Overview

Marne Sussman is an environmental attorney in Holland & Knight's San Francisco office and is a member of the firm's West Coast Land Use and Environment Group. Ms. Sussman focuses her practice on regulatory matters, with a specific emphasis on climate change and air quality, energy and natural resources.

Ms. Sussman routinely counsels clients on air quality and climate change matters, including development of legislation and regulations, and environmental compliance and facility permitting. She also has experience with administrative appeals and litigation. Ms. Sussman has specific experience with the California Air Resources Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Cap-and-Trade Program, and the federal Clean Power Plan.

In addition, Ms. Sussman has experience with land use permitting and approvals, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance for energy, transportation and development projects, including CEQA litigation. She also has handled renewable energy projects, including representing solar and wind developers for due diligence and permitting.

Ms. Sussman also has general experience with environmental laws relating to natural resources, water and contaminated sites.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Sussman was a counsel at an international law firm in its San Francisco office and a fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School.

Representative Experience

  • Advising a major utility on air quality and greenhouse gas compliance and enforcement
  • Representing a California power plant in negotiations with the local air district regarding emissions monitoring
  • Representing a refinery in a superior court challenge to a local air district decision
  • Advising a utility on legislation for the extension of California's Cap-and-Trade Program

  • Representing a trade association on the development of a first-of-its-kind zoning ordinance and related environmental impact report (EIR) for streamlined oil-and-gas permitting in Kern County, Calif.
  • Representing a transit district in the preparation of an EIR for a system extension
  • Conducting due diligence and environmental permitting work for the Treasure Island development project
  • Representing a major brewery in the development of brewpubs in California

Credentials

Education
  • New York University School of Law, J.D.
  • University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., magna cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • California
Memberships
  • Air and Waste Management Association, Golden West Section, Secretary
  • American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy and Resources
  • The Bar Association of San Francisco, Environmental Law Section
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Energy Law, 2021-2025; Energy Regulatory Law, Environmental Law Litigation, 2023-2025; Land Use and Zoning Law, 2025
  • The Legal 500 USA, Government Relations, 2019
  • Rising Star, Northern California Super Lawyers magazine, 2018-2020
  • Rising Star, Working Mother of the Year, Working Mother Magazine, 2014

Publications

Speaking Engagements