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Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Industry Group

Water, Energy & Natural Resources

From contested water rights to renewable energy development, WJH navigates the complex regulatory and transactional landscape of California's most vital natural resources.

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Who We Serve

Clients We Represent in Water, Energy & Natural Resources

01

Irrigation & Water Districts

Counsel for public and quasi-public water agencies on governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and water rights disputes.

02

Private Landowners & Farmers

Representation of landowners and farmers on water rights, groundwater, land use, and resource disputes.

03

Mutual Water Companies

Governance, contract, and regulatory counsel for mutual water companies and their members.

04

Renewable Energy Developers

Transactional, land use, and regulatory counsel for renewable energy projects from development through closeout.

Overview

How We Serve Our Clients

Water is the defining legal issue of California's Central Valley, and Wanger Jones Helsley has built a practice around it. The firm represents water and irrigation districts, mutual water companies, landowners, farmers, and energy developers in the regulatory and transactional matters that govern the state's most contested resources.

Natural resource matters bring together water rights, land use, environmental regulation, governance, and litigation. The firm's environmental, water, and land use attorneys work alongside its real estate and litigation teams so clients can manage permitting, transactions, and disputes with one coordinated firm.

Whether a client is a public water district navigating governance and compliance, a landowner defending a water right, or a developer advancing a renewable energy project, the firm brings regulatory depth and Central Valley experience to high-stakes natural resource matters.

Our Approach

What to Expect from WJH

— 01

Industry Knowledge

The firm understands the operational, regulatory, and commercial realities of this sector, so counsel is grounded in how the client's business actually works, not legal theory alone.

— 02

Full-Service

Transactional, regulatory, and litigation attorneys work side by side, so a client can handle deals, compliance, and disputes under one roof rather than across several firms.

— 03

Senior Attention

Experienced shareholders and of-counsel handle the substantive work, giving clients direct access to senior counsel rather than layers of delegation.

The Team

Attorneys Serving This Industry

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Nicolas R. Cardella, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Nicolas R. Cardella
Shareholder
Fresno
Craig A. Carnes, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Craig A. Carnes
Of Counsel
Sacramento
Hunter C. Castro, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Hunter C. Castro
Shareholder
Fresno
Robert E. Donlan, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Robert E. Donlan
Shareholder
Sacramento
Shawnda M. Grady, Of Counsel, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Shawnda M. Grady
Of Counsel
Sacramento
Timothy Jones, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Timothy Jones
Shareholder
Fresno
John P. Kinsey, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
John P. Kinsey
Shareholder
Fresno
Scott D. Laird, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Scott D. Laird
Shareholder
Fresno
Track Record

Representative Matters

Wanger Jones Helsley's public-record matters, including cases argued before the California Courts of Appeal, the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court, are presented on the firm's Select Cases page with the applicable prior-results disclaimer.

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Frequently Asked Questions
What water and natural resource clients does WJH represent?
Wanger Jones Helsley represents irrigation and water districts, private landowners and farmers, mutual water companies, and renewable energy developers. The firm counsels these clients on water rights, governance, land use, environmental compliance, and the disputes that arise over California's contested water and natural resources.
Does WJH handle California water rights matters?
Yes. Water rights are a core focus of Wanger Jones Helsley's environmental, water, and land use practice. The firm advises water districts, landowners, farmers, and mutual water companies on water rights, groundwater regulation, and related disputes, coordinated with its real estate and litigation attorneys when matters become contested.
Can WJH counsel renewable energy developers?
Yes. Wanger Jones Helsley advises renewable energy developers on the transactional, land use, and regulatory matters that arise from development through project closeout. The firm pairs its environmental and real estate attorneys to help energy projects navigate California's permitting and entitlement landscape.
Does WJH represent public water and irrigation districts?
Yes. Wanger Jones Helsley counsels irrigation and water districts and other public and quasi-public water agencies on governance, contracts, regulatory compliance, and water rights disputes. The firm understands the unique legal obligations and procurement rules that govern California public water entities.
Why choose WJH for natural resource matters in the Central Valley?
Wanger Jones Helsley is headquartered in Fresno, where water and natural resource issues drive the regional economy, and maintains a Sacramento office near the State Capitol and regulators. That positioning lets the firm serve water districts, landowners, and developers on both the regulatory and transactional sides of California resource law.
Who at WJH handles water and natural resource matters?
Wanger Jones Helsley's water, energy, and natural resource work is handled by shareholders and of-counsel attorneys across its Fresno and Sacramento offices, including John Kinsey, Scott Laird, Robert Donlan, and others. The firm directs each client to the attorney whose regulatory and litigation experience best fits the matter.
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Water, Energy & Natural Resources matter?

The firm's team is ready to provide the experienced counsel your matter requires. Contact WJH to discuss your situation.

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