COSTA MESA, Calif., December 5, 2012 – William H. (Bill) Ihrke, a partner with Rutan & Tucker, LLP, Orange County’s largest full-service public agency and business law firm, has recently been honored by the Daily Journal, California’s leading legal news provider, as one of the state’s 25 most impactful municipal lawyers. The publication acknowledged Ihrke’s leadership in the field of municipal law, where he has been in a leadership role dealing with the fallout that has come as the result of the dissolution of the state’s former redevelopment agencies.
Ihrke is currently representing a coalition of Los Angeles and Orange County cities led by Cerritos that is contending the legislation implementing the dissolution and “winding down” process of redevelopment agencies violates various provisions of the state Constitution. The case is currently in a state court of appeal and focuses on claims that the California Supreme Court expressly decided not to consider in a prior case challenging the redevelopment dissolution law.
Overall his practice emphasis includes land use, post-redevelopment implementation, environmental compliance, public agency taxation and finance, and general municipal laws, as well as advising clients on the development and financing of affordable and market rate housing, and commercial and residential mixed-use projects. He has litigation and transactional experience in several areas affecting both public and private clients, and he regularly advises clients on federal and state housing laws, relocation requirements for businesses and residences, land use entitlement obligations, and planning and zoning compliance.
Ihrke served as a staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where he advised appellate judges on cases involving constitutional and federal regulatory requirements, among other matters. He received his law degree from the George Washington University Law School with honors in 1999 after spending one year as a California Senate Fellow, serving as a consultant to the Senate Local Government Committee. He received his undergraduate degree from Claremont McKenna College in 1995, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County.
“We are pleased that Bill has been singled out for this distinct honor by the Daily Journal,” said Hans Van Ligten, head of Rutan & Tucker’s statewide Government and Regulatory Law Department, which represents municipalities, school districts, special districts, property owners and others in a broad range of issues including land use, environmental, employment, redevelopment, litigation, municipal finance, ethics, and elections issues.
About Rutan & Tucker LLP
With offices in Costa Mesa and Palo Alto, Rutan & Tucker is California’s largest full-service law firm headquartered in Orange County, California. Primary practice areas include business and real estate litigation, corporate and securities law, labor and employment law, intellectual property, real estate, municipal and government agency law, land use law, bankruptcy, condemnation and property valuation, environmental law, and taxation and estate planning. Detailed information about the firm is available at www.rutan.com.