William M. Smiland has practiced law with Smiland & Chester and its predecessors since 1968, securing positive results
for clients in public and private cases and transactions.
Mr. Smiland is one of California’s most experienced practitioners
in the area of natural resource use. He has argued cases in
numerous trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme
Court and the California Supreme Court.
Cases he has handled in the water area include obtaining a landmark judgment on behalf of
farmers against the federal government and a local water district with resulting benefits valued
in the hundreds of millions of dollars; acting as counsel in litigation challenging unlawful
irrigation water reallocations attempted under fish and wildlife statutes; and securing judgment
under a federal statute obligating the government to drain farmlands of saline wate
Litigation Mr. Smiland has handled in the field of air quality includes winning four judgments—
including one affirmed in a landmark appellate decision—on behalf of the California paint |
