Gina Nicholls

Gina Nicholls represents public agency clients and investor-owned utilities. She has litigation, regulatory, and transactional experience. Her practice focuses on water rights, California public agencies, and limitations imposed by the state constitution on water-related rates, fees, and charges. She has been named a Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Star since 2016 by Los Angeles magazine.

Prior to joining Nossaman, Gina practiced complex litigation at a large international law firm. She also worked as an attorney in the office of general counsel of a federally funded research laboratory and institute of higher education. Before attending law school, Gina worked as a consulting environmental engineer and served in the United States Navy.

Experience

Eastern Tule GSA. Serves as litigation Special Counsel representing this groundwater sustainability agency (GSA) in a lawsuit brought by the Friant Water Authority and Arvin-Edison Water Storage District pertaining to SGMA implementation in the Central Valley. Plaintiffs’ lawsuit alleges breaches of an agreement to address land subsidence along the Friant-Kern Canal through penalties imposed on excessive groundwater pumping. A counter suit alleges that the agreement is working as intended to address the problem of land subsidence in a manner consistent with the GSA’s authority and responsibility under SGMA.  

City of Ontario. Advising the City on ongoing basis in connection with a wide range of water-related legal issues including issues pertaining to regional water and sewer systems, including water rights and groundwater management issues arising under the Chino Groundwater Basin adjudication, contractual rights of recycled water and water-related fees and charges, among other things.

Imperial Irrigation District. Assisting with the District’s defense to a writ of mandate brought by agricultural water users to challenge the District’s water distribution plan.

San Lorenzo Valley Water District. Served as general counsel to the San Lorenzo Valley Water District on all aspects of its operations involving the provision of drinking water and wastewater collection in Santa Cruz County.

Goleta Water District. Assisted with a water rights lawsuit brought by the District in Santa Barbara Superior Court against a private water user.

Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency. Represented Fox Canyon in the development and implementation of draft groundwater sustainability plans in multiple basins throughout Ventura County and related litigation, including the first comprehensive adjudication of groundwater rights under SGMA.

California Water Association. Assisted with the preparation of a template joint powers agreement for use in streamlining the formation of Joint Powers Authorities to serve as groundwater sustainability agencies under SGMA. Assisted with preparing public comment letters to state agencies including the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Resources Control Board.

Proposition 218. Provided legal advice to several public agency clients regarding potential changes to water or sewer fees and charges.

Publications

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

Honors & Recognitions

Selected to the Southern California Rising Stars list, 2016-2020

Selected for the California Water Education Foundation's Water Leaders Program, 2017