Geoffrey Willis

Experienced professional with extensive practice in environmental law and regulatory compliance, adept at navigating complex legal matters in federal and state courts. Proven track record of engaging with a diverse range of agencies, including:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
• United States Fish & Wildlife Service;
• California Fish & Wildlife Service;
• California State Water Resources Control Board;
• California Coastal Commission;
• California Air Resources Board;
• Local Air Pollution Control Districts;
• Regional Air Quality Management Districts;
• Bureau of Indian Affairs;
• Regional Water Quality Control Boards.

• Water Rights – Mr. Willis has almost 40 years of experience with water rights and water rights litigation. Acting as General Counsel for the Central Basin Municipal Water District (2005-2011), Mr. Willis worked on virtually every aspect of water rights including a pilot program to create a massive conjunctive use project to store water from the Colorado River by injecting it into a partially depleted aquifer covering a large portion of Los Angeles County. Mr. Willis also worked to protect all aspects of the water rights of the District including litigation including litigation involving the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Mr. Willis also assisted the District with fee and rate setting as well as many of the day to day legal issues necessary to operate a large public utility. Mr. Willis also served as Special Counsel to the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Western Municipal Water District, and the Desert Water Agency performing a wide range of services for those agencies. Mr. Willis also represented the City of Redlands in a successful action to stop a federal government program that would have stopped the flow of a Mill Creek Zanja that both provided the City with municipal water and fed a power plant. Mr. Willis regularly represented clients before the California State Water Resources Control Board.
• Mr. Willis has represented private interests in all aspects of water rights including a water rights opinion on the Napa River in California that was governed by appropriative rights despite being a riparian water source. In addition, Mr. Willis has provided water rights opinions supporting the purchase of large oil and gas refineries, large resort hotels, the creation of a new territory in Saudi Arabia, golf courses, large professional sports stadiums, and many others. Mr. Willis has participated in the large water rights adjudications in California as entire water basins transitioned from historic usage rights to permitted appropriative rights. Mr. Willis has advised clients regarding the impact of Tribal water rights on private interests.
• Integrated Land Use Practice - Mr. Willis has weaved his extensive experience with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) into his expertise in water rights, water quality, air quality, toxic spills and clean-ups, endangered species, and wetlands.
• Contaminated Land or Water – Mr. Willis is frequently retained by clients who face administrative or judicial enforcement actions in connection with alleged contamination of industrial sites.
• Wetlands & Endangered Species –Mr. Willis has provided strategies for navigating the complex permitting process for wetlands and endangered species at both the federal and state levels. Mr. Willis has advised clients on the many aspects of endangered species law, including incidental take authorizations from consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service under Section 7 of the federal Endangered Species Act, including biological assessments and biological opinions; Habitat Conservation Plans (“HCP”) and incidental take authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under Section 10 of the federal Endangered Species Act; the designation of critical habitat under the federal Endangered Species Acts; and the listing and de-listing of endangered species under both the federal and California Endangered Species Acts.
• Additional Regulatory Support – In providing rounded natural resource, land use and environmental law services to clients, Mr. Willis regularly handles matters involving Section 1983 of the Federal Civil Rights Act, RLUIPA, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.