John E. Brown has represented a wide variety of California public agencies, including cities and special districts, as city attorney, general and special counsel and bond counsel. With more than 42 years of experience as a public lawyer, he has successfully represented clients who have encountered nearly every legal challenge confronting public agencies. Splitting his time between Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Ontario and Riverside offices, John is passionate about the importance of the role of general counsel, particularly when his public agency clients encounter political crisis. The public agencies he has served, and continues to serve, are located in some of the fastest growing areas in California. Over the past few decades, he has assisted clients in resolving nearly every legal controversy involving public agencies, including growth moratoriums, censure of public officials and acquisition of private water companies.
City Attorney
John serves as the city attorney for the City of Ontario. He has served as the city attorney for cities throughout California since 1975, and as the town attorney of the Town of Apple Valley. Even prior to graduating from Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, John was introduced to the challenges of running a municipal corporation when he was appointed interim city manager of Unalaska, Alaska (Dutch Harbor) shortly after arriving in the Aleutian Islands for a summer planning internship in 1973. Since joining BB&K, John has represented more than two dozen cities as city attorney, including Lafayette, Redlands, Desert Hot Springs, Perris, San Jacinto, Shafter and Taft.
General Counsel
John also acts as general counsel for special districts and other public agencies. He has served as general counsel to the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District for more than 40 years and also acts as general counsel to the Hi-Desert Water District. John is also general counsel of the March Joint Powers Authority and the March Inland Port Airport Authority, the local reuse authorities for the former March Air Force Base in Southern California.
Public Agency Best Practices
With decades of experience working with public agencies, John continuously parlays lessons learned into best practices that he shares with public officials. Whether it’s presenting a panel about social media use at the California Special Districts Association conference or leading a recent workshop on handling governing board disputes for the California Special Districts Association leadership summit, John makes helping the communities he serves a priority.
Recognized Firm Leader
John joined the firm in 1975 and chaired the firm’s Municipal Law practice group from 1996 to 2008. He has also served on the firm’s Executive Committee and as its marketing partner. John is admitted to practice in the State of California.
Community Service
John has served as the president of the Board of Directors of the Mission Inn Foundation as well as treasurer and vice-president of the California Historical Society. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Samuel Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts in Rancho Cucamonga and the Board of Directors of the California Citrus State Historic Park Nonprofit Management Corporation in Riverside.
Education
- University of California, Berkeley Law School, J.D.
- Occidental College, M.A., urban studies
- Claremont McKenna College, B.A., magna cum laude
Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Municipal Law, 2012-2019
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent™ Rated, since 1995
- Southern California Super Lawyers, 2007, 2010-2012