Of Counsel
Patrick D. Skahan
Patrick D. Skahan represents public and private clients on water law matters, including contamination, contract disputes, discharge permits, Proposition 218, recycled water, toxic torts and water rights. He also advises clients on, and has extensive experience in, matters regarding conflicts of interest, election law, inverse condemnation, franchise agreements, public nuisance and utility users taxes.
Patrick is experienced in groundwater adjudications and regulatory proceedings, and is involved in the Paso Robles Groundwater adjudication.
Prior to joining Best Best & Krieger LLP, Patrick worked extensively on behalf of a community services district in a contract dispute regarding a $250 million capital expansion project at a large wastewater treatment plant in the Inland Empire. He participated throughout the pleading, discovery, pretrial, and trial phases, and took over a dozen percipient and expert depositions. He participated in the six-week declaratory relief trial that considered applicable regulatory requirements under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations for recycled water.
Patrick also has extensive experience representing water districts and community services districts in matters related to the State Water Resources Control Board’s regulations, elections law, the California Water Recycling Act of 1991, service connection entitlements, and service duplication law matters. In addition, he has worked closely with several public entity clients regarding public nuisance abatement code enforcement matters, inverse condemnation and oil pipeline franchise disputes.
Patrick grew up in San Diego County and now lives in Santa Monica. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors, summer/winter sports and traveling. Patrick is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of California.
- Santa Clarita Organization for Planning & the Environment v. Abercrombie (2015) 240 Cal.App.4th 300 - Successfully represented a former director and general manager of a water district in defending claims of violation of Government Code section 1090 and 87100 of the Political Reform Act. Court of Appeal upheld trial court judgment in favor of client, and the California Supreme Court denied petitioner’s petition for review. Patrick drafted dispositive motion for judgment on the pleadings and respondent’s brief and argued before the Court of Appeal.
- Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Environmental, 2022
- American College of Bankruptcy’s Distinguished Student Award for the Eighth Circuit, nominee, 2012
- Environmental Law Moot Court Director (2012) and Pace University Moot Court Competitor (2011) at University of Minnesota School of Law
- Los Angeles County Bar Association