2024 ACWA CLE Virtual Workshop Speakers – September 18

Biography
Alfred Smith is a partner at Nossaman LLP, where he chair’s the firm’s Water Department.  A graduate of the Harvard Law School, Alfred is a nationally recognized expert on water, environmental, and public agency law.  Alfred has successfully litigated multiple trial and appellate proceedings involving water rights and water quality. Alfred also serves as the General Counsel to multiple agencies across the State. 

Alfred serves on the Board of Directors for the Water Education Foundation.  Alfred also serves on the Legal Affairs Committee for ACWA and the Legal Advisory Committee for the California Special District’s Association.

Alfred’s recognitions include being named one of the “Top 100” lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal; a Southern California Super Lawyer^©; a “Legal Visionary” by the Los Angeles Times; one of the Top 100 lawyers in the country by the National Black Lawyers Association; and the Best Lawyers in America^© for Water Law.

Biography
Rebecca Akroyd serves as General Counsel for the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.

The Water Authority was established in January of 1992 and consists of twenty-seven member agencies. Twenty-five of the Water Authority’s member agencies contract with the United States for the delivery of water from the federal Central Valley Project (“CVP”). The CVP water supply serves approximately 1.2 million acres of agricultural lands within areas of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Kings, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties, a portion of the water supply for nearly 2 million people, including in urban areas within Santa Clara County referred to as the “Silicon Valley,” and millions of waterfowl that depend upon nearly 200,000 acres of managed wetlands and other critical habitat within the largest contiguous wetland in the western United States. The Water Authority serves two primary purposes. It operates and maintains certain CVP facilities owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. In addition, the Water Authority advocates for common interests of its members by providing and disseminating information to legislative, administrative and judicial bodies concerning a variety of issues involving the Sacramento and San Joaquin Delta, water supply or water quality.

In her capacity as General Counsel, Ms. Akroyd prepares and issues legal opinions, memoranda, and other legal documents, represents the Water Authority before administrative agencies and federal/state courts, provides legal counsel in planning processes undertaking by or that may impact the Water Authority, analyzes legislation, and coordinates and oversees activities of outside counsel. Prior to joining the Water Authority, Ms. Akroyd was a shareholder with the law firm of Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann, & Girard.

Biography
Sheryl L. Bregman serves as Utilities General Counsel to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and manages the Public Utilities Legal Team for the San Francisco City Attorney. She has served in this position for nearly three years. Before this current role, Ms. Bregman served for over 10 years as General Counsel to the San Francisco International Airport. She joined the Office of the San Francisco City Attorney in 1995. Prior to joining the Office of the City Attorney, Ms. Bregman was in private practice. Ms. Bregman holds a J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a B.A., magna cum laude with honors, from Brandeis University.

Biography
Lauren Layne is a Shareholder at Baker Manock & Jensen, PC in Fresno where she chairs the firm’s Business Department and leads the firm’s Water Law and Public Agency practice groups. Her law practice focuses on general water and environmental law, including CEQA and NEPA compliance, and includes various business transactional matters in the areas of water rights, water quality, public agency law, agribusiness, and real property. She also assists clients with land acquisitions and eminent domain proceedings. In addition to representing private farming clients, she serves as general counsel to various irrigation and water districts, flood control districts, and a number of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies.

Lauren attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she majored in Soil Science, and earned her J.D., with distinction, from McGeorge School of Law.
Lauren is a native of Porterville and has an agricultural background that includes farming and raising sheep. She was very involved in both 4-H and FFA, is a past 4-H Leader, and received her American FFA Degree. She is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences and as immediate Past President to both the Cal Poly Alumni Association and the McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association. She is the Chair of the Association of California Water Agencies (“ACWA”) State Legislative Committee and serves on the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee. Lauren is co-chair of the Fresno County Bar Association Ag Law Section and is a member of Fresno County Farm Bureau.