Ralph R. Nevis

Litigation & Eminent Domain

• Represented underground natural gas storage operator in eminent domain action to acquire underground gas storage rights through jury trial and appeal. (Central Valley Gas Storage, LLC v. Southam, et al. (2017) 11 Cal.App.5th 686.)
• Handled land acquisition and eminent domain actions necessary to carry out a major flood protection project to protect the City of West Sacramento.
• Represent private landowners in pre-condemnation negotiations with public entities seeking to acquire property by eminent domain.
• Represent agricultural companies, oil & gas companies, and private individuals in eminent domain litigation.
• Represented municipal utility in acquisitions by eminent domain of rights necessary for construction and operation of a large-scale windpower facility, including wind turbine generators, collection lines, and related substation facilities.
• Represented client in successful opposition to interlocutory appeal of a discovery sanctions order before the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. (Feather River etc. v. The Fremont-Rideout Health Group, Case Number C044559.)
• Obtained reversal and remand on unsettled issue of equitable tolling of the statute of limitations before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of client asserting petition for writ of habeas corpus. (Sanchez v. Cambra (9th Cir. 2001) 34 Fed. Appx. 251.)

Renewable & Traditional Energy

• Represent a variety of competitive service provider interests in California Public Utilities Commission ratemaking and regulatory proceedings, including matters relating to utility procurement, RPS compliance, and service areas.
• Represented oil and gas companies in matters before the California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources in connection with the securing of drilling permits and related matters, including in connection with a $150 million development project after the Division initially responded to Notices of Intent to Rework Wells by holding the drilling permits in abeyance.
• Litigated multiple disputes before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), including appeals of CPUC decisions.
• Represented oil and gas companies before County Board of Supervisors and County Planning Commissions on issues involving the drilling of wells and seismic permits, together with related potential litigation.
• Represented oil and gas and energy companies in litigation regarding a broad range of real property title disputes, including quiet title actions, adverse possession and prescriptive rights claims, and Dormant Mineral Act actions.
• Represented oil and gas and energy companies in surface access and surface use disputes, including filing of temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, as well as negotiating resolutions short of litigation.
• Represented major and independent oil and gas and energy companies in a broad range of transactional and operational disputes involving, for example, joint operating agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, exploration agreements, oil and gas leases, confidentiality agreements, pipeline and marketing agreements, and well abandonment and related environmental issues.
• Represented oil and gas and energy companies in litigation and alternative dispute resolution processes concerning royalty disputes, COPAS accounting procedures, post-production deductions, and related accounting issues.