Practice Overview

Darcy Pruitt practices in the firm’s Real Estate Group with a focus on real estate transactions and land use law. She designs entitlement strategies, facilitates rational planning decisions between clients and government entities and helps clients navigate the land use approval process in a cost-effective manner. She also assists clients with easements, conservation easements, purchase and sales and other complex real estate transactions.

Prior to beginning her legal career, Darcy practiced as a professional planner with an emphasis on environmental resource and hazardous materials issues. This experience gives her broad insight into the planning and regulatory framework which adds value to her clients’ projects. She has specific expertise in writing environmental baseline surveys, environmental impact statements, and natural resource management plans. Darcy also participated in land use surveys and general plan updates for California cities.

Representative Matters

• Managed multi-million dollar projects for government clients including natural resource surveys, habitat protection studies, environmental baseline surveys, hazardous materials removals, and environmental community outreach programs (as a planner).

• Researches applicable environmental laws and negotiated with state and local agencies to ensure client compliance with all legal requirements necessary to acquire and permit hazardous materials facility.

• Reviews environmental and hazardous materials documents in support of property development and land acquisition projects.

• Drafts complex documents to transfer land between private property owners and the Federal government designed to conserve agricultural and open space land. Transactions include Williamson Act, Subdivision Map Act, zoning, general plan, endangered species, and conservation easement issues.

• Advises municipal governments on proposed land use regulations, city programs supported by development fees and defense of mandamus proceedings.

• Supports public and private clients in land acquisition, due diligence, and environmental planning issues.

• Interprets property documents to determine location and extent of easement rights.

• Negotiates and drafts conservation easement documents.

Professional Activities

Darcy is a member of the Real Property Law Section and the Environmental Law Section of the California State Bar. She is a member of the Santa Cruz County Bar Association Real Estate Section and participates in Action Pajaro Valley Growth Management Strategy Committee and their Stream Management Task Force to address issues related to population growth and flooding within the Pajaro River watershed. Darcy serves on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley’s Central YMCA and is active on the board’s finance subcommittee.

Admissions and Academic Honors

Darcy is a recipient of the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence – Mediation, and the Real Estate Land Use Institute Scholarship. Darcy is admitted to practice before all California courts.