Downey Brand

08/27/2026

A significant win for California’s Central Valley water contractors. A unanimous Ninth Circuit panel has upheld the Bureau of Reclamation’s conversion of 67 Central Valley Project water service contracts under the WIIN Act, finding that Reclamation was not required to conduct separate environmental review before completing the conversions. The decision provides greater certainty and long-term reliability for the agricultural, hydropower, and municipal contractors that depend on these agreements.

Downey Brand represented 23 of the contractors throughout the conversion process and joined a broad coalition of water lawyers in defending the conversions, with Meredith Nikkel arguing the case on behalf of the contractors before the Ninth Circuit.

Read the full Legal Alert here: https://bit.ly/4wO6lkt

08/24/2026

Congratulations to the 32 Downey Brand attorneys recognized in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, including four who earned the distinguished “Lawyer of the Year” honor:

Tyson Hubbard (Sacramento) – Litigation – Trusts and Estates
Meredith Nikkel (Sacramento) – Litigation – Environmental
John Oehmke (Sacramento) – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
Brian Cragg (San Francisco) – Energy Law

Additionally, six attorneys were recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®. Please join us in congratulating all of our attorneys honored this year!

08/21/2026

Please join us in welcoming Nick Frey to Downey Brand’s Business and Tax Team!

Nick advises closely held businesses, real estate owners, and investors on the tax considerations involved in business transactions, real estate holdings, and trusts. His experience includes structuring complex domestic and cross-border transactions, advising on capital markets offerings, acquisitions, and financings, and assisting renewable energy developers and tax equity investors with Investment Tax Credit matters. He has also represented clients in federal tax disputes before the IRS and U.S. Tax Court.

At Downey Brand, Nick will assist clients with choice of entity, partnership and LLC agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and the tax aspects of trust administration.

We are excited to welcome Nick to the firm!

08/12/2026

Downey Brand partner Scott Shapiro will present “When River Management Creates Legal Ripples: Lessons from Ideker Farms” at the National Waterways Conference 2026 Annual Meeting on August 26 in Moline, Illinois.

Scott will provide a plain-English overview of Ideker Farms, Inc. v. United States, a case arising from recurring flooding along the Missouri River, and examine the broader implications of federal water management decisions for private property owners and surrounding communities. He will also discuss what the case may mean for agencies, non-federal sponsors, landowners, and others working within complex water systems.

To learn more and register for the National Waterways Conference 2026 Annual Meeting, visit: https://bit.ly/4z9Ccyp

07/30/2026

A look behind the scenes!

We were thrilled to welcome Dr. Dawnté Early with United Way California Capital Region, and Cody Stark and the Good Day Sacramento team to Downey Brand today as they stopped by to highlight the Backpack Giveback campaign.

It was wonderful to see the collaboration behind this community effort and spend time with so many people who are passionate about helping local students start the school year with the tools they need to succeed.

Thank you to United Way, Good Day Sacramento, and our fellow Backpack Giveback sponsors for bringing this campaign to life. And thank you to everyone who has already donated a backpack or helped spread the word. Every act of generosity helps give a student a stronger start to the school year.

There's still time to get involved! Through August 2, bring a new backpack to a drop-off location near you or make a donation here: https://bit.ly/4vQbjgf

Together, we can help more students start the school year with confidence.

07/23/2026

A new backpack can make a big difference! Join us in supporting Backpack Giveback with United Way California Capital Region to help local students start the school year with the supplies they need to succeed.

Through August 2, bring a new backpack to Downey Brand's Sacramento or Stockton office, and Downey Brand will provide essential school supplies to match every backpack donated!

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4vQbjgf

07/22/2026

California Probate Code section 859 imposes a powerful civil penalty for the bad-faith taking of trust or estate property—but can a court consider the wrongdoer's financial condition when determining the penalty?

In the latest post, Krystan Miller-Caballero and Tyson Hubbard examine the California Court of Appeal's decision in 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰 𝘷. 𝘕𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘬𝘪, which reinforces that once the statutory requirements are met, the double-value penalty under section 859 is mandatory and is not reduced based on the defendant's ability to pay. The opinion also explores the important role "bad faith" plays in determining whether the statute applies in the first place.

Read 𝘉𝘢𝘥 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦: 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰 𝘷. 𝘕𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘬𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 859: https://bit.ly/4yv0xhP

07/22/2026

07/13/2026

This past Friday, our 2026 Summer Associates participated in a tour of the new Sacramento Superior Court, organized by Boutin Jones Inc.. It was a great opportunity to get a behind the scenes view of the new building, hear directly from court leadership and legal staff, gain insight into the court system, and connect with peers from other local firms.

07/08/2026

Congratulations to the 31 Downey Brand attorneys who have been recognized as 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars! We’re honored to celebrate this achievement and the commitment to excellence each of these attorneys brings to our clients.

You can read more about honorees here: https://bit.ly/3R1zOsg