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PROFESSIONAL RESUME
THOMAS E. HO’OKANO
LAW OFFICES OF THOMAS E. HO’OKANO
2172 PROMONTORY POINT LANE
GOLD RIVER, CALIFORNIA 95670
TELEPHONE: (916) 706-3354
FACSIMILE: (916))706-2004
LEGAL EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONS
University of California at Davis, School of Law: J.D. 1971
Admitted to Practice Before The State Bar of California June 1972
Admitted to Practice Before the United States Supreme Court
Admitted to Practice Before U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Admitted to Practice Before Several U.S. District Courts
Numerous post-graduate courses related to land use planning and regulation
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
August 1996 - Present - Law Offices of Thomas E. Ho’okano. Emphasis on state and
federal court litigation involving municipal regulation, including code compliance,
Abatement regulations and zoning issues.
June 1989 - July 1996 Private practice, San Francisco, California. General civil practice
emphasizing land use.
July 1985 - June 1989: Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Land and Natural
Resources Division; United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.
Practice Responsibilities: Litigation in federal district court and circuit courts
involving several federal environmental statutes, including the Clean Air and Clean
Water Acts and the National Environmental Policy Act; review and approve Lands
Division appellate court briefs and filings in significant district court litigation;
supervise General Law Section, Policy and Legislation Section and Wetlands Group.
Assisted Solicitor General of United States in drafting briefs to the United States
Supreme Court on cases involving land use and environmental issues.
July 1983 - June 1985: Senior Attorney, Bullen, McKone, McKinley, Gay, Keitges
& Pach, Sacramento, California
Practice Responsibilities: General civil practice with emphasis on environmental
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and land use related litigation, principally in California State Superior and Appellate
courts; litigation involved development interests and major real estate corporations
with representative clients including Prudential Insurance Companies of America,
Real Estate Operations.
April 1974 - July 1983: Chief, Land Use Section and Assistant Managing Attorney,
Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento, California and Washington, D.C. Office
Practice Responsibilities: Litigation in state and federal courts involving important
Public interest cases in the environmental and land use law areas; cases involved
development of inverse condemnation law, National Environmental Policy Act, the
Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, California Coastal Act, California Environmental
Quality Act and ricultural Land Preservation Statutes.
September 1972 - March 1974: Deputy Attorney General, California Department of
Justice, Sacramento, California
Practice Responsibilities: Administrative hearings, provide representation to State
Department of Social Welfare.
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
Admitted to the practice of law: United States Supreme Court, State Bar of California,
several Federal District Courts and Circuit Courts, the United States Court of Claims.
PRE-LEGAL EDUCATION
University of California at Davis, B.A., History, Political Science, Sociology 1968.
CASES INVOLVING PUBLISHED OPINIONS
Zimmerman et al v City of Oakland et al ( 9th Cir. 2001) 255 F 3rd 734
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley v City of Berkeley, et al
(1997) 59 Cal. App. 4th 1241
Eric Hoopes v John Dolan (2008) 168 Cal. App. 4th 146
