Nicholas van Aelstyn

Practice Areas

Nicholas W. (“Nico”) van Aelstyn is a partner in the Real Estate, Energy, Land Use & Environmental Practice Group in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Nicholas has more than 25 years of environmental counseling and litigation experience. His environmental compliance counseling practice focuses on climate change, Brownfields redevelopment, sustainability and other regulatory and transactional matters. His climate change practice encompasses California’s Cap-and-Trade Program (compliance, rulemaking, enforcement and emission trading contracts) and other aspects of AB 32, as well as related state, federal and international programs and international offset projects. His climate finance practice includes handling complex offset transactions, market advice, and ESG counseling (environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities). Nico’s transactional experience also includes environmental due diligence for a wide variety of real estate and corporate transactions, with special expertise in the development of renewable energy projects. Nico's environmental litigation practice focuses on cost recovery actions, regulatory enforcement actions (e.g., administrative enforcement proceedings brought by CARB, DTSC, DPR, AQMDs, RWQCBs and other agencies), writ proceedings to challenge regulations and representation of PRPs and PRP groups at Superfund sites; he has particular expertise with contaminated sediment sites. Nico has represented clients in every lawsuit filed to date challenging California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. His broad litigation experience also includes commercial, real estate, intellectual property and appellate cases. He has handled matters in state and federal courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and various administrative fora.