RWGLAW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Litigation Department at Richards
Aaron Ganser is an associate in the Litigation Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Aaron represents municipalities and public agencies in both state and federal courts on litigation matters.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Eminent Domain Department at Richards
Adele Karoum is an associate in the Eminent Domain Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Adele represents municipalities and public agencies throughout the eminent domain process. Adele has experience representing public and private clients in litigation and appellate matters.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon, Adele represented clients in litigation and appellate matters in state and federal court. Her background includes representation of government entities including cities, counties, and police, and product liability defense.
In addition to her experience as an attorney, Adele clerked for Clark County in Nevada, performing research and legal writing on issues affecting the county, and government agencies and departments including human resources, the fire department, airport, risk management, and a county hospital.
During law school, Adele was an extern for the California Court of Appeals, Fourth District, Division One in San Diego. She was a summer law clerk for the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section in Washington, DC, and a law clerk for a local environmental non-profit focused on clean water in San Diego.
Amy is a senior attorney in the Public Law Department and Labor and Employment Department of RWG, with more than 40 years of experience representing public entities on advisory and litigation matters. Amy's primary areas of focus include land use, zoning and CEQA matters, mobilehome park rent control and regulation, labor and employment, accommodating individuals with disabilities in employment and in the provision of governmental programs, services and activities under the Americans With Disabilities Act and California disability access laws, and all other aspects of municipal governance, including the interpretation and application of the Brown Act, Public Records Act, and Political Reform Act.
Amy has delivered presentations before public officials and employees, and public and private lawyers on a wide variety of topics ranging from due process in administrative proceedings, the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Public Records Act, Conflicts of Interest, AB 1234 Ethics Training, Fitness for Duty, to labor and personnel issues.
Tilden Kim specializes in representing public entities in public works and infrastructure matters. As counsel to numerous Public Works Departments, Tilden has broad experience helping public entities manage their bidding and construction process. A former Chair of RWG's Litigation Department, he regularly represents RWG clients in the array of disputes that can arise from public projects.
Tilden also is a member of RWG's Water Rights and Water Law focus group. He has significant experience in groundwater management and related litigation, including recent adjudications in the Santa Maria Valley and Anza Valley. Presently, he is part of the RWG working group that is helping Nipomo Community Services District and Marina Coast Water District comply with statutory obligations under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
A key aspect of Tilden's practice is his experience representing clients before California's numerous administrative agencies. He has successfully represented clients before the Public Utilities Commission, Cal-OSHA and the Department of Industrial Relations. For example, Tilden has successfully prevented a major transmission line (Valley Rainbow) from bisecting the Temecula Valley Wine Country. Tilden is currently opposing the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project before the California Public Utilities Commission on behalf of the City of Jurupa Valley. Tilden also regularly works on water-rate cases for many of our public agencies.
Brandi Robinson is an associate attorney in the Public Law Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon, advising cities and local agencies on a variety of municipal law matters.
Practice Areas
Municipal & Public Agency Law
Education
J.D., University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
B.A., Sonoma State University
Bruce represents RWG's clients in all of their complex real estate needs, including acquisition and disposition, development and leasing. Prior to joining RWG, Bruce's practice focused on representing private financial institutions and real estate clients. That experience gives him a uniquely broad perspective on the negotiation of complex, multi-party agreements.
Bruce uses his extensive real estate background to successfully represent RWG's clients in some of the most complicated transactions faced in the public sector, such as public-private partnerships, lease to purchase options, development ground leases, disposition and development agreements and complex financing arrangements. He takes a multi-disciplinary approach by engaging RWG specialists in related fields (such as public works, land use and environmental regulation) to work as a team to advance projects.
Bruce has represented cities and housing authorities in connection with sales and ground leases of land and secured loans for affordable housing developments (including tax credit projects), mixed use developments that include affordable housing, density bonus-related low/mod housing, and federally funded (HOME/CDBG) affordable housing.
Job Titles:
- Mayor and Council Members Academy
Candice is a city attorney with nearly 20 years of experience advising public agencies on sophisticated land use and planning issues and all aspects of municipal law such as the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), constitutional law, conflicts of interest and stormwater regulation.
Candice is proud of her longstanding relationships with her city clients, many spanning from the beginning of her legal career. She focuses on developing practical advice and solutions for her city clients and delivering clearly written advice.
Candice was a summer associate at RWG in 2002, and joined the firm as an associate in 2003. Candice also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Harry Pregerson of the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit in 2001.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Litigation Department at Richards
Carlee Roberts is an associate in the Litigation Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Carlee represents municipalities and public agencies across California in civil litigation before federal and state courts.
Carlee joined Richards, Watson & Gershon in 2021 as a summer associate. During law school Carlee clerked for the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California and the Office of Veteran Affairs in New Orleans, where she was introduced to a variety of practice areas in the public law sector. She also served as the Notes and Comments Editor for the Tulane Maritime Law Journal, where she was selected for publication twice. Prior to law school, Carlee worked as an antitrust litigation paralegal at a large law firm in New York City.
Job Titles:
- Senior Counsel
- Senior Counsel at Richards
Carol is senior counsel at Richards, Watson & Gershon with more than 35 years of experience representing local public agencies. Since joining the firm, she has specialized in municipal law, particularly land use issues, planning law, environmental issues, and rent control. Through a combination of advisory work and litigation victories, Carol has helped to establish landmark precedents for cities in both the United States Supreme Court and in state court.
Chelsea advises local governments on a wide variety of governmental law, transactional and advisory matters. Her practice focuses on public and land use law issues, including matters relating to CEQA, CESA, the Brown Act, compliance with conflicts of interest rules and the Public Records Act.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon, Chelsea worked as an associate for Venable LLP in Washington, D.C. where she gained broad experience in environmental and administrative law. Chelsea has experience advising clients on environmental liability management strategies and environmental due diligence in a variety of transactional contexts and is practiced at assisting clients on environmental and natural resource issues related to infrastructure development.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Public Law Department at Richards
Chelsea Straus is an associate in the Public Law Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Chelsea advises public agencies on a wide array of governmental law issues, including conflicts of interest, elections, land use, public works law, and the Public Records Act.
Craig A. Steele is a shareholder in the Public Law Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon and serves on the Firm's Management Committee. Mr. Steele has over 30 years of experience practicing local government law and has worked in government and politics for over 35 years. Mr. Steele is the City Attorney for the City of Monrovia, General Counsel to the Nipomo Community Services District, Mendocino Coast Health Care District, and Senior Counsel to the Los Angeles County Children and Families First Proposition 10 Commission ("First 5 LA").
A former political campaign manager, Mr. Steele is an expert in elections, voting rights, and government ethics laws and has frequently been asked to speak and teach about those subjects by the League of California Cities, Institute for Local Government (ILG), California Special Districts Association, and other organizations.
Mr. Steele concentrates on the representation of public agency clients in a wide range of government law areas and has spoken and written extensively on open government issues including Public Entity Ballot Measures, Lobbying, Public Records, Open Meeting Laws, and Conflicts of Interest Law. His article "The Rules on Lobbying: What Every Local Official Should Know" was published in the January, 2010 issue of Western City Magazine. He is a past member of the FPPC Committee of the League of California Cities' City Attorneys Department and also served on a task force of the Institute for Local Government drafting a resources book on open space acquisition by cities.
Mr. Steele is a past President of the Board of Directors of the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, former Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Spartan Boosters, and served for several years as Chair of the La Cañada Unified School District's Bond Oversight Committee. He was also an adjunct professor in the USC Price School of Public Policy in 2011 and 2012. He is a frequent speaker to classes at the USC Gould School of Law where his wife, Susan Wright, is Professor of Lawyering Skills and Director of Academic Success.
Craig is a senior attorney in the Public Law Department with more than forty years of public law experience, both as an advisor and a litigator. Among Craig's specialty areas of practice, he regularly advises in matters involving land use, planning and zoning, police practices, the Public Records Act, and public contracting, including public works, IT services, and telecommunications.
Craig currently serves as Assistant City Attorney for the Cities of Brea, La Mirada, and Rancho Cucamonga. Craig also regularly advises police and fire departments for the Firm's various municipal clients.
Craig's early legal career was devoted to defending cities and other public agencies in litigation, from discovery through jury verdicts. That litigation background has given Craig a unique perspective and ability to handle a wide range of municipal issues, while obtaining practical, cost-effective results for clients.
Craig is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association as well as SCAN-NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors - States of California and Nevada Chapter).
A significant portion of Craig's public law advisory work involves public contracting of all kinds. The unsettled economy has resulted in significantly more bid protests being filed in connection with public works projects. Craig has extensive experience in assisting clients in navigating the complexities of public works contracting in order to minimize the potential for bid protests, while assisting should a bit protest be filed.
As cities and other public agencies move their computing systems from in-house servers and software to on-line software services, traditional software service delivery methods have become more obsolete. Craig has acquired particular expertise in contracting for on-line services with an understanding of the unique needs of cities and other public agencies. For this reason, Craig regularly advises not only his client cities but other cities and public agencies represented by Richards, Watson & Gershon in this unique area of public contracting, in order to ensure that the client's performance expectations are met, while obtaining the greatest possible protection for sensitive client data.
Each public agency in California is subject to the Public Records Act. Case law and amendments to the Act have significantly increased the burden of compliance for public agencies. Craig has substantial knowledge of the technical requirements of the Act, as well as many years of experience in assisting clients in dealing with particularly burdensome production requests. In that time, Craig has acquired techniques that can vastly reduce the amount of work by a public agency necessary to comply with the Act.
Every three years the State adopts a new set of building standards known as the California Building Standards Code. Pursuant to State law, cities are required to adopt these codes by reference and make amendments, as necessary, for public health and safety based on local conditions. This code adoption and amendment process can be difficult to administer due to its very specific timelines. Since 1997, Craig has been responsible for ensuring the timely adoption and amendment of the California Building Standards Code by cities represented by Richards, Watson & Gershon.
As public agencies look for new sources of revenue, the potential for increased revenue from leasing and licensing use of public property to wireless providers has become more attractive. Concurrently, the public's demand for greater electronic connectivity and a more than willing industry, has resulted in state and federal legislation that continues to impose restrictions on local regulation of wireless facilities. Being able to navigate the complex regulations governing the wireless industry is key to maximizing revenues from wireless providers, while maintaining appropriate aesthetic standards. Craig has assisted public agencies in dealing with these wireless issues from the beginning of the cell phone to present day. Craig's depth of experience gives him the ability to provide public agencies with effective strategies to enhance revenue while ensuring that aesthetic concerns are appropriately addressed.
Every city and public agency deals with significant legal issues on a regular basis. Having a legal advisor skilled in multiple areas of municipal and public law can be critical to effectively addressing such issues as they arise, through timely and proactive approaches. Having decades of experience in dealing with a wide variety of legal issues affecting cities and other public agencies, Craig is uniquely situated to assist any city or public agency with its day to day legal issues.
Dan represents local governments and other clients in a wide variety of litigation matters, where he is able to apply his broad experience to achieve successful outcomes for clients.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon, Dan developed his litigation and general counsel skills in a variety of settings. After acquiring his law degree, Dan clerked for Judge David P. Yaffe of the Los Angeles Superior Court's Writs & Receivers Department, where he supported the Court's decision-making process on all manner of municipal litigation matters, including CEQA, land use and zoning, public records, and government employment. Thereafter, Dan worked in a corporate litigation firm, representing a Fortune 500 mining corporation, trucking companies, golf clubs, and grocery stores. Over the years, Dan further honed his litigation skills by handling plaintiff construction defect matters, real estate cases, and general business disputes. Immediately prior to joining RWG, Dan's practice focused on advising and representing homeowners associations throughout California.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- of Counsel Central Coast
Dave Fleishman has practiced extensively in the area of public law and in the area of labor and employment law for both public and private employers. His practice has focused on the representation of public agencies in an advisory role as city attorney or general counsel, as well as in public entity defense litigation, including writs and appeals, civil rights, Fair Labor Standards Act, wrongful termination, employment investigations, public contracting, tort claims and code enforcement. He has also represented private employers throughout California in wrongful termination, wage and hour, and other employment matters.
David serves clients in litigation matters and in areas of public law.
Professional Experience
David serves as the City Attorney to the City of Fairfield and Assistant City Attorney to the City of Mill Valley. David also serves as special counsel to agencies in the area of code enforcement, police practices, and general litigation. Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon, David served as Deputy District Attorney in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties from 1999 to 2019, with over 50 solo jury trials to verdict and countless other litigation matters. For 14 years David served on the Real Estate Fraud Committee of the California District Attorneys Association, acting as Chair from 2010 to 2018. From 2009 to 2017 David served on the San Mateo City Council, including two years as the appointed Mayor.
Dave is Assistant City Attorney for the City of Beverly Hills, and has represented cities and public agencies throughout California on complex land use, planning, and CEQA matters, including the cities of Brea, Compton, East Palo Alto, Fairfield, Hawthorne, Indio, Pasadena, Rancho Palos Verdes, Seaside, Temecula, San Buena Ventura, and Yucaipa. Dave advises the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority on land use and CEQA matters, and represented the Gold Line Construction Authority.
Deborah is a senior attorney in the Public Law Department at RWG. Over the years, Ms. Hakman has advised public clients on a variety of public law issues. Ms. Hakman is currently an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Beverly Hills, specializing in the negotiation and drafting of all types of contracts. She provides advisory services to various departments of the city in a variety of public law areas.
Deborah's law school accomplishments include Member and Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Journal, 1986 - 1988. She received her J.D. from Loyola Marymount University in 1988, where she was a St. Thomas Moore Law Honor Society and an American Jurisprudence Award recipient.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Labor and Employment Department at Richards
Emily Gifford is an associate in the Labor and Employment Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Emily represents cities, special districts, and other public agencies on labor and employment issues. She also assists clients in drafting and implementing personnel policies.
Professional Experience
During law school, Emily interned with an employment investigation firm that conducted investigations for both private and public entities. She also interned with the Fair Political Practices Commission's enforcement division. Upon graduating from law school, Emily has exclusively practiced employment law. Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon, Emily represented private entities in both defending and prosecuting labor and employment matters.
In his two decades of litigating cases, Ezra Siegel has taken more than 15 cases to verdict in both state and federal courts. He has argued before the California Court of appeal. His experience includes defending public agencies against a a variety of tort claims, including wrongful death, serious brain injury, and dangerous condition cases. He has successfully defended law enforcement against numerous constitutional claims involving the First, Four, Fifth, and Eight Amendments, as well as the Bane Act, and a suicide-by-cop case.
Ezra passionately fights for his clients, which is exemplified by his successful trial record. His approach involves thoroughly investigating cases that will either lead to a favorable settlement or a victory either by motion or at trial.
Inder Khalsa has been advising on administrative and transactional public law matters with the firm for 16 years, with a particular focus on land use, planning, zoning, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), clean energy, affordable housing, and real estate matters. She also has expertise in creation and operations of Joint Powers Authorities. Inder counsels local government agencies on all aspects of municipal governance, including the interpretation, application of, and compliance with the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Political Reform Act, and other conflict of interest and ethics laws.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Chairman of the Firm 's Coastal Department
- Member of the Firm 's Management Committee
Ginetta specializes in land use matters, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. Ginetta's practice encompasses both advisory work and litigation, allowing her to handle matters seamlessly from the administrative level through trial and the appellate courts. Ginetta is frequently asked to assist on controversial projects that appear headed towards litigation, including providing advice on CEQA compliance, local coastal programs, and land use entitlements. Ginetta's combination of substantive knowledge, strategic thinking, and advocacy skills make her one of the state's leading writ litigators, resulting in five published Court of Appeal decisions in eight years. These cases include important decisions addressing exemptions from CEQA for projects in transit priority areas (Covina Residents for Responsible Development v. City of Covina, et al. (2018) 21 Cal.App.5th 712), clarifying the level of administrative appeal review required for subsequent CEQA review (San Diegans for Open Government, et al. v. City of San Diego, et al. (2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 995), and establishing limitations on when attorneys' fees may be awarded in CEQA litigation (Coalition for a Sustainable Future in Yucaipa v. City of Yucaipa, et al. (2015) 238 Cal.App.4th 513).
Complementing her land use practice, Ginetta has developed an expertise in legal issues affecting special districts. Ginetta currently serves as General Counsel to the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. Ginetta also has represented water agencies and community services districts in litigation, and often handles matters involving matters before local agency formation commissions (LAFCOs).
Ginetta currently serves as Chair of the Firm's Coastal Department and previously served as Assistant Chair of the Firm's Litigation Department.
Ginetta is also a member of the Firm's Management Committee.
Ginetta is a frequent speaker on issues relating to land use litigation and CEQA.
Guido Toscano is a senior litigator in the Los Angeles office of Richards, Watson & Gershon. After practicing more than a decade in the knock-down, drag-out world of the AmLaw 100, he found his calling representing cities and the people of the State of California as a city attorney. Guido draws on his wide-ranging professional and personal experiences to provide creative and dynamic solutions to his clients' needs, including in employment, code enforcement, regulatory investigations, and other litigation matters.
Professional Experience
Guido has handled cases from inception through trial. He has represented clients in both state and federal courts, administrative forums, evidentiary hearings, and both civil and criminal matters. Prior to joining RWG, Guido practiced business, entertainment, product liability, class action, and trust and estate litigation. He has advised on regulatory matters involving consumer products, advertising, and FTC/FDA compliance, including in connection with a regulatory investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Prior to law school, Guido studied classical piano and he continues to maintain a life-long passion for classical music. Outside of the office, Guido most enjoys film, travel, and spending time with his wife and two children as they live in and explore the glorious City of Angels.
Henry represents municipalities and public entities in state and federal courts in litigation matters. Henry has experience litigating a wide variety of public law issues including employment, public contracts, constitutional law, and police matters.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Litigation Department at Richards
Jacob C. Metz is an associate in the Litigation Department at Richards, Watson & Gershon. Jacob represents municipalities and public agencies across California in litigation before federal and state courts.
Professional Experience
Jacob joined Richards, Watson & Gershon in 2020 as a summer associate. Following his first year of law school, he served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Presiding Justice Laurence D. Rubin of the California Second District Court of Appeal. Jacob was also a research assistant to Distinguished Professor of Law Stephen R. Munzer, a staff editor on the UCLA Criminal Justice Law Review, a legal research and writing advisor to first-year UCLA law students, and a teaching assistant in the UCLA Department of Philosophy.
Prior to law school, Jacob was a litigation case assistant at a boutique law firm specializing in complex civil litigation, and interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and the California State Assembly.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Expert in California
Jim Markman is a leading expert in California water rights and water law and one of the most experienced city attorneys in California. In his more than 40 years as an advocate for and advisor to public agencies, he has handled virtually every facet of being a public lawyer.
Jim is the Co-Chair of the Real Estate Department and he advises clients in the areas of real estate acquisitions and sales, project entitlement, and real estate financing transactions, as well as workouts and restructurings. Jim regularly drafts and negotiates purchase and sale agreements, complex ground leases, easements, licenses, and property exchange agreements. Jim has extensive experience representing public agencies in connection with bond financings and the acquisition, disposition, development, and financing of commercial, industrial, and residential real estate and negotiating complex development agreements. Jim has represented both domestic and foreign banks and other financial institutions in all aspects of real estate and municipal finance.
Jordan T. Smith represents clients in a variety of civil litigation matters. Jordan's practice focuses on representing municipalities and public entities in state and federal litigation.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Richards, Watson & Gershon in 2021, Jordan practiced complex civil litigation at an international law firm, specializing in California business litigation and internal investigations, and later at a litigation boutique in Los Angeles. Jordan has a Master's degree in American Government and externed for the Honorable Dean D. Pregerson, United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
Practice Areas
Litigation
Palos Verdes Peninsula Protection. Carol advised the City of Rancho Palos Verdes in connection with the development of new homes in fragile, landslide-vulnerable coastal areas. Additionally, she counseled the city in the acquisition of approximately 1,200 acres of land that have been placed in a nature preserve so that open space on the Palos Verdes Peninsula will be preserved for future generations. She also assisted the city in connection with the development of an affordable housing project for senior citizens.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Professionals