REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Nov. 22,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Reichman Jorgensen LLP has filed
suit on behalf of the California Restaurant Association (CRA)
against the City of Berkeley
following the City's ban on natural gas infrastructure and the use
of natural gas in newly constructed buildings beginning
January 1, 2020. The suit seeks to
declare the Berkeley Ordinance No. 7,672-N.S. void and
unenforceable and to enjoin its enforcement. Berkeley was the first city in California to ban the use of natural gas in
new buildings.
In its Complaint, the CRA points out that many Californians have
been sitting in the dark the past few months, as electric power has
been shut off to large areas to reduce the risk of wildfires.
At this time, the drastic step of requiring "all-electric" new
buildings stands at odds with the need for a reliable, resilient,
and affordable energy supply. The Berkeley Ordinance conflicts with
both federal and state law, is contrary to the public interest, and
harms CRA and its members.
"The Berkeley Ordinance poses a severe threat to the
Berkeley restaurant industry, as
many restaurants use gas for their operations and for unique food
preparation, including many types of international food," said
Courtland Reichman, lead counsel for
the CRA and Managing Partner of Reichman Jorgensen LLP. "Our client
is a strong supporter of the State's climate goals. But the natural
gas ban puts our client and its members at risk, for little to no
environmental benefit. Californians need to have an open and
robust debate on the true costs and benefits of a diverse energy
supply. Berkeley's rush to
move to all-electric is one-sided and ill advised. With
California's energy grid under historic strain and electricity
shutoffs affecting millions of people and businesses, now is not
the time to put all of our eggs in the electric basket." The
Complaint alleges that the Ordinance is preempted by federal law
and failed to follow state law procedures required to amend the
California Building Standards Code and Energy Code.
Along with Courtland L. Reichman,
CRA is represented by Reichman
Jorgensen partner Sarah O.
Jorgensen and co-counsel Gary J.
Toman from Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial
LLC.
The case is California Restaurant Association vs. City of
Berkeley, case number 3:19-cv-07668, in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of California.
The California Restaurant Association (CRA) is the largest
nonprofit statewide restaurant trade association in the
nation. Representing the restaurant and hospitality
industries since 1906, the CRA is made up of nearly 22,000
restaurant locations in California.
Reichman Jorgensen LLP is an elite national trial firm that
handles high-stakes commercial litigation and intellectual property
disputes. The firm is majority women-owned and rejects the billable
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visit www.reichmanjorgensen.com.
Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial LLC is a
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Contact:
Sarah O. Jorgensen
sjorgensen@reichmanjorgensen.com
(650) 623.1403
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SOURCE Reichman Jorgensen LLP