Affiliations

Executive Director, Women's Debate Institute

Board Member, Bar Association of San Francisco Barristers

Board Member, Law Academy Advisory Board

Member, State Bar of California

Member, Bar Association of San Francisco

Coach, Thurgood Marshall High School Mock Trial Team

Coach, Boalt Hall Jessup Moot Court Team

Honors/Awards

Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing, 2003

MHALaw Search

Admitted to Practice

State Bar of California, 2000

All California State Courts

United States District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central Districts of California

Education

University of Texas
School of Law

J.D., with honors, 1999

Notes Editor, Environmental Law Journal

Lewis and Clark College

B.S., Philosophy, 1995