Legal Alert

Second District Court of Appeal Affirms Judgment in California’s First Comprehensive Groundwater Adjudication

On March 5, 2026, the Second District Court of Appeal issued an opinion in Las Posas Valley Water Rights Coalition v. Ventura County Water Works District No. 1, et al., Case No. B330837, affirming the trial court’s judgment in California’s first comprehensive groundwater adjudication since the adoption of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Downey…

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Blogs

Bad Faith Comes at Full Price: Moramarco v. Nowakoski and the Teeth of Probate Code Section 859
Trust on Trial
April 28, 2026
Decoding the Probate Code—Episode One: AB 565, Probate Code Section 15804, and the Basics of Virtual Representation
Trust on Trial
March 17, 2026
How to Kill a Will (Legally)
Trust on Trial
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Legal Alerts

November 19, 2025
California Public Utilities Commission Stretches Out the Reimbursement Period for Data Center’s Energization Costs to Reduce Ratepayer Risk
August 15, 2025
California Supreme Court Overrules Chevron-like Deference For Review of Decisions of California Public Utilities Commission
June 27, 2025
Employers May See an Increase in Title VII Discrimination Claims
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Publications

January 2026
U.S. EPA and The Department of the Army Offer Proposed Rule Redefining ‘Waters of the United States’
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 36, Number 4
January 2026
California State Water Board Recirculates Revised Draft Staff Report and Substitute Environmental Document for Proposed Update to Bay Delta Plan
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 36, Number 4
December 2025
Suisun City Accepts California Forever’s Application for the Suisun Expansion Project
California Water Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 36, Number 3
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Announcements

July 7, 2026
31 Downey Brand Attorneys Named 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
June 15, 2026
Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Downey Brand Attorneys and Leading Energy, Water, and Environmental Practices
May 22, 2025
Downey Brand Welcomes 2026 Summer Associates
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In the News

June 2, 2025
Life after the Potter Valley Project: Making New Alliances to Ensure Water For the Future
Ukiah Daily Journal
May 5, 2025
If Trump Really Wants to Reopen Alcatraz, He’ll Go Up Against Environmental Laws
The Mercury News
April 30, 2025
Take It to the Bank: Session at Annual Western Conference to Discuss Water Banking, Leasing
National Agricultural Law Center - University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
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Speaking Engagements/Events

August 26, 2026
When River Management Creates Legal Ripples: Lessons from Ideker Farms
Speaker, National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting 2026
July 14, 2026
Protecting Your Agency: Litigation Preparedness and Regulatory Updates in a Changing Legal Landscape
Panelist, 2026 NAFSMA Annual Meeting
May 21, 2026
Emerging Developments in Surface and Groundwater Management
Speaker, Sacramento County Bar Association - Environmental Law Section, MCLE Webinar
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