Richard G. Opper

Richard G. Opper has had a distinguished career in government service, and his academic and professional achievements are notable.  “SuperLawyer” magazine has selected Mr. Opper as one of the top environmental lawyers since 2007. After serving as Attorney General for the Territory of Guam (1983 – 1986) he re-entered private practice in San Diego, working with Paul Engstrand on a variety of complex natural resource matters.  Since that time, Mr. Opper has focused his practice on the redevelopment of contaminated properties, or brownfields, where he brings significant experience in environmental law and practice to the benefit of such projects.  Mr. Opper represents public and private clients throughout the state on brownfield matters. He is a Fellow in the Institute for Green Professionals. 

Mr. Opper has a wide variety of litigation and appellate experience.  Mr. Opper’s representative trials over the past 30 years demonstrate many successful results for clients.  In addition, Mr. Opper has successfully settled many cases using mediation or other alternative dispute resolution methods. Among Mr. Opper’s notable professional successes is the redevelopment of Petco Park in downtown San Diego, where he was the architect of the clean-up strategy, he represented the agency in trial for cost recovery, and he served as appellate counsel defending the novel use of the Polanco Act.

Mr. Opper’s academic work, since his graduation from UCLA School of Law in 1976, was stimulated when he attended Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (MPA, 1987), and has resulted in publication of articles and essays on a variety of topics, most often related to environmental conditions at the U.S. - Mexico border or the evolving politics of brownfield redevelopment in California.  

Mr. Opper frequently speaks to professional and governmental organizations about environmental matters.  Mr. Opper is active in the community; after serving on the Board for the Museum of Photographic Arts since 1989, Mr. Opper joined the Board of the NTC Foundation, committed to the redevelopment of the historic Navy base into a modern arts and cultural center. Mr. Opper is a member of DTSC’s Brownfield Advisory Group, served on the California Redevelopment Association’s Brownfield Committee for more than a decade, and is active in Lambda Alpha International, a real estate economics association.