Bruce Beach is of counsel in the Municipal Law practice group of Best Best & Krieger LLP, focusing on eminent domain and property litigation.

Bruce represents public and private clients in eminent domain and condemnation proceedings, as well as other matters related to real property. Bruce is very experienced in projects for road rights-of-way, pipelines, light rail transit corridors, reservoir sites, as well as redevelopment and flood control projects. He has also represented private individuals whose properties were taken for public projects.

Some of Bruce’s most notable projects include:

• City of San Buenaventura, Johnson Drive railroad grade separation
• City of San Diego, Sorrento Mesa Road extension and library site
• City of Redlands, Orange Avenue widening and improvement
• San Diego County Water Authority, water pipelines
• Fallbrook Public Utility District, Helix Water District, Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Sweetwater Authority, water reservoirs and pipelines
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit District (now Metropolitan Transit System) light rail extension for Old Town, Mission Valley East, Mission Valley West through El Cajon and Santee
• San Ysidro, intermodal transportation center and bus maintenance facility expansion
• Vista CDC, town redevelopment project
• City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency, Gaslamp District redevelopment project
• City of Coachella, Above Grade Crossings for Grapefruit Avenue
• City of Calexico, Cesar Chavez Blvd. Improvement Project
• SANDAG, San Diego River Double Track Project, Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project

In addition to having tried numerous eminent domain cases in state court, Bruce has also handled many appeals, including more than 20 that were certified for publication, including:

• County of San Diego v. Cabrillo Lanes, Inc. (1992) 10 Cal.App.4th 576*
• San Diego County Water Authority v. Mireiter (1993) 18 Cal.App.4th 1808*
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board v. The Price Co. (1995) 37 Cal.App.4th 1541*
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District v. Joseph M. Burkhart (1995) 38 Cal.App.4th 988*
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board v. Cushman (1997) 53 Cal.App.4th 918*
• San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board v. Handlery Hotel, Inc. (1999) 73 Cal.App.4th 517*
• Escondido Union School Dist. v. Casa Suenos de Oro, Inc. (2005) 129 Cal.App.4th 944*
• Red Mountain, LLC v. Fallbrook Public Utility District (2006) 143 Cal.App.4th 333*
• Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Diego v. Mesdaq (2007) 154 Cal.App.4th 1111*
• Community Youth Athletic Center v. City of National City (2009) 170 Cal.App.4th 416

Before joining BB&K, Bruce was a partner at Jennings, Engstrand & Henrikson, where he also represented public agencies and individuals in eminent domain matters. He has also worked for the San Diego County Counsel’s Office, where he represented the County of San Diego, the County of San Diego Flood Control District and various school districts in civil litigation cases involving eminent domain, real property public construction contracts and property-related tax issues.

Bruce conducts training seminars for appraisers, attorneys and right-of-way agents through the firm, as well as for the San Diego Appraisal Institute and the San Diego International Right-of-Way Association.

Bruce served in the Navy from 1967 through 1969, completing his tour of duty in Vietnam as a Lieutenant j.g. 

*Eminent Domain matters

Education

• Southern Methodist University, L.L.M.
• California Western School of Law, J.D.
• Miami University, Ohio, B.A.

Admissions

• California

Memberships

• American Board of Trial Advocates

Awards

• San Diego Magazine Top Lawyer, Eminent Domain, 2015, 2018-2021
• San Diego Super Lawyers, Eminent Domain, 2007-2022