Partner
Wendy Y. Wang
Wendy Y. Wang works with public and private clients on matters involving water law, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act, Proposition 218, Air Quality Management District rules and regulations, and public works projects. She also has significant experience in commercial litigation and contract agreements.
Wendy regularly represents water suppliers. She was a part of the successful team that earned a Daily Journal Top Verdict recognition in 2018 for a jury verdict that favored water agencies in a first-of-its-kind groundwater rights trial. Representing the City of Paso Robles, which was sued along with other public water suppliers by about 600 landowners seeking to claim quiet title to groundwater rights, Wendy and her colleagues successfully convinced a jury that water suppliers had acquired prescriptive groundwater rights to the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin during times of groundwater shortage conditions. That trial is believed to be the first jury trial over groundwater rights in California.
Wendy was also part of the team of attorneys that secured a trial court judgment in the Antelope Valley groundwater adjudication, the largest groundwater rights case ever in California and perhaps in United States history. After 16 years of litigation involving approximately 70,000 landowners, including two separate classes, a judgment was entered determining who has the right to pump water from the Antelope Valley groundwater basin and establishing a long-term sustainable management plan.
Wendy has extensive experience representing clients subject to AQMD rules and regulations, and successfully negotiated settlement agreements between public agencies and AQMD regarding penalties and notices of violation. She appeared before the AQMD hearing board on petitions for abatement proceedings and regularly advises clients on AQMD rules and relevant California Health and Safety Code provisions.
Wendy grew up in Orange County and now lives in Los Angeles. She considers herself an adventurous foodie.
Wendy is fluent in Mandarin. She is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Water Law, 2023–2024
- Top Verdict, Daily Journal, 2018
- International Municipal Lawyers Association, Chair, Environmental Section, 2024-present
- Southern California Water Coalition, Board of Trustees, Business Sector, 2023-present
Publications
- “California Needs to Amend the Cartwright Act to Redress Single-Firm Monopolization,” Daily Journal, Sept. 27, 2023
- “California Should Amend The Cartwright Act to Address Single-Firm Monopolization,” California Lawyers Association Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law, Volume 33, Number 1, Spring 2023
- “Local Agencies React to Basin Boundaries Rule With Calls for Clarification, Collaboration,” BBKnowledge, Sept. 21, 2015
- “California Water Leaders Testify at Capitol on Water Bond,” BBKnowledge, Feb. 12, 2015
Presentations
- “SGMA and Groundwater Litigation: Implications for GSP Implementation,” Law Seminars International Seminar, Groundwater Sustainability Implementation in California, July 29, 2022
- "The Land Before Time: Stories from California’s Groundwater Adjudications," Western Groundwater Congress and GRA Annual Meeting, Sept. 15, 2021
- "Understanding California Groundwater Rights," California Groundwater and Surface Water: Preserving Finite Resources Webinar, HalfMoon Education, May 26, 2021
- "Lessons Learned from GSPs for Critically Overdrafted Basins," California Water Law and Policy MCLE Conference, Argent Communications Group, Apr. 21, 2021
- "Groundwater Management Law Update (MCLE)," Online Event, San Diego Law Library, Sept. 23, 2020
- "Financing Options and Strategies for Groundwater Sustainability Plan Development," BB&K Webinar, Sept. 17, 2020
- "SGMA and Groundwater Adjudication: The Implications for GSP Development," A Comprehensive Virtual Update: Groundwater Sustainability Plans in California, Law Seminars International, July 16, 2020
- "Groundwater Sustainability Plans: What We Now Know and What is Yet to be Learned," BB&K Webinar, May 12, 2020
- "Understanding California Groundwater Rights," California Water Laws and Regulation Seminar, HalfMoon Education, Mar. 25, 2020
- "SGMA and Groundwater Rights: To Adjudicate or Not to Adjudicate," BB&K Webinar, Feb. 20, 2020
- "Groundwater Production Allocations Under SGMA," Association of California Water Agencies Fall Conference & Exhibition, Dec. 4, 2019
- "Land Use Planning, Water Supply Planning and SGMA," BB&K Webinar, Nov. 8, 2019
- "Understanding California Groundwater Rights," Water Law Seminar, HalfMoon Education, Oct. 23, 2019
- "SGMA and Groundwater Adjudications," Law Seminars International's A Comprehensive Conference on SGMA's Next Phase: Sustainable Groundwater Planning in California Conference, July 26, 2019
- "SGMA - Groundwater Sustainability Plans," Association of Environmental Professionals California State Conference, Mar. 25, 2019
- “Drought Regulations and Sustainable Groundwater Management Act,” 2015 California Stormwater Quality Association Annual Conference, Oct. 19, 2015
