Partner
Albert J. Maldonado
Albert J. Maldonado is a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP’s (BBK) Municipal Law and Special Districts practice groups. He provides legal counsel to cities and special districts managing land use, constitutional and ethics issues, and drafting and negotiating various types of contracts. Albert advises clients on the application of California’s transparency and ethics laws, including the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act and conflict of interest laws. He is also well-versed in dealing with sidewalk vendor issues and has drafted sidewalk vending ordinances for several California cities.
Albert serves as city attorney to the City of San Bernardino, assistant town attorney to the Town of Apple Valley, assistant city attorney to the City of Upland, and general counsel to the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Park District. In these roles, he reviews and helps negotiate public contracts, including those for which the State or the United States government has provided grant funding. He also assists in preparing bid packages and reviewing bids received.
Albert also advises on all aspects of the planning and development process including the review of use permits, variances, general and specific plans, development code compliance and amendments, and compliance with the Subdivision Map Act.
Albert has served as general counsel to the City of Ontario’s Community Life & Culture Agency, which oversees the Recreation & Community Services Department, the city’s libraries and the Museum of History. He also provided pro bono counsel to the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library Foundation.
During law school at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Albert participated in the school’s U.S. Supreme Court Clinic, where he helped draft petitions for certiorari and amicus and merits briefs. He was an associate editor of the Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy and interned for the National Immigrant Justice Center’s Children’s Protection Project.
Albert was also involved with the National Latina/o Law Student Association, culminating in serving as the organization’s director of public relations from 2016-2017. He has also served on the organization’s alumni advisory board.
Albert is passionate about community engagement and about increasing diversity in higher education and in the legal profession. He is a founding board member of the Hispanic Bar Association of the Inland Empire. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario-Montclair School District Foundation, which fundraises for and institutes the Promise Scholars Program — a program that works to ensure students have post-secondary education opportunities. Albert grew up in Alta Loma, California and enjoys dancing, especially salsa and bachata. He also plays the piano.
Represented and assisted the City of Ontario and a consortium of community partners to apply for a State of California’s Transformative Climate Communities Program grant. Grant was awarded in 2018 and Albert assisted drafting pass-through agreements with each of the nine partners to govern the money’s distribution and the proper administration of the programming in accordance with the Master Agreement between the City and the State. The money funded new projects regarding housing, transportation, workforce development, small business development and environmental sustainability initiatives, focusing especially in the City’s downtown commercial areas.
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Municipal Law, 2026-2027
- Annual Hot List, Lawyers of Color, 2022
- Federal Bar Association, Chicago Chapter, Lefkow Fellowship, 2015
- Hispanic Bar Association of the Inland Empire Board, Co-Founder, Past President, Advisory Board
- Ontario-Montclair School District Foundation Board of Directors, Past President
- West End Family Counseling, Board Member
- San Bernardino Symphony, Board Member
- Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation, Board Member
- Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance, Los Angeles Chapter, former Board Member
- Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance, National Board of Directors, former Vice President of Finance
Publications
- “Cruz Reynoso and California Rural Legal Assistance: Achieving Justice,” Riverside Lawyer Magazine, Mar. 2020
- “HBAIE Launches to Serve and Connect the Hispanic Community,” Riverside Lawyer Magazine, Dec. 2018
Presentations
- "Opening Plenary to the Convention: 250 Years of the Great Experiment and Beyond, Through the Latino Lens," Hispanic National Bar Association, Annual National Convention, Sept. 10, 2026
- “IE Latino Voices, A Conversation with Albert Maldonado,” KVCR / 91.9 NPR News, Jan. 28, 2026
- “Planning Commissioner Jeopardy!” League of California Cities Planning Commissioners Academy, March 12, 2026
- "Local Protections During Immigration Enforcement Actions," Municipal Management Association of Southern California Annual Conference, Nov. 13, 2025
- “Advising Pre-Law Students on Applying to Law School & Paths in the Legal Profession,” Hispanic Bar Association of the Inland Empire and California State University San Bernardino “Ask Me Anything” Roundtable Discussion, Apr. 9, 2025
- “Planning Commissioner Jeopardy,” League of California Cities 2025 Planning Commissioners Academy, March 6, 2025
- Harvard Latinx Graduation Celebration for Class of 2024
- “Associated Students of UC Riverside’s Law Day,” UC Riverside Law Day, May 2, 2024
- “Planning Commissioner Jeopardy,” League of California Cities Planning Commissioners Academy, Mar. 7, 2024
- “Park and Recreation Law Jeopardy!” California Park & Recreation Society Conference & Expo, Feb. 29, 2024
- “Municipal Law Jeopardy,” Municipal Management Association of Southern California Annual Conference, Nov. 2, 2023
- “State of Diversity in the Legal Profession,” Joint General Membership Meeting, Riverside County Bar Association and Hispanic Bar Association of the Inland Empire, Jun. 23, 2023
- “Park and Recreation Law Jeopardy!,” California Park & Recreation Society's Conference & Expo, Apr. 6, 2023
- “Planning Commissioner Jeopardy,” League of California Cities Planning Commissioners Academy, Mar. 30, 2023
- “Ethics and Government – Cross-jurisdictional Jeopardy,” NALEO 14th Biennial National Institute for Newly Elected Officials, Nov. 18, 2022
- “Municipal Law Jeopardy,” Municipal Management Association of Southern California Annual Conference, Nov. 3, 2022
- “Municipal Law Jeopardy,” National Association of Latino Elected Officials Annual Conference, June 24, 2022
- Alumni Keynote Speaker, Claremont Colleges Latinx Graduation, Chicano Latino Student Affairs, May 13, 2022
- “Do You Speak My Language? Language Inclusivity and Belonging in my Community,” League of California Cities City Clerks New Law and Elections Seminar, Dec. 8, 2021
- “1L/2L Summer Employment Law Panel,” National Latina/o Law Student Association, Nov. 19, 2021
- “Municipal Law Jeopardy,” Municipal Management Association of Southern California Annual Conference, Oct. 28, 2021
- “Becoming a Lawtinx,” Chicano Latino Student Affairs Latinos in Law Virtual Workshop, Oct. 20, 2021
- “Municipal Law Jeopardy,” Municipal Management Association of Southern California Summer Session, July 29, 2021
- “Rules of Engagement in Local Governments,” Leadership Charlas for Newly Elected Officials, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, Apr. 30, 2021
- “Trailblazers: Where Can a Law Degree Take You In Your Career?” Pathways Webinar Series, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Mar. 30, 2021
