Dan joined Belden Blaine Raytis after more than fifteen years at McMurtrey, Hartsock & Worth, a public agency and water law firm, and the Kern County Water Agency where he served as the Assistant General Counsel. Dan’s experience during that time was focused on providing general counsel, real property, water law and complex litigation services to various clients, including public agencies (primarily water districts), mutual water companies, and private entities. As general counsel to public agencies, Dan practice areas include personnel, real property, eminent domain, contract, public construction and contracting, public finance, election, conflict of interest, CEQA, Ralph M. Brown Act and water law, among various others.During his career, Dan has led all areas of litigation, including strategy development, fact investigation, taking and defending depositions, discovery and motion practice, and preparing and developing expert witnesses. As an example, Dan was the lead attorney in complex environmental litigation challenging the certification by the State of California of an Environmental Impact Report for the largest water banking project in the world. Dan’s clients’ success in that case was written about in several news outlets, including the Bakersfield Californian, Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press.Dan began his career in San Francisco, working at one of this country’s preeminent law firms (Shook, Hardy & Bacon) representing international tobacco and automotive companies. At Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Dan served on trial teams with some of the most celebrated litigators in the country.Dan is the proud father of three daughters, Madeline, Lillian and Evelyn, and the proud husband of Katy, his life and business partner.

General Counsel to public agencies, primarily water districts, handling various matters of litigation, personnel, real property, contract, election, conflict of interest, CEQA, Ralph M. Brown Act and water law, among others. Acted as lead attorney in complex contract litigation on behalf of a mutual water company, which resulted in a negotiated settlement containing the matters desired by my client. Acted as lead attorney on behalf of the Bakersfield SPCA in contract litigation filed by the City of Bakersfield, which was resolved through negotiated settlement in an amount significantly less than the City’s demand. Assisted in all aspects of litigation and authored appellate brief in a complex case involving a dispute between Kern River right-holders, which resulted in a favorable appellate court decision (North Kern Water Storage District v. Kern Delta Water District, 147 Cal. App. 4th 555 (2007)).