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Aleshire & Wynder LLP (A&W), a public law firm well known for its representation of cities and other public agencies, announced the addition of a six attorney team that will significantly expand the strength and reach of its California water practice. The firm’s water practice was started in 2010 by veteran attorney Susan Trager.
The addition of this lateral group brings more than a century of combined experience spent negotiating and litigating on behalf of public agencies on matters of groundwater adjudication and sustainability, water rights and other water-related legal matters. They also bring with them an expansive public agency clientele, which combined with A&W’s existing practice, positions the firm as one of the premier public service water practices in California.
Joining as an Equity Partner is W. Keith Lemieux, Jr., who assumes leadership of the combined water practice group. A recognized expert on matters of environmental and water law, Lemieux currently serves as city attorney for the cities of Ridgecrest and San Gabriel. He represents municipal and county water districts throughout the state, irrigation districts, and groundwater sustainability agencies including the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority and the Upper Ventura River Agency.
“Aleshire & Wynder has a team in place that will provide our clients with a wealth of new resources and experience,” Lemieux said. “We are impressed by the broad knowledge of the A&W team, and we’re excited to see what we’ll be capable of accomplishing together.”
Lemieux is joined by industry veterans Steve O’Neill and Martin Koczanowicz, who both join as Partners, as well as Associates Alex Lemieux and Alex De Arana-Lemich. O’Neill is an expert on natural resource management matters, including CEQA and water quality issues, and he regularly advises public agency clients throughout Southern California on alternative water supply issues, including the development and sale of recycled water. Koczanowicz brings three decades of experience in municipal law including water law, in addition to land use, personnel, and general public agency matters. Water law veteran Wayne K. Lemieux also joins the practice bringing over 40 years of experience including representing public entities in many of the seminal water cases in Southern California.
The Firm’s practice has expanded statewide from its roots in Orange County and Los Angeles. Its Riverside office was opened in 2012 and Fresno in 2013. In the last year, the Firm’s Bay Area office opened in Alameda.
David J. Aleshire, founding partner of Aleshire & Wynder, noted the fact that the Firm’s growth has not just been geographic. “It shows that the need for high quality legal services in all municipal law practice areas, including water, exists both in urban and rural areas throughout the state and we want to be there with the best practitioners available,” Aleshire said.
Aleshire & Wynder Managing Partner Tiffany J. Israel noted, “Keith and his team are industry leaders in groundwater adjudications and are so well-versed in it that nearly every adjudication case they’re involved in results in a published opinion. We look forward to the synergies with the new Westlake, California-based team, adding their depth of experience in water law, as well as a new office for the firm to further extend its reach throughout Southern California.”
Aleshire & Wynder LLP provides unparalleled legal representation to local communities throughout California. Our attorneys have been loyally serving public agencies for over 35 years.
