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Edward P. Sangster

Ed Sangster is a partner in the San Francisco office. He has more than 35 years of experience helping clients resolve complex business and environmental disputes through counseling, litigation, and trial. His experience is broad, including commercial contracts, environmental, business torts, and disputes among shareholders, officers or creditors of closely held and early stage companies. Although the types of cases have varied over time, his case load has consistently involved current cutting-edge issues, resulting in numerous published decisions in federal district and appellate courts.

The cases Ed litigates often turn on the resolution of highly technical scientific, engineering, regulatory, or economic issues. His environmental experience includes numerous cases concerning the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), cases involving soil and groundwater contamination, and administrative agency actions. He is authorized to practice before all state and federal courts in California, as well as the US Court of Federal Claims. He has jury and bench trial experience in both state and federal courts, and he has briefed and argued numerous appeals.

Ed has more than 25 years of experience defending clients in Proposition 65 litigation. He has also been actively engaged in counseling clients concerning the implementation of practical compliance strategies.

Ed has repeatedly been named to the Northern California Super Lawyers list since 2008, and is a senior fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers.

  • Listed in the Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2024)
  • BTI Client Service All-Star, one of approximately 300 lawyers honored nationally based on nominations of corporate counsel (2016)
  • Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, Public Justice Foundation (2010)
  • Award for exemplary pro bono service, presented by the US District Court, Northern District Conference (1997)
  • Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service, presented by the Bar Association of San Francisco (1996)
  • Commendation by California State Bar Board of Governors in recognition of outstanding contributions to the delivery of pro bono legal services (1988)
  • Richard M. Sangster American Inn of Court
  • Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • IINREEL (International Institute for Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law)
  • California Lawyers Association (Litigation and Environmental sections)
  • American Bar Association (Litigation section)
  • Bar Association of San Francisco

Published Decisions

  • Citizens for Ceres v. City of Ceres, 3 Cal. App. 5th 237 (2016) (California Environmental Quality Act)
  • Tuolumne Jobs & Small Business Alliance v. Superior Court, 59 Cal. 4th 1029 (2014) (California Environmental Quality Act)
  • Friends of Oroville v. City of Oroville, 219 Cal. App. 4th 832 (2013) (California Environmental Quality Act)
  • Citizens for Ceres v. Superior Court, 217 Cal. App. 4th 889 (2013) (California Environmental Quality Act)
  • Tuolumne Jobs & Small Business Alliance v. Superior Court, 210 Cal. App. 4th 1006 (2012) (California Environmental Quality Act)
  • Chacoan v. Rohrer, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 40662 (E.D. Cal. 2009) (federal civil rights)
  • Quicken Loans, Inc. v. Wood, 449 F.3d 944 (9th Cir. 2006) (preemption of state mortgage laws)
  • Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Boutris, 419 F. 3d 949 (9th Cir. 2005) (preemption of state mortgage laws)
  • Fontana Empire Center, LLC v. City of Fontana, 307 F. 3d 987 (9th Cir. 2002)
  • Emeryville v. Elementis Pigments, Inc. 2001 WL 964230 (N.D. Cal. 2001)
  • Anesthesia Care Associates Medical Group v. Blue Cross of California, 187 F.3d 1045 (9th Cir. 1999)
  • Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company v. Hercules Incorporated, 146 F.3d 1071 (9th Cir. 1998) (CERCLA cost recovery)
  • TH Agriculture & Nutrition, Inc. v. Aceto Chemical Co., 884 F. Supp. 357 (E.D. Cal. 1995) (CERCLA cost recovery)
  • Kaufman and Broad -- South Bay v. Unisys Corp., 822 F. Supp. 1468 (N.D. Cal. 1993) (CERCLA cost recovery)
  • Eureka Financial Corp. v. The Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co., 136 F.R.D. 179 (E.D. Cal. 1991) (insurance coverage)
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