Attorneys > Russell G. (Russ) Behrens

RUSSELL G. (RUSS) BEHRENS Senior Partner
 rbehrens@mkblawyers.com

Mr. Behrens has spent most of his nearly 50 years of practice representing public agencies.  For more than 40 years he has represented water agencies as general and special counsel, and he is currently general counsel to three regional wholesale water import agencies - the Castaic Lake Water Agency, the Municipal Water District of Orange County and the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency.  In this capacity he provides legal advice and support to the governing board as needed for all agency matters, including water system operations, construction, water rights, water acquisition, environmental (CEQA) issues, conflicts of interest, Brown Act compliance, and many others.   Mr. Behrens has also served as special counsel for Sweetwater Authority (San Diego), Capistrano Beach Water District, San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (Riverside County), and Hemet/San Jacinto Groundwater Association (Riverside County). His work as general and special counsel to water agencies has included joint facilities operations, finance agreements and related disputes, regional water supply projects, and water rights issues.  Mr. Behrens has extensive experience working with water agency clients in the development of water policy, and on behalf of water agency clients he has authored legislation and worked closely with California legislators in getting legislation passed.   

Mr. Behrens has had many notable successes in recent years related to water acquisitions and water planning, and on behalf of the Castaic Lake Water Agency he has been on the front lines of statewide environmental issues involving water planning and supply.  He has formatted and completed regional water supply projects and resolved a variety of other water rights issues for a great number of public agency clients, including the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Sweetwater Authority (San Diego); the Capistrano Beach Water District; the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (Riverside County); the Hemet/San Jacinto Groundwater Association (Riverside County); and the Bolsa Chica project in Orange County.

Mr. Behrens merged his law practice with MKB in 1989 and became a name partner at that time. 

Admitted, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California



Published Cases

Dawes v. Superior Ct. (1980) 111 Cal.App.3d 82, 168 Cal.Rptr. 319.
Fallbrook Sanitary Dist. v. San Diego Local Agency Formation Com.
     (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d 753, 256 Cal.Rptr. 590.
Friends of the Santa Clara River v. Castaic Lake Water Agency (2004) 123 Cal.App.4th 1, 19 Cal.Rptr. 3d 625. Klajic v. Castaic Lake Water Agency (2004) 121 Cal.App.4th 5, 16 Cal.Rptr.3d 746.
Planning & Conservation League v. Department of Water Resources (1998) 17 Cal.4th 264, 70 Cal.Rptr. 2d 635.

Publications and Presentations

Speaker, “Ethics of Public Officials: AB 1234 Training,” Castaic Lake Water Agency, February 3, 2010.

-(Co Author) "Domestic Uses of Water: A Battleground Over a Short Supply," Public Law, a publication of the State Bar of California Public Law Section, Summer, 1992

Organizations and Activities

-American Bar Association, Member, Natural Resources, Real Property and Economics of Law Practice Sections

-State Bar of California, Member, Public Law and Real Property Law Sections, Vice Chairman of Public Law Section Executive Committee 1991 1992

-Association of California Water Agencies (“ACWA”), Member, Legal Affairs Committee and Legislative Committee, 1975 1991

-Orange County Bar Association, Member, Real Estate Section

-American Inns of Court (Member, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Legion Lex Inn, Orange County)

-Board of Directors, William Gray Inn of Court

-Phi Delta Phi

-Rancho Santiago College District Foundation

-Santa Ana College Foundation

-Tuna Club of Avalon