Dan N. Raytis

 Dan came to Belden Blaine Raytis, LLP after more than fifteen years at a distinguished public agency and water law firm and the Kern County Water Agency where he served as the Assistant General Counsel.  Dan’s experience during that time was focused on providing general counsel, real property, water law and complex litigation services to various clients, including public agencies (primarily water districts), mutual water companies, and private entities.

Dan has led all areas of litigation, including strategy development, fact investigation, taking and defending depositions, discovery and motion practice, preparing and developing expert witnesses, and drafting appellate briefs.  As an example, Dan was the lead attorney in complex CEQA litigation challenging the certification by the State of California of an Environmental Impact Report for the largest water banking project in the world.  Dan’s clients’ success in that case was reported on several news outlets, including the Bakersfield Californian, Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press.

Outside of litigation and General Counsel services, Dan’s practice is heavily focused on real property and water law.  In this capacity, Dan has facilitated multi-million dollar real property transactions, from negotiations to due diligence to closing.  Dan has handled numerous acquisitions, lease transactions, and easement disputes, as well as other complex matters involving conservation easements and lease-back arrangements.

Dan is one of the few attorneys in Kern County that specializes in water law.  Dan has extensive knowledge and experience in all areas of water law, including ground and surface water rights, reporting and measuring requirements, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and the like.  Dan’s clients’ water transactions have involved water from various sources, including State Water Project, Central Valley Project, the Kern River and groundwater supplies.  Dan's clients also include water districts and water management companies that are establishing the principles of implementation and operation for the first groundwater markets in Kern County.

Dan began his career in San Francisco, working at one of this country’s preeminent law firms (Shook, Hardy & Bacon) representing international tobacco and automotive companies. At Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Dan served on trial teams with some of the most celebrated litigators in the country.

Dan is the proud father of three daughters, Madeline, Lillian and Evelyn, and the proud husband of Katy, his life and business partner.