BBK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Andre Monette works with both public and private clients in matters involving water quality issues. He is a member of the Environmental & Natural Resources practice group in Best Best & Krieger LLP's Washington, D.C. office. Andre works extensively with water districts, cities, counties and agricultural interests, and other private entities on matters involving the Federal Clean Water Act and its state law analogues.
Andre works with public agencies and farmers on matters involving water rights, water supply and water quality. Andre also works with investors interested in water projects, helping funds assess the viability of potential water related investments. Representative matters include the following:
Testifying before the United States House of Representatives Resources Committee on the potential water supply impacts of legislation relating to salmon conservation.
Testifying before the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the jurisdictional reach of the Clean Water Act and proposed revisions to the definition of "waters of the United States."
Representing a municipality in matters involving cross border sewage flows and compliance with the Clean Water Act, resulting in a $300 million appropriation for projects in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ("USMCA") and $40 million in additional funds.
Filing multiple briefs as amicus with the United States Supreme Court on matters involving the Clean Water Act and water supply.
Representing clients in water rights acquisitions via purchase of mutual water company shares, and other water rights vehicles.
Representing investment funds in contracting and due diligence involving water related investments.
Representing farmers in California on groundwater rights issues including implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
Representing clients on complex water rights matters including adjudicated stream systems and federal reserve water rights.
Defending enforcement actions brought by EPA and state agencies regarding alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, RCRA and TSCA.
A major area of focus for Andre's practice is the intersection of the water quality and water supply regulation. Federal and state laws across the nation divide water quality and water supply regulations into separate categories that often do not intersect and can preclude efficient use of the supply. Andre's practice focuses on areas of overlap where acute knowledge of multiple regulatory schemes is required, including; streambed restoration, groundwater recharge projects, indirect potable reuse projects, large scale recycled water projects, and effluent limitation compliance.
Andre is the managing partner of BB&K's Washington, D.C. office.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Carlos Campos is the managing partner of the firm's Indian Wells office. He represents local public agencies including municipalities and special districts.
Carlos serves as city attorney for the cities of Calexico, Coachella and Colton and represents the cities of Ontario, Palm Desert and Indian Wells in various capacities. He is also general counsel to Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District and has served as general counsel to other special districts and joint powers authorities. As a member of the firm's Municipal Law and Special District practice groups, his areas of focus include general public agency law, the Brown Act, conflict of interest, election law, land use and planning, initiatives and referenda, water law and the Public Records Act, code enforcement and Native American law issues.
Carlos often makes presentations on public agency topics to elected officials and attorneys, and has spoken recently to groups in California, Michigan and Washington, D.C. He is serving an appointment to the League of California Cities Legal Advocacy Committee.
Prior to joining BB&K, Carlos researched and prepared published articles and a book on international human rights law, worked with individuals seeking refugee status under the 1951 Geneva Convention at a non-governmental organization in The Hague, Netherlands, and co-taught legal seminars at the Catholic Superior School of Law in Jeremie, Haiti.
Carlos, who speaks fluent Spanish, was a research assistant at the Interlaw Foundation in San Jose, Costa Rica, where he worked on Central American legal and policy issues and on cases before the Organization of American States Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He was also a research assistant at the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, now housed at the University of Southern California.
While attending law school, he was a founding member of the Race and Poverty Law Journal. During undergraduate school, he studied abroad in Mexico, England and Central America.
Charity Schiller helps public and private clients negotiate the maze of laws that apply to infrastructure and private development projects, so that those projects can be entitled and built. Specifically, Charity assists clients with all aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and related environmental laws. She has extensive experience with the preparation and adoption of environmental impact reports, environmental impact statements, negative declarations, addenda, exemptions and other environmental documents. Charity is also an experienced litigator, successfully defending her clients before administrative boards and trial and appellate courts throughout California. In addition, Charity serves on Best Best & Krieger LLP's Executive Committee.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Coach in the Trial Advocacy Honors Program at Southwestern Law School
- Partner and Director of PRA Services and E - Discovery Counsel
Partner Christine N. Wood leads Best Best & Krieger LLP's ARC: Advanced Records Center, which provides clients across the nation with comprehensive and cost-effective support for records-related matters, including public records requests of every size and complexity. Christine is also an experienced and sought-after trainer and presenter, with an easy and conversational style that clients appreciate.
leads Best Best & Krieger LLP's ARC: Advanced Records Center, which provides clients across the nation with comprehensive and cost-effective support for records-related matters, including public records requests of every size and complexity. Christine is also an experienced and sought-after trainer and presenter, with an easy and conversational style that clients appreciate.
In her role as the firm's e-Discovery Counsel, Christine skillfully advises, educates and assists public agencies in developing procedures and best practices to support the preservation, collection and production of electronically stored information. Additionally, Christine is experienced in both conducting and supervising forensic investigations. She is also known for being able to distill complex and voluminous data with efficiency and ease - most notably in response to requests for public records. Christine collaborates with clients to analyze the significance of records, using her experience in the newspaper industry to anticipate the newsworthiness of documents.
In addition to her trailblazing practice in public records matters, Christine is at the forefront of understanding and advising on the evolving laws regarding police officers' use-of-force and privacy concerns related to technology deployment. In the effort to increase transparency in law enforcement, some states are changing laws that govern the release of police personnel records related to specific critical incidents. This has created significant burdens for law enforcement agencies, especially when tasked with releasing body cam footage, and Christine has led the effort to synthesize these shifts in the law so public safety clients can effectively comply.
In addition to her experience in the public records arena, Christine is also leading the initiative to help the City of Malibu form its own school district from territory within the existing Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. This is the first time a city within Los Angeles County has petitioned the county office of education to form a school district for its residents, and Christine has combined her knowledge of school finance, educational services and municipal law to guide the City of Malibu through this process.
Before joining BB&K, Christine worked as an assistant general counsel at the Los Angeles Unified School District, the largest school district in California and the second largest in the country. In that capacity, Christine provided legal opinions, advice and training on PRA, the Brown and Greene acts, as well as school finance, including federal grant requirements and developer fees.
Christine also represented clients in recoupment litigation, special education due process hearings, certificated and classified dismissals, as well as Pitchess motions on behalf of the Los Angeles School Police Department.
In her spare time, Christine has served as a coach in the Trial Advocacy Honors Program at Southwestern Law School, where she helps trial teams with litigation strategies and advocacy. Although she has lived on the East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest, Christine was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she lives with her daughter. She is licensed to practice law in the State of California.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Information Officer With Best Best & Krieger LLP
Clark Snyder is the chief information officer with Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK). As CIO, he is responsible for guiding BBK's enterprise technology strategy, systems engineering projects, security initiatives and for the management and development of technical staff.
Clark has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of law firm technology. He joined BBK from an Orange County law firm, where he started as an information systems specialist after graduating from college. In this role, he gained considerable experience selecting, implementing, and managing enterprise-wide platforms and policies as a senior systems manager and enterprise infrastructure manager. He was later promoted to director of technology, chief technology officer and director of core infrastructure and technology. In this capacity, Clark collaborated with the firm's technology committee and executive leadership on all technology and operations decisions for the firm, scaling all infrastructure and continually optimizing their systems and security.
He is a member of BBK's senior leadership team and reports to the chief operating officer.
Clark is an Arizona Wildcat and English Premier League soccer fan and enjoys traveling to Europe.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Cynthia Germano has more than 30 years of experience working in partnership with public and private employer clients. She advises clients on all aspects of employee relations on a daily basis, and defends against claims and lawsuits brought in administrative and judicial forums. Cynthia is a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP's Labor & Employment practice group, the managing partner of the firm's Riverside office and a former member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Cynthia works hand-in-hand with her clients to manage every aspect of employee relations. She provides daily advice to human resource personnel on issues such as discipline and terminations, responding to employee grievances and complaints (including harassment, discrimination and retaliation complaints), managing leave requests, interactive process meetings and accommodation issues, and wage and hour questions. Cynthia assists public employers with the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements and the administration thereof, as well as responding to unfair practice charges. She also prepares policies, employee handbooks and employment agreements, and regularly develops and provides training on various employment related topics to her clients and to various community groups.
Cynthia has also litigated cases for public and private employers throughout her career. She regularly defends employers before administrative bodies, and in state and federal court in every conceivable action or lawsuit (including jury and non-jury trials) arising out of the employment relationship, including claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, claims based on disability and leave discrimination, claims for wrongful termination and breach of contract, claims for unpaid wages, and writs filed by public employees.
Cynthia lives on a ranch in Norco with her family, their dogs, horses and an adorable mini donkey.
Job Titles:
- Chief Talent Officer for Best Best & Krieger LLP
Danielle "Danni" Sakai serves as chief talent officer for Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK). She joined BBK in 2000 as an entry level associate after participating in the Firm's Summer Associate program, and in 2008 made partner in the Firm's Environmental Law & Natural Resources practice. In that role, Danni handled environmental contamination, land use and real property disputes. After many years as a committed environmental attorney, she transitioned from a litigator to BBK's chief talent officer, a role she finds personally fulfilling. Danni oversees attorney and staff recruiting, hiring, employee relations and retention and professional development. She is a sought-after mentor and counselor within the firm, and enjoys helping others understand what makes BBK such a unique and special place to build a career.
Before becoming the chief talent officer, Danni helped institute the Firm's diversity fellowship for law students, and later as CTO, she was instrumental in launching BBK's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Additionally, she chaired the Recruiting Committee and was one of four partners on the Associate Development Committee. Currently, she supports the DEI Committee, Recruiting Committee and Mentorship Committee.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director of PRA Services and E - Discovery Counsel
Darren Ziegler is Deputy Director of PRA Services & E-Discovery Counsel with Best Best & Krieger LLP. He previously worked as staff attorney with BB&K's Advanced Records Center in Ontario, California.
Darren has dedicated the majority of his legal career to working in the public sector, most recently as deputy county counsel for the Riverside County Office of County Counsel. There, he was general counsel to both the Department of Animal Services and Office of Economic Development. He advised clients on the formation and administration of various special tax districts and handled civil litigation matters as the principal attorney, including code enforcement cases.
Additionally, Darren has served as the deputy city attorney for the Moreno Valley Office of the City Attorney, where he oversaw general litigation for the city, acted as counsel for all city advisory boards, commissions and committees, oversaw review of all California Public Records Act requests, and served as the city's risk manager.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Partner
- Legal Advisor to the General Services Department
- Special Counsel
Elizabeth W. Hull serves as general counsel and special counsel to public agencies throughout Southern California. She is a partner in the Municipal Law practice group of Best Best & Krieger LLP, serves on the firm's Executive Committee and is based in the Irvine and San Diego offices. Elizabeth also focuses on economic development and community development work for public and private clients.
Elizabeth serves as special counsel to the successor agencies of numerous cities, including Azusa, Lake Forest and Ontario. She is assistant city attorney to the cities of Avalon and San Juan Capistrano and is general counsel to the Helix Water District.
She regularly provides advice to public agencies on real estate transactions and negotiating and drafting a variety of agreements, including:
Disposition and development agreements
Affordable housing agreements
Public-private partnerships
Other agreements necessary to facilitate development
Prior to joining BB&K, Elizabeth served as assistant city attorney for Development Services for the City of Chula Vista. During her more than eight years with Chula Vista, she represented and advised city departments, the City Council and the Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation and Redevelopment Agency on a wide range of redevelopment, planning, land use and construction issues. She also provided advice to the City Council, Board members and commissioners on the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Political Reform Act and other conflict of interest laws. Elizabeth advised the City, Clerk, Community Development, Housing, General Services, Planning and Building departments and served as staff attorney to the Planning, Ethics and Charter Review commissions.
As legal advisor to the General Services Department, Elizabeth advised on the acquisition of land for, and drafted the agreements required to, construct a variety of public works projects utilizing traditional low-bid, construction manager and design-build project delivery systems. These projects were as varied as street repair, corporation yard remodel and the design-build of a new police facility and civic center. The design-build projects are valued at more than $100 million.
She is also a frequent presenter at conferences on the Brown Act, Political Reform Act, Infrastructure Financing Districts and other issues in development. Earlier in her career, Elizabeth was a prosecutor in the City of San Diego, and prosecuted more than 20 jury trials.
Managing Partner Eric Garner practices water rights and supply law at Best Best & Krieger LLP. He works on surface water and groundwater issues throughout California. For the past two decades, he has worked extensively on groundwater matters. He represented the lead parties in the Santa Maria and Antelope Valley groundwater adjudications, is involved in the Oxnard Pleasant Valley, Cuyama, Indian Wells Valley, Las Posas and Ventura River adjudications and also was involved in the Mojave Groundwater adjudication. He was involved in drafting the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and testified before the state Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Water on adjudication reform legislation. He has drafted water laws in South Africa, Trinidad and Pakistan and worked with the United Nations Environmental Programme on incorporating environmental issues into water laws, the World Bank on groundwater issues in the Middle East and North Africa and was the first American Chair of the International Bar Association's Water Law Committee.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Fellow of the American College of Trusts
Erin MacDonald served as co-managing partner at Karnopp Petersen LLP before the firm joined Best Best & Krieger LLP in 2022. As partner, Erin concentrates her practice in Trusts and Estates. Erin, who has been named to the Oregon Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for Estate Planning & Probate five times, regularly counsels clients in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, tax planning and charitable giving. Erin believes that building a good relationship with her clients is essential for addressing the needs of her clients, their families and their futures.
Erin is a fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates council. She has served for four years on the Executive Committee of the Estate Planning and Administration Section of the Oregon State Bar, and currently serves as chair-elect of the Committee.
Erin actively participates in the local community as a board member of the Central Oregon Community College Foundation and the Laboratory for the American Conversation at Oregon State University-Cascades. She is also an advisory board member of the Central Oregon Estate Planning Counsel, U.S. Bank's Central and Eastern Oregon Region, and Assistance League of Bend.
Outside of the office, Erin enjoys traveling the world and spending time outdoors with her husband and two children, exploring all the wonders that Central Oregon has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Best Best & Krieger LLP
Gail A. Karish is a partner at Best Best & Krieger LLP who focuses on telecommunications, assisting clients in California and across the U.S. with a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters involving broadband and fiber networks, cable and telecom franchising, wireless communications and public-private partnerships.
Gail's clients are mainly public agencies, such as local governments, water districts and municipal utilities. Public agencies can serve a variety of roles in relation to telecommunications infrastructure - regulator, owner, service provider, customer, partner - and Gail's clients come to her for advice and guidance on issues that arise in all these contexts. She also represents some cooperatives, nonprofits and small competitive providers. Gail's telecommunications practice regularly involves:
Gail started her legal career in infrastructure in Canada at Ontario Hydro, a large government-owned electric utility where she initially represented the utility at environmental and rate tribunals. She then assisted the utility's international division to develop and implement an investment strategy, focused on privatization opportunities in Latin America, and was instrumental in the company's 1994 acquisition and management of a Peruvian electric utility.
Gail frequently presents on telecommunications topics to organizations such as the International Municipal Lawyers Association, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors and its regional chapters, League of California Cities and Alliance for Community Media. She was licensed but is now inactive in the Province of Ontario, Canada.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Business Attorney Who Provides General Counsel
George Reyes is a seasoned business attorney who provides general counsel services for privately owned businesses and nonprofits, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions. He also provides trust, estate and succession planning to businesses and individuals. George is a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP's Business practice group based in the firm's Riverside and San Diego offices.
Gerard Lavery Lederer's unique background as a nationally recognized telecommunications, cable and small cell lawyer combined with his experiences as a registered federal lobbyist provides clients unparalleled service in seeking both legislative and transactional solutions. Prior to joining Best Best & Krieger LLP as a partner in the Municipal Law practice group in Washington, D.C., Gerry was an attorney with Miller & Van Eaton, a highly regarded local government rights of way law firm.
Glen W. Price represents private companies and public agencies in complex transactions involving business, real estate, infrastructure, software and cybersecurity, water resources and renewable energy. He is a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP's Riverside office.
Glen is the leader of the firm's Energy practice and works with landowners and renewable energy developers throughout the state of California on the installation of solar, wind, biogas and geothermal projects. Glen also assists public agencies set up to run Community Choice Aggregation programs with the negotiation of long-term power procurement agreements.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Office Managing Partner
Job Titles:
- Marketing Communications Senior Manager