Ethan J. Walsh

Partner

Ethan J. Walsh regularly represents cities in all aspects of their operations, and has developed expertise in the Brown Act, conflict of interest laws, the Public Records Act and all aspects of public agency governance. His practice focuses on municipal law, economic development, redevelopment dissolution, affordable housing and land use law.

Ethan currently serves as assistant city attorney for the City of Davis and previously served as the interim city attorney for the City of Rio Vista from 2003-2006 and the appointed city attorney from 2006-2008. Ethan also represented the California Redevelopment Association on a variety of issues including drafting, advising and commenting on redevelopment legislation and other matters of state-wide importance. He represents a number of cities and successor agencies in connection with the dissolution of their redevelopment agencies and disputes arising from that process, and is a frequent speaker on redevelopment dissolution issues.

In his economic development and land use practice, Ethan regularly represents public agencies in meetings and transactional negotiations related to land use and development issues, including structuring transactions for commercial, residential and mixed-use projects, and negotiating and drafting the implementing agreements for those transactions.

Ethan’s affordable housing practice includes negotiating and drafting disposition and development agreements, loan agreements and associated regulatory and resale restriction agreements, and rental and for-sale affordable housing projects. He also represents private developers in a variety of land use matters.

Additionally, Ethan has substantial experience in prevailing wage laws as they relate to public-private projects, and frequently advises public agencies and private developers on the potential impacts of state prevailing wage laws on proposed transactions.

Ethan is a partner in the Municipal & Redevelopment Law practice group of Best Best & Krieger LLP. Prior to joining the firm in 2010, he was a shareholder with McDonough Holland & Allen in Sacramento.

Education

• University of California, Los Angeles, J.D.
• University of California, Davis, B.A.

Bar Admissions

• California

Ethan J. Walsh

Partner

• Co-Author, Redevelopment in California, Solano Press (4th ed. 2009)
• Author, “Clarification on Statutory Pass-Through Payments Sought From Attorney General,” California Redevelopment Journal, December 2009
• Co-author, “Supreme Court Refuses to Protect Local Inclusionary Housing Ordinances from Preemption by Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act,” McDonough Public Law Bulletin, November 2009

Ethan J. Walsh

Partner

• Instructor, “Developer Selection–The RFP/RFQ Process,” California Redevelopment Association–Redevelopment Institute, 2009-2011
• Moderator, “Has the Game Changed? The Future of Public-Private Partnerships,” California Redevelopment Association–Legal Symposium, August 2009
• Panelist, “Opportunities in Troubled Times: How You Can Survive and Thrive in Today’s Environment,” California Redevelopment Association/CalALHFA Affordable Housing Conference, October 2009
• Presenter, “Redevelopment Law,” California Redevelopment Association– Redevelopment Institute, March 2003-2005
• Presenter, “Critical Elements of the DDA/OPA,” California Redevelopment Association, Redevelopment Institute, July 2007-2008
• Presenter, “Introduction to Redevelopment Law,” U.C. Davis Extension, 2005-2007