
Bakersfield Eminent Domain Attorneys
Contact The Eminent Domain Lawyers at Young Wooldridge Today
Eminent Domain | Young Wooldridge, LLP is known for its attorneys’ extensive knowledge of the complex areas of water, public agency, and land use law, and their ability to navigate difficult issues related to water rights, including eminent domain matters. 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.
The Water Law Department grew in 1979, when attorney Ernest A. Conant joined the firm. In his nearly 40 years of practice, Ernest helped to contributed to several notable water projects throughout the State of California, including his role as special counsel for the Friant Water Users Authority where he helped negotiate the San Joaquin River Settlement resolving 20 years of litigation, and pursuing necessary legislation for its implementation, enacted in 2009. He also worked on the development of the Semitropic Water Storage District Banking Program, helped implement the Monterey Amendments among State Water Project contractors, and advanced the Sites Project Authority.
Currently, the Water Law Attorneys handling Eminent Domain matters are Scott Kuney, Steve Torigiani, Alan Doud, Brett Stroud.
The Water Law attorneys 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 on the Central Coast; 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. The firm also represents 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.

We Have a Team of Experts Ready to Go to Work For You
Young Wooldridge, LLP’s Eminent Domain attorneys have a broad range of experience and are recognized and respected as experts in their field. The firm is capable of providing specialized legal services to a wide variety of private and public entity clients throughout the State of California requiring assistance with water and land use issues. The Water & Special Districts attorneys 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.
Young Wooldridge, LLP 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
- Environmental Law including CEQA, NEPA and ESA
- Endangered Species
- Eminent Domain/Condemnation and Land Acquisition
- Federal and State Legislation
- Groundwater Law, including Compliance with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
In addition to acting as general counsel for many different industrial and public agency clients, the Eminent Domain 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, LLP prides itself on developing and fostering long-term relationships with its clients. The firm has represented some water district clients for in excess of five decades. The attorneys recognize that a close and cooperative working relationship between legal counsel and the client — whether board members, staff or an individual — is critically important. Young Wooldridge, LLP is committed to being readily available to meet their clients’ immediate legal needs as they arise on a daily basis. The attorneys are experienced in working as part of a team of experts, which include managers, engineers and other consultants.
Young Wooldridge, LLP has also forged strong relationships through the years with elected and appointed officials in local, state, and federal government.
For additional information, please contact Scott K. Kuney or Steven M. Torigiani.
