Bright and Brown has decades of experience representing a wide range of clients in connection with water-related disputes and negotiations, including farmers, land companies and owners, developers, and energy companies.  Representative matters have included negotiating cleanup standards, CEQA litigation, CERCLA litigation, and assuming an advisory role in connection with various regional water quality control board investigations and closures.

Below are a few examples of successful results obtained for our clients:

• Bright and Brown obtained a favorable settlement for a major landowner-developer in a litigation action relating to one of the largest planned residential developments in the history of Los Angeles County. The settlement included a multi-million dollar cash payment to the client and compelled the cleanup of acreage pursuant to an extensive multi-year remediation plan under Bright and Brown-drafted cleanup protocols. The settlement was valued in excess of $100 Million.
• Bright and Brown obtained a favorable settlement for its client, a private landowner, in a litigation matter pertaining to soil and ground water contamination resulting from aerospace and industrial plant operations. The settlement included a multi-million dollar acquisition of the contaminated property at a “clean” value, indemnification, and assumption of a prospective multi-million dollar cleanup obligation for soil and ground water.
• Bright and Brown represented a European-based bankruptcy trustee in the regulatory closure of a ground water contaminated property in California belonging to the bankrupt estate. Because of the bankruptcy, the trustee required final closure without future recourse by the regulatory agency. Bright and Brown successfully negotiated the required closure with the RWQCB.