Winfield Wilson specializes in litigation with an emphasis on real estate, governmental, and telecommunication issues. He represents governmental entities, landowners, and developers in a variety of matters, including government contract compliance, construction defects, ballot challenges, development fees, boundary line disputes, and regulatory advice.
Mr. Wilson also represents public agencies in utility relocation negotiations and processes, complex cost liability and title matters, and post-Proposition 13 tax issues.
He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Representative Work
Williams Communications v. City of Riverside 114 CA 4th 642
Established right of telephone corporation to install fiber optic facilities in public streets.
Tower Acton Holdings, L.L.C. et al. v. Acton Waterworks District No. 37 of Los Angeles County 105 Cal. App. 4th 590
Successful representation of water district in breach of contract dispute.
Santa Clara County Local Transportation Authority v. Guardino 11 Cal. 4th 220
Represented plaintiff to validate transportation tax.
Grupe Development Co. v. Superior Court (Chino Unified School District ) 4 Cal. 4th 911
Represented plaintiff in successful challenge to school development fee.
Concerned Citizens v. City of Carlsbad 204 Cal. App.3d 937
Represented the city in successful defense of a city-sponsored initiative.
California Building Industry Association v. Governing Board 206 Cal. App. 3d 212
Represented plaintiff in successful challenge to school development fee.
Amigos de Bolsa Chica v. Signal Properties, Inc.
Successful defense of coastal property boundary line and exchange agreement affecting 1900 acres with State of California.
City of Eureka v. Lazio
Lengthy litigation representing the City concluding in the City obtaining title to substantial portions of its waterfront.
Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation & Conservation District v. Louisiana Pacific Corporation
Successful litigation representing the District concluding in District obtaining title to substantial waterfront properties.
Vernon v. State Board of Equalization
Successful defense of sales tax against Proposition 62 challenge.
Building Industry Association of Southern California v. Superior Court (Orange County Board of Supervisors)
Successful pre-election challenge to initiative ballot measure.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Co-counsel representing the MTA in connection with litigation over $360 million worth of construction and management contracts. Main duties include monitoring and enforcing contractual rights, addressing billing and accounting issues, and recovery of payments.
Metro Gold Line Construction Authority. Analysis of hundreds of railroad right of way vesting instruments to determine possibility of joint use for telecommunication purposes.
Las Vegas Monorail. Analysis of title to determine usability of casino and resort properties for the monorail.
Williams Communications. Assisting Williams in ascertaining the right to use public, private and railroad rights-of-way for fiber optic facilities.
Cox Communications/Sprint PCS. Member of the Nossaman team providing legal services to these companies in the leasing of hundreds of sites for their telecommunications facilities. Responsibilities include title review and analysis, drafting leases, licenses and easements, and providing legal advice with regard to the many of issues that arise in the leasing process.
Orange County Transportation Corridor Agencies. Advised these agencies with regard to their relocation of hundreds of utility facilities for the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor (SR73), the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 231 & SR 261), and the Foothill-South Transportation Corridor (SR241). Responsibilities included development of strategies to reduce utility-related risks and project impacts, negotiating and drafting relocation agreements, extensive analysis of cost liability issues and preparing standard forms for encroachment permits, joint use agreements and consent to common use agreements.
Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority. Assisted the Authority in the relocation of over 500 utility crossings for the Alameda Corridor, a $1.6 billion mainline rail and truck corridor connecting the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to rail yards and other transportation facilities in central Los Angeles. Responsibilities included analysis of cost liability issues (including the impact of franchise law, easements, leases and licenses), negotiating and drafting master relocation agreements and analysis and advice on litigation related issues.
Santa Catalina Island Company. Negotiated of tideland mooring leases with the State, and tideland boundary settlement agreements.
Wrather Port Properties, Ltd. Advised on permissible uses of leased tidelands.
Seaworld. Advised on permissible uses of leased tidelands.