Stephanie Osler Hastings
Water Law
Water Law
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Specialized California water law expertise. Trusted strategic advisor and project manager for complex water supply and infrastructure projects. Innovative problem solver for high-stakes water disputes.With more than 20 years of specialized expertise in water law, Stephanie Hastings has played a leading role in California’s most complex and precedent-setting water matters. She brings sophisticated legal skill and experience to the acquisition, maintenance and protection of water resources and rights. A skilled project manager, Stephanie excels at providing strategic advice for complex, dynamic and often novel water matters and thrives in high-stakes, multi-party transactions and litigation.Stephanie represents wholesale and retail water providers, regulated utilities, government entities, agriculture and large landowners, investment funds, energy and land developers and resorts, among others. Clients value her attention to detail and deft judgement when navigating the myriad challenges inherent in advancing projects in a water scarce environment.Her practice spans every aspect of water law, including the development, maintenance and protection of water rights, securing supplies and water and wastewater utility services for new development, complex water rights litigation, marketing of supply and rights through transfers and exchanges, development of supplemental supplies including imported and recycled water supplies, and regulatory and environmental compliance for water supply operations and infrastructure.As a director of The Aquaya Institute, Stephanie is dedicated to advancing global health through universal access to safe water and is also the Co-Founder of the California H2O Women Conference. Specialized California water law expertise. Trusted strategic advisor and project manager for complex water supply and infrastructure projects. Innovative problem solver for high-stakes water disputes. With more than 20 years of specialized expertise in water law, Stephanie Hastings has played a leading role in California’s most complex and precedent-setting water matters. She brings sophisticated legal skill and experience to the acquisition, maintenance and protection of water resources and rights. A skilled project manager, Stephanie excels at providing strategic advice for complex, dynamic and often novel water matters and thrives in high-stakes, multi-party transactions and litigation. Stephanie represents wholesale and retail water providers, regulated utilities, government entities, agriculture and large landowners, investment funds, energy and land developers and resorts, among others. Clients value her attention to detail and deft judgement when navigating the myriad challenges inherent in advancing projects in a water scarce environment. Her practice spans every aspect of water law, including the development, maintenance and protection of water rights, securing supplies and water and wastewater utility services for new development, complex water rights litigation, marketing of supply and rights through transfers and exchanges, development of supplemental supplies including imported and recycled water supplies, and regulatory and environmental compliance for water supply operations and infrastructure. As a director of The Aquaya Institute, Stephanie is dedicated to advancing global health through universal access to safe water and is also the Co-Founder of the California H2O Women Conference.
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018
Ashley Morales
I engaged Stephanie Osler Hastings at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to assist with a contentious water rights issue for a small agricultural cooperative I manage in the Santa Ynez Valley. Her specialized knowledge of California water law was immediately apparent and provided a solid foundation for our case. She accurately identified the regulatory hurdles and potential litigation risks associated with our groundwater recharge project. Her background as a strategic advisor for complex water infrastructure was a definite asset in framing our position. However, the experience felt somewhat transactional. While Stephanie is undoubtedly a sharp and recognized expert in environmental and water law, communication was not always proactive. There were periods of several days where we received no updates, requiring me to follow up. The billing structure, while standard for a firm of this caliber, felt rigid for the level of ongoing dialogue we had. She successfully navigated the core dispute to a reasonable administrative settlement, which was our primary goal. For straightforward, high-stakes matters where deep expertise is the sole priority, she is competent. If you value consistent client communication and a more collaborative advisory relationship throughout the process, you may find the experience, like I did, to be professionally adequate but not exceptional.