Jason Ackerman
Ackerman Law is committed to providing high-quality legal services in matters related to land use, environmental law, and public utilities. We represent private businesses, non-profit organizations, community organizations, and public agencies.
Email: jason.ackerman@ackermanlawpc.com
Phone: 909-456-1460
Bio
Prior to opening Ackerman Law, Jason was a Partner at the largest law firm in the Inland Empire where he provided clients with strategic transactional and litigation services for nearly 14 years. Jason provided clients with exceptional legal services on issues related to land use, environmental law, water law, and public utilities regulation. Jason was instrumental in starting the firm’s Renewable Energy Practice Group and Public Utilities Commission Practice Group.
Experience
Representative Matters
Land Use
- Assisted client with processing an application to develop a 40-acre, 80 unit residential project in the Coachella Valley.
- Assisted a client with evaluating strategies for processing an application for a 148-acre residential project in Riverside County.
- Assisted a client with the development of a 135-unit residential project in Moreno Valley.
- Assisted client with securing entitlements for 185 residential lots in Yucaipa.
California Environmental Quality Act
- Successfully litigated two separate CEQA cases involving regionally significant proposed changes in location of use of water in California’s Central Valley; secured significant attorneys’ fees award for public agency client.
- Successfully defended a CEQA lawsuit challenging the City of Fontana’s approval of a Walmart shopping center.
- Successfully defended a CEQA lawsuit challenging the City of Ontario’s approval of a large-scale distribution center.
- Successfully defended a Notice of Exemption issued by the San Bernardino County Local Agency Formation Commission related to the consolidation of two local water districts.
California Public Utilities Commission
- Successfully prosecuted and settled a commercial-customer complaint alleging nearly 10 years of over-billing by a Class A water company.
- Successfully moved to dismiss a complaint filed at the CPUC challenging the City of Riverside’s certified EIR for a regional transmission project.
- Successfully negotiated the under-grounding of 4.2 miles of aerial electric facilities to further a municipal client’s thoroughfare beautification project as part of a General Rate Case.
- Represented a coalition of water districts and school districts before the CPUC to secure rate certainty on a distributed generation tariff.
- Negotiated utility-paid under-grounding of aerial telecommunication facilities.
- Represented municipal client in a Class A regulated water company General Rate Case; Negotiated a settlement to remove more than $14.5M from rate base.
Education
- University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, JD, December 2001
- San Francisco State University, BA, Philosophy, May 1996
Admissions
- State Bar of California
- United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of California.
Leadership, Awards, and Community Involvement
- Super Lawyers, Rising Star
- Board of Directors, Building Industry Association- Baldy View Chapter
- Practice Group Leader, Public Utilities Practice Group (prior firm)
- Committee Member, Coachella Valley Economic Partnership Renewable Energy Roundtable DRECP Sub-Committee
- Committee Member, Building Industry Association, Baldy-View Chapter Programs Committee
- Member, Desert Valley Builders Association
- Member, Conference of California Public Utilities Counsel
- Teacher, Endangered Species and Conservation Planning, UC Riverside Extension
- Recipient of Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services
- Presentation, Association of California Water Agencies-Energy Committee re SDG&E GRC
- Presentation, Association of California Water Agencies re Public Agency Procurement of Solar Facilities
- Presentation, Coachella Valley Energy Summit re Permitting Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
- Presentation, Solar Power Partners Consulting Seminar, Building Successful RFPs
- Presentation, California Association of Special Districts, Navigating Permitting and Regulatory Approval for Solar Projects
- Presentation, San Diego County Water Authority, SDG&E GRC
- Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association since 2005; Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2008)
Hobbies & Interests
- Surfing, snowboarding and other family-oriented activities; CrossFit
