Michael E. Gogna

Overview

Mike Gogna practices in municipal code enforcement, land use and general municipal law. He leads the firm’s code enforcement practice. Currently, Mike serves as the City Attorney for the cities of Healdsburg and Fort Bragg and as Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Windsor.

Mike has helped his clients obtain compliance in major code enforcement cases in jurisdictions throughout Northern California and has prosecuted several significant code enforcement cases. He has also facilitated successful negotiations on behalf of his city clients in land use development projects, including a major hotel/resort project in the City of Healdsburg and the pending remediation and redevelopment of a former 420-acre lumber mill site in the city of Fort Bragg.

Prior to joining the firm in 2000, Mike was in private practice for seven years in Santa Rosa, where his practice included representation of private clients in governmental administrative proceedings, regulatory compliance issues, zoning and land use, and abatement actions.

Mike graduated cum laude from the University of California at Davis with a major in history and completed his legal studies at Empire College School of Law in 1993, graduating with honors. Prior to entering law school, Mike enjoyed a 14-year career at Hewlett Packard as a systems analyst and as manager of employee technical training.

 

Presentations and Publications

  • Author, “Code Enforcement” chapter in California Land Use Practice, and annual code enforcement updates to that publication
  • Several presentations on the implications of the California foreclosure crisis on code enforcement efforts and programs, including a presentation to members of the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers (CACEO)
  • Training on legal aspects of code enforcement and tips for successful implementation
  • AB 1234 Training seminars for numerous public agencies

Professional and Community Affiliations

  • Member, State Bar of California
  • Member, Legal Advocacy Committee of the League of California Cities
  • Member, Legal Committee of Northern California Power Agency
  • Member, California Association of Code Enforcement Officers
  • Member, Sonoma County Bar Association
  • Member, Airplane Owners and Pilots’ Association (AOPA)

Education

  • Empire College, School of Law, JD, with honors, 1993
  • University of California at Davis, BA, History, cum laude, 1970