Jennifer Hartman King

Jennifer Hartman King is Chair of Cota Cole LLP's Environmental Practice Group. Her practice focuses on environmental law and includes broad experience representing public and private entities in the areas of administrative enforcement defense, litigation in state and federal court, transactional matters and compliance counseling.

Ms. Hartman King defends private clients facing governmental enforcement actions, such as cleanup and abatement, cease and desist and unilateral administrative orders. She negotiates with various federal, state and local government entities, including the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, Department of Fish and Game, Department of Pesticide Regulation and others. Her specialties include site investigation and remediation, underground storage tank issues, pesticide product registration/violations, emergency spill reporting, permitting citations, and environmental criminal defense.

Ms. Hartman King represents clients in all aspects of environmental litigation, with particular emphasis on cost recovery and contribution actions under the federal and state Superfund statutes (aka CERCLA and HSAA). She also handles actions involving other federal and state environmental laws, including RCRA, Porter-Cologne and Proposition 65.

Ms. Hartman King represents and advises clients in real estate transactions involving contaminated property, including purchase and sale agreements, leasing, environmental due diligence, disclosures, deed restrictions and environmental insurance. She has successfully counseled clients regarding strategic deal structuring to minimize environmental liabilities.

Having over a decade of private practice experience, including working for one of the largest law firms in California, Ms. Hartman King also served as Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor Gray Davis. In her role with the Davis administration, she provided legal advice and assistance to the Governor and his staff on a host of issues facing the State. She oversaw litigation challenging various decisions made by the Governor, including several high profile cases. She also served as the primary liaison in the Governor’s Legal Affairs Office for several state agencies and departments and was responsible for reviewing their significant legal and litigation issues.

Before attending law school, Ms. Hartman King worked as a research assistant at the United States Department of State, Office of the Coordinator for Business Affairs. She also was selected by the State Department to serve the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as a Voter Registration Supervisor in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1997 and as an Election Monitor for the national elections in Republika Serbska in 1998.

Ms. Hartman King is a Board Member of Sacramento Women Lawyers and serves as Co-Chair of the Judicial and Other Appointments Committee. She also serves on the Board of Sacramento Child Advocates as Vice-Chair of the Board, Chair of the Resources Committee and Co-Chair of the Board Development Committee.

Ms. Hartman King graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2000 and from the University of California, Davis, magna cum laude, in 1996. She is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in California.

Bar Admissions:

California Bar: 2000
United States District Court, Central District of California
United States District Court, Eastern District of California
United States District Court, Northern District of California
United States District Court, Southern District of California
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals