Defense Of Greenpeace and Other Protesters and Helping Citizens Groups Oppose Fossil Fuel Projects

Matt, Ben, and Wes have defended protesters against accusations that the protesters have interfered with fossil fuel operations.  The team defended Greenpeace (the U.S. environmental group) in connection with its protests associated with Shell’s plans to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska and defeated Shell’s attempt to silence and penalize their rights to protest.  See Shell Offshore Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc., 815 F.3d 623, 626 (9th Cir. 2016) (vacating contempt order against Greenpeace).  In another case, Matt, Ben and Wes persuaded a district attorney to drop criminal charges against two protesters who had anchored in front of a freighter to protest a coal delivery.  The team has also represented several citizens groups challenging state and federal permits issued to power-generating and industrial facilities.