Young Wooldridge is known for its attorneys knowledge of the complex areas of water, public agency, and land use law and their ability to handle difficult issues.  Co-founders John Young and Cam Paulden played a key role in establishing and developing this expertise when the State and Federal water projects were being constructed in Kern County in the 1960s.  We have a broad range of experience and are recognized and respected as experts capable of providing specialized legal services to a wide variety of private and public entity clients throughout the State requiring assistance with water and land use issues.  Our attorneys are also knowledgeable and regularly provide legal advice regarding the special laws that apply to public agencies, such as the Brown Act, Conflict of Interest, Public Finance, Public Contracting, CEQA, Eminent Domain and many others.

We represent clients who have rights to use groundwater and surface water systems, including the State Water Project, the Central Valley Project and local rivers.  The firm is currently general counsel for various clients throughout the State, including Del Puerto Water District in Central California; Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District in Southern California; Kern Water Bank Authority and Arvin-Edison, North Kern, Semitropic and Wheeler Ridge water storage districts in the Southern San Joaquin Valley; and various water companies and community service districts providing urban and municipal services to Kern County residents.  We also represent individuals who may be affected by public agency actions, such as eminent domain litigation, or may be in need of legal advice concerning other public agency matters.

Young Wooldridge regularly provides specialized advice relating to a wide array of legal matters including:

  • Conduct of public agency Board meetings pertaining to Brown Act
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Election, Referendum and Initiative matters
  • Labor and Employment matters
  • Water Rights
  • Prevailing Wage
  • Public Finance and Taxes, Assessments, Fees and Charges under Propositions 13, 62 and 218
  • Public Construction and Contracting
  • CEQA and Environmental Law
  • Endangered Species
  • Eminent Domain/Condemnation and Land Acquisition
  • Federal and State Legislation

In addition to acting as general counsel for many different industrial and public agency client, our attorneys are also able to handle individual matters that require experts in land and resource matters including complicated litigation.  Examples include both prosecuting and defending Eminent Domain/Condemnation, Groundwater Adjudication and CEQA cases.

Young Wooldridge prides itself in developing and fostering long-term relationships with its clients.  We have represented some water district clients for in excess of four decades.  We recognize that a close and cooperative working relationship between legal counsel and the client -- whether board members, staff or an individual -- is critically important.  Our attorneys are committed to being readily available to meet our clients' immediate legal needs as they arise on a daily basis.  We are experienced in working as part of a team of experts which include managers, engineers and other consultants.  Young Wooldridge has also forged strong relationships through the years with elected and appointed officials in local, state, and federal government.

For additional information, please contact Ernest A. Conant, Scott K. Kuney or Steven M. Torigiani.