Water & Public Lands

Great representation that does more than go with the flow

Generally regarded as one of the nation’s premier water rights and natural resources practices, our Water & Public Lands Group boasts unparalleled experience in all aspects of water rights, public lands transactions and related litigation. The group's attorneys have served as counsel in major matters involving water rights issues throughout the Western United States, as well as the Great Lakes region. The group has successfully litigated new appropriations, changes of water rights and plans for augmentation, substitution and exchange. The group represents industrial water users, real estate developers, ranchers and governmental entities in a wide array of water rights transactional matters, including due diligence, sales, exchanges and collateralized loans.

The group’s public lands experience encompasses a broad range of administrative proceedings and litigation work concerning timber sales, water project permitting, ski area permitting, hydroelectric power projects, land exchanges, protective designations and land-use planning on federal and state lands.

The Water & Public Lands Group has worked for both private entities and public agencies on matters involving the Endangered Species Act. The group has also represented real estate developers, land owners and water users in matters involving Section 10 permits, Section 7 consultations and enforcement actions.

The Brownstein Advantage

• Unparalleled depth of experience. You won’t find another group with the same depth of experience in water issues. No one can match Brownstein’s experience in complex water litigation and policy-level decisions.
• Hands-on experience in state and federal courts. Our group includes lawyers with multiple state bar certifications. We have litigated matters throughout the Western United States, and from Alaska to Florida. As such, we bring a practiced familiarity with the various court systems.
• Highest ethical standards. Our senior-level attorneys are known in the field as effective advocates who are ethical, honest and easy to work with. These qualities yield tremendous benefits when it comes to working with opposing counsel. Other industry pros know they can trust us, so our matters are resolved smoother and more quickly.
• Government and policy experience. Water rights work often requires dealings with executive branch officials, legislatures and government agencies. Our group has former government lawyers, as well as professionals who have held high-level policy positions. We understand the political, economic and social ramifications of water issues, and we apply that knowledge to our regular interactions with state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. We are also practiced in drafting water rights legislation.
• Personal relationships. Because our group is so involved in U.S. water rights issues, we have cultivated many valuable relationships in this very close-knit area. We are recognized as fair-dealing, effective experts in our field, and the various water rights professionals we deal with look forward to interacting with us.
• Consistent availability. A lot of water rights and public lands work requires on-the-spot responsiveness. Our attorneys make sure they are on hand to deal with your important issues.
• Recognized expertise. Members of our group are regularly asked to speak at industry events and educational conferences, and have appeared as expert witnesses in water and natural resource litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court, federal district court and state courts. We apply this same level of expertise to our work with our clients.