Kevin J. Ashe
Partner

Overview
Kevin J. Ashe is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Newport Beach office and a member of the firm's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Mr. Ashe's practice focuses on energy regulatory, environmental and land use law, with a particular emphasis on the permitting, development and disposition of traditional and renewable energy projects.
Mr. Ashe counsels clients on issues arising under federal and California environmental law, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) and California Coastal Act. He has substantial experience performing environmental due diligence in connection with equity and asset purchases, mergers and financings involving energy, manufacturing and technology companies, as well as negotiating environmental transactional provisions.
Mr. Ashe provides land use due diligence in connection with real property acquisitions and assists clients in securing local land use entitlements for residential, office and mixed-use projects throughout California. He is considered a leading attorney in regard to the permitting of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) under recently adopted California legislation and has represented numerous ADU applicants in Northern and Southern California.
Mr. Ashe also advises clients on energy regulatory issues involving the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). He has negotiated power purchase agreements, fuel supply agreements and transmission service agreements on a wide variety of traditional and renewable energy generation projects. He advises clients on a wide range of emerging energy and climate change issues at the state and federal level, including California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, behind-the-meter generation, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategies and utility wildfire liability regimes.
In law school, Mr. Ashe interned with the CPUC's Administrative Law Judges Division and the California Attorney General's Office, Natural Resources Section.
Representative Experience
Credentials
- University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, J.D., cum laude
- Fairfield University, B.A., Political Science, Environmental Studies, cum laude
- California
- California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section, 2016-present
- The Bar Association of San Francisco, Environmental Law Section, 2016-present
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, San Francisco Environmental Law Ones to Watch, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025; San Francisco Land Use and Zoning Law Ones to Watch, 2023-2025
- Rising Star, California Super Lawyers magazine, 2022-2024
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Orange County Environmental Law Ones to Watch, 2023
- Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020, 2021
- The Burton Awards Program, Finest Law Firm Writers, 2020