2025-’26 ACWA CLE Virtual Workshop Speakers – April 16

Lutfi Kharuf, Partner, Special District & Public Finance, Best Best & Krieger LLP

Biography
Lutfi Kharuf is a partner in the Special Districts and Public Finance practice groups of Best Best & Krieger LLP. Lutfi works with public agencies on compliance with constitutional and statutory limitations on imposing fees, charges and taxes, including Proposition 218 and Proposition 26. In this capacity, Lutfi assists public agencies with adopting new and increased fees, charges, assessments and taxes, as well as forming community facilities districts and assessment districts. Lutfi serves public agencies all over California, as well as across the country, from BBK’s San Diego office. Lutfi serves as chair of the firm’s Recruiting Committee, as well as the chair of the Municipal Finance Committee of the California League of Cities. Lutfi also sits on the Legal Affairs Committee for the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), where he works to achieve impactful legislative and judicial results on matters of statewide concern involving Proposition 218, Proposition 26, and protecting water agency revenues.

Prior to joining BBK, Lutfi worked as bond, disclosure, and issuer’s counsel to cities, special districts and other public agencies in California. Lutfi has experience advising clients on complex tax, securities and constitutional issues arising out of public finance transactions. Lutfi previously worked in the corporate and finance group of an international law firm in Frankfurt, Germany.

While earning his law degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, Lutfi was a member of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. After completing law school, Lutfi received his master of law in finance from the Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main, Institute for Law and Finance, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Claire H. Collins, Partner, Hanson Bridgett LLP

Biography
Claire Collins is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP. She serves as General Counsel to Irvine Ranch Water District, Trabuco Canyon Water District, Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District, and the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority, and as special counsel to a variety of other agencies across California on issues of public revenues, real estate, joint powers authorities, and ethics. Her biggest contracting pet peeves are the passive voice and the use of archaic terms like “witnesseth”, “hereinbefore”, and “wherein.”

Scott Shapiro, Partner, Downey Brand

Biography
Scott Shapiro is a partner at the Sacramento based firm of Downey Brand.  Scott provided general and special counsel services to a variety of water and flood agencies in California covering all of the various services provided by counsel.  He gets particularly annoyed when people try to put operative provisions in the recitals.

Kayla C. Villa, Esq, Litigation Manager, ACWA JPIA

Biography
Kayla C. Villa joined the ACWA JPIA in January 2024 and serves as the Litigation Manager. In this role, she oversees and directs outside counsel retained to defend member agencies in litigated claims and manages complex liability matters.

Kayla is a frequent presenter at industry conferences, including ACWA Conferences, ACWA JPIA Summits, and California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA) Conferences. Her presentations focus on emerging issues impacting public agencies, litigation trends, and the critical role of effective risk transfer strategies in managing exposure.

Kayla earned her undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and her Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Prior to joining ACWA JPIA, she spent more than 15 years in private practice representing public agencies throughout California in a wide range of litigated matters, including complex liability claims, dangerous conditions of public property, inverse condemnation, personal injury, and employment litigation.

Kayla is an active member of the State Bar of California.