Sophia B. Castillo

Partner

Sophia Castillo (“Sophie”) helps her clients comply with, and litigate, complex legal issues relating to toxics and chemicals in products and in the environment. Her practice focuses on California’s Proposition 65, litigation involving chemicals in consumer products, and pollution and contamination claims in soil and water.

In her products practice, Sophie helps companies up and down the supply chain (importers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers) comply with the warning and labeling mandates of Proposition 65 for chemicals in products and defends them in plaintiff claims when they arise. She works with food & beverage, furniture and housewares, personal care, and consumer product companies on Proposition 65 and other state law regulatory compliance programs and audits of existing products for regulatory compliance.

Sophie has been an active Proposition 65 defense attorney for many years. She has a particular interest in and passion for Proposition 65 as it relates to the food industry and counsels importers, distributors, national brands, private labels, institutional suppliers, family-owned food processing businesses, and retail grocers on Proposition 65 compliance, litigation, and risk avoidance. She is well-versed in the nuances of exposure analyses that shape Proposition 65 compliance decision-making in the regulated community. She authors a monthly update describing trends in Proposition 65 60-Day Notices of Violation by citizen plaintiff groups and is a frequent presenter on Proposition 65 issues for associations, including the Association of Food Industries, the Specialty Food Association, and the annual Prop. 65 Clearinghouse conference.

In her environmental law and litigation practice, Sophie defends scientific environmental law and toxic tort cases. She litigates complex, multi-party CERCLA/contaminated property cases and has expertise in natural resource damages claims, natural resource damage assessments, oil spill response, the Oil Pollution Act, and Clean Water Act matters. Sophie also defends toxic tort matters involving chemicals in foods, beverages, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. She litigates matters involving chemical exposure claims, and frequently works with experts in toxicology, chemical regulation, food safety, and epidemiology.

Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement

  • Association of Food Industries
  • California Grocers Association (CGA)
  • California League of Food Processors (CLFP)
  • California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA)
  • Specialty Food Association (SFA)
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Environmental Law Section
  • California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
  • Ad-Hoc Industry Resource Management Group
  • Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment
  • San Francisco Bay Planning Coalition

Honors & Rankings

  • U.C. Hastings Pro Bono Attorney Honor Roll, U. C. Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, 2012
  • Hastings Law Journal, Articles Editor, 2004-05
  • U.C. Hastings Moot Court Team, Roger Traynor Appellate Moot Court Competition, Second Place – Best Oral Argument, 2004

Proposition 65 Counseling & Litigation Defense

  • Represented product manufacturers and retailers in defending and settling numerous Proposition 65 matters, both at the pre-litigation notice phase and in litigation, in the following industries: cosmetics, food and beverage, lead hardware, power tools, notebooks, sports equipment, glassware, and cleaning products.
  • Advised clients on Prop. 65 compliance programs and supply chain management issues resulting from Proposition 65 compliance decisions.
  • Advised clients on indemnity concerns and supply chain communications following Proposition 65 compliance programs and litigation claims.

Clean Water Act Citizen Suit Litigation

  • Represented city in Clean Water Act citizen suit, alleging sanitary sewer overflows. Settled case favorably for our client prior to trial and expensive expert discovery.
  • Represented scrap metal recycling facility in Clean Water Act citizen suit, alleging violations of the State of California’s General Industrial Storm Water Permit. Settled case favorably for our client prior to formal litigation.
  • Represented industrial compressed gas facility in Clean Water Act citizen suit, alleging violations of the State of California’s General Industrial Storm Water Permit. The Plaintiff dismissed the case in its entirety during motion practice in the litigation.
  • Represented marine shipping terminal in Clean Water Act citizen suit alleging violations of the State of California’s General Industrial Storm Water Permit. Settled case favorably for client following successful Motion for Summary Judgment, discovery motions and expert discovery.

Contaminated Property Litigation

  • Litigated multiple CERCLA/superfund contaminated property cases at former dry cleaning sites and managed settlement and mediation efforts for cost recovery issues.
  • Defended three state court coordinated actions with ten plaintiffs asserting CERCLA and state law personal injury claims arising from alleged vapor intrusion from alleged soil/ground water contamination at former dry cleaning site.

Water Rights/Supply Projects & Litigation

  • Prosecuted, through trial, a complex water right dispute between three public agencies.
  • Assisted in representation of developer in litigation relating to purchase and sale of water rights in Southern California.
  • Settled a dispute relating to water system capital maintenance costs between two public agencies on the cusp of arbitration.
  • Counseled water district client in large water transfer/purchase and wheeling project through the Delta and through multiple public water district facilities, which included multiple contracts between multiple agencies as well as associated environmental review.

Land Use Projects & Litigation

  • Assisted developer with CEQA historic resource analysis, issues and advocacy before local public agency.
  • Represented public agency in CEQA historic resource writ matter.
  • Represented multiple cities and counties in CEQA and local land use writ matters brought by citizen groups.

Announcements

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In the News

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Speaking Engagements / Events

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Legal Alerts

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Publications

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Sophie loves being outside and on the water, and is most comfortable in flip flops at the beach or on a boat with her husband and daughters. She and her family enjoy sailing in San Francisco Bay and traveling to warmer climes (including Florida, where they are from) and swimming in the ocean without a wetsuit.

Sophie is also devoted to women’s and children’s issues, and volunteers at her daughter’s school, Convent of the Sacred Heart, in San Francisco. She has also been actively involved in The Junior League of San Francisco, a non-profit women’s organization that supports and strengthens the lives of women and children in the San Francisco community.

Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement

  • Association of Food Industries
  • California Grocers Association (CGA)
  • California League of Food Processors (CLFP)
  • California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA)
  • Specialty Food Association (SFA)
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Environmental Law Section
  • California Lawyers Association, Environmental Law Section
  • Ad-Hoc Industry Resource Management Group
  • Association of Women in Water, Energy and the Environment
  • San Francisco Bay Planning Coalition

Honors & Rankings

  • U.C. Hastings Pro Bono Attorney Honor Roll, U. C. Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, 2012
  • Hastings Law Journal, Articles Editor, 2004-05
  • U.C. Hastings Moot Court Team, Roger Traynor Appellate Moot Court Competition, Second Place – Best Oral Argument, 2004