Biography
For more than 26 years, Robert Kuhs has represented a broad range of private and public agency clients, municipal water suppliers, and some of California's largest private landowners. Robert has significant experience in water law, energy, land use, business litigation, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, construction law, municipal law, and the Endangered Species Act. Robert provides informed practical advice to clients to guide them through complex legal issues. Robert has been a speaker in his area of expertise including at the IRWA 27th Annual Valuation Seminar 2019: "Stop Calling It Temporary Severance Damage."
Education
- Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California
- J.D. - - 1992
- University of California Santa Barbara
- B.A. - 1988
- Major: Business Economics
Professional Associations
- Kern County Bar Association
Practice Areas
Representative Cases
- Successfully represented the largest private landowner in the Antelope Valley Groundwater Adjudication.
- Represents one of the largest civil contractors in the United States in numerous matters throughout California, including mining issues, Miller Act, mechanic lien, stop notice, and bond claims.
- Represents Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, Watermaster for the Tehachapi and Cummings Groundwater Basins.
- Has assisted numerous large landowners in the purchase, sale, and transfer of water and water rights.
- Part of the litigation team that successfully defended farmers from prosecution under the State and Federal Endangered Species Act.
- Part of the litigation team that successfully prosecuted the first ever inverse condemnation case against the Unites States for the taking of water for the protection of threatened and endangered fish. Robert focused on valuation issues, while his father, William C. Kuhs, focused on establishing liability.
- Robert has represented the Greater Bakersfield Separation of Grade District in acquiring the rights-of-way for many of Kern County’s grade separation projects, including the “H” Street underpass, Coffee Road overpass, 7th Standard Road/Highway 99 overpass, and, most recently the Hageman and Allen Road underpass and interchange.
- Part of the land acquisition team responsible for acquiring by eminent domain more than 200 parcels of land necessary to construct Hyundai’s $60 million test track in California City, the largest automotive test track of its kind in the United States, including a six-mile oval.
- Represented a group of farmers including Bidart Bros., Harris Ranch, and others in negotiating with the federal government for right-of-way for the Path 15 Transmission Line.
- Successfully represented several major timber companies including Sierra Pacific Industries, Fruit Growers Supply Company, and Denny Land and Cattle Company in condemnation proceedings to obtain right-of-way for long haul fiber networks, and secured multi-million-dollar settlements.
- Obtained a $16.7 million jury verdict and $22 million judgment for one of the largest wind energy companies in the world.