Recognized as one of the leading lawyers for complex disputes or special situations in the United States, Mr. Dhillon serves as a trusted advisor to diverse clients ranging from public companies, private investment funds (private equity, hedge funds) state, local and tribal governments to infrastructure, renewable energy, natural resources, project development, real estate and technology companies. According to Chambers USA, clients praise Mr. Dhillon for “uniquely combin[ing] the highest levels of business judgment with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law.” He has served as lead counsel in matters with an aggregate amount at stake in excess of $20 billion, and in 2022 was named by the National Law Journal as a “Trailblazer” for his accomplishments.

Mr. Dhillon is a go-to-lawyer to navigate distressed assets or special situations in a range of contexts, including mass torts, legislative or regulatory challenges, government or environmental enforcement actions, preliminary injunctions, class actions, MDL proceedings, and mandamus proceedings. Prior to joining private practice, Mr. Dhillon clerked in a specialized business court focused exclusively on complex litigation, where he managed more than 100 high-stakes disputes involving mass actions, class actions and other multi-party litigation and more than a dozen trials, jury and bench.

As lead trial counsel, Mr. Dhillon has litigated dozens of cases to judgment in high-stakes matters involving a range of sensitive business concerns. Navi is particularly skilled at developing and implementing winning strategies that enable the trier of fact to understand complex scientific, regulatory and other technical issues.Outside the courtroom, Navi is a highly-skilled negotiator and regularly handles complex negotiations with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private transactions for clients seeking to create and expand business opportunities in emerging areas or special situations.

Mr. Dhillon regularly advices clients seeking difficult regulatory approvals for large-scale projects. His experience includes utility-scale renewable energy, master planned communities, surface mining, timber harvesting, utility-scale desalination, and other major infrastructure projects around the globe.

Navi Dhillon is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Global Environmental Litigation Practice. He is also Co-Chair of the firm’s San Francisco office.

REPRESENTATIONS

• Defended a recycling company in mass toxic tort litigation involving more than 1,000 named plaintiffs.
• Defended a public company in enforcement action brought by California Attorney General for alleged violations of water pollution laws.
• Defended a public company in enforcement action brought by Los Angeles County relating to alleged public nuisance and environmental claims.
• Defended a private company in connection with regulatory dispute relating to ownership of more than 1.5 million acres of timberlands.
• Defended a public company in nationwide litigation relating to alleged violations of environmental laws (e.g., RCRA) concerning telecommunications infrastructure.
• Represented an asset manager in plaintiff-side lawsuit for alleged fraud relating to joint venture involving development of large-scale project.
• Defended a public company in mass toxic tort action involving more than 50 individual lawsuits and 24,000 named plaintiffs related to alleged injuries from an environmental event.
• Advised a client in the development of the world’s largest battery-energy storage system (BESS).
• Defended public company in class action concerning Automatic Renewal Laws.
• Represented a developer in connection with new, net-zero sustainable town.
• Represented a federally recognized Indian tribe in high-profile litigation concerning proposed casino development and challenge to validity of the California Governor’s concurrence for the project.
• Defended a cryptocurrency exchange in $100 million dispute related to contract and corporate governance dispute.
• Defended a public company in $17 million government enforcement action in administrative proceedings for alleged violations of federal and state laws concerning alleged water pollution.
• Represented an aerospace company in connection with hostile takeover of entity supplying critical parts for airplane manufacturing.
• Defended renewable companies in lawsuits challenging a 3,500 MW solar projects.
• Defended a timber company in multiple lawsuits under the Endangered Species Act.
• Represented a hedge fund (largest institutional investor) in Delaware appraisal litigation involving $15 billion go-private transaction.
• Represented a Canadian supplier in connection with North American contract negotiations involving mass-timber supply contracts for new, sustainable corporate campuses (e.g., Google, Microsoft).
• Defended one of the largest landowners in the United States in connection with Timber Harvest Plan disputes.
• Advised a client in connection with development of 800-MW renewable energy project with associated battery storage.
• Defended a municipality in lawsuit involving development of casino and claim for more than $750 million in damages.
• Defended a client in lawsuit challenging development of utility-scale desalination facility.
• Defended a leading natural resources company in lawsuit alleging timber-harvesting activities across more than 300,000 acres will result in unlawful take.
• Represented two hedge funds in a plaintiff-side fraud suit in the Southern District of New York against Greek shipping company.
• Advised a developer in securing critical regulatory approvals for a state-of-the-art marina near Stanford University and entitlements for new hotel on the San Francisco Bay.
• Represented a county and landowner in connection with public nuisance and air pollution lawsuits involving a 900-acre rock quarry located in Napa County.
• Represented a developer in multiple land use lawsuits against the City of Berkeley involving takings challenges to monetary exactions.
• Represented a client in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the United States Department of the Interior that resulted in termination of a federal rulemaking process.
• Defended global wine companies in a tort and contract lawsuit involving California vineyard and cutting-edge viticulture practices.
• Advised a client in connection with development and defense of regulatory program for “commuter shuttle buses” to facilitate sustainable transportation of technology employees located in San Francisco Bay Area.
• Represented a water district with nearly 2,000 miles of pipelines in connection with Clean Water Act lawsuit in Southern California.
• Represented a developer in connection with preliminary injunction proceedings in federal and state court initiated by environmental groups seeking to block construction of utility-scale solar project.
• Represented a leading rooftop solar energy companies in lawsuit challenging decision of Nevada Public Utilities Commission to curb a “net metering” program.
• Represented more than 30 companies, including industry-leading cosmetics brands, in Proposition 65 involving titanium dioxide (airborne, unbound particles of respirable size).
• Represented an organization in multiple mandamus lawsuits seeking to block construction at the historic Sharp Park Golf Course.
• Represented a developer in its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit brought by environmental groups to block construction of a 247-MW solar photovoltaic facility.
• Represented an organization in its lawsuit against National Park Service for approving a large-scale project without first complying with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

• Chambers USA, 2024
• Legal 500, Regulatory, 2024
• Legal 500, Litigation, 2024
• “Trailblazer,” The National Law Journal, 2022
• Lawdragon 500, 2022
• “Top 40 Under 40,” The Daily Journal, 2020
• “Rising Star,” Law 360, 2017

• University of California, J.D., magna cum laude
• University of San Francisco, B.A., cum laude