Awards & Rankings 04.10.24
Pillsbury’s International Arbitration Group Again Included in GAR 100 Guide as Top International Arbitration Practice
Source: Global Arbitration Review
Ronald E. Van Buskirk
General Counsel Emeritus
General Counsel Emeritus, San Francisco & Silicon Valley
T: +1.415.983.1496
T: +1.650.233.4500
Ron Van Buskirk practices primarily in the areas of land use and environmental counseling and litigation.
Ron’s extensive experience includes all phases of land use development such as planning and zoning, CEQA, the Coastal Act, vested rights, and unconstitutional takings, as well as litigation involving hazardous wastes and environmental pollution. He has appeared in many administrative proceedings before federal, state and local agencies, particularly in respect to major development projects.
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Ron, who has practiced law at Pillsbury since 1975, also maintains a general commercial litigation practice including both jury and court trials. This experience involves several areas of law, including commercial and real estate litigation. He also has substantial experience in commercial arbitrations and mediations, and provides professional responsibility/law partnership counseling and litigation defense.
Representative Experience
Extensive litigation experience regarding agency action in mandamus or A.P.A.-type lawsuits, defending some of the largest projects in California such as:
- LAUSD Ambassador K-12 School Project
- New Asian Art Museum in San Francisco
- Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant
- $1.4 billion Point Arguello oil and gas project in Santa Barbara
- UCSB campus expansion project
Professional Highlights
- Formerly served as general counsel to the firm and chaired the Professional Responsibility Committee.
- Served as managing partner of Pillsbury’s Orange County office, 1990 – 1992.
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers (published by BL Rankings LLC), Litigation – Environmental (2021 – 2024).
- 2011 PLC Which Lawyer?, Environment—San Francisco and Silicon Valley (2008 – 2011)
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- Associations
- Pacific Legal Foundation, board of directors (1994 to present)
- MPC Insurance Ltd., board of directors (1995 to present)
- Founding Member, Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable, organized by The Hildebrandt Institute, Washington, D.C.
- U.S. Army, 1968 – 1971
- Presentations
- Law Firm Liability Institute; Legal Challenges and Strategies for the Modern American Law Firm, New York, June 29 – 30, 2004. “What You Need to Know about Inter-Firm Disputes” and “Effectively Managing Intra-Firm Disputes.” NorthStar Conferences.
- Second Annual National Forum on Law Firm Risk Management: Growing Challenges, sponsored by Hildebrandt Institute and Glasser LegalWorks, New York, November 13, 2003. “Shades of Brobeck—Protecting against Unintended ‘Successor’ Liability.”
- Articles Featuring R. Van Buskirk in General Counsel Role
- ABA Journal (June 2004) “More Firms are Commandeering Partners to Serve as General Counsel”
- San Francisco Business Times (Nov. 5 – 11, 2004) “Firms Formalize Role of In-house Counsel”
Education
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J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1974
B.A., Stanford University, 1968
U.S. Army
Admissions
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California
Courts
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U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Court of Federal Claims