2026 ACWA CLE Virtual Workshop Speakers – September 30 Sep 20, 2026 SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES ACWA appreciates the 2026 ACWA CLE Virtual Workshop Series speakers for sharing their time, expertise and insights on these topics. SEPTEMBER 30 (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM) Water Rights 101: Fundamentals of California Surface Water Rights 2026 ACWA Legal Affairs Committee Vice Chair: Nicholas Whipps, Deputy City Attorney, Office of City Attorney David Chiu Biography Nick Whipps is the Vice Chair of the ACWA Legal Affairs Committee. He has served as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2019, advising the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on a variety of municipal, finance, and environmental law issues. Prior to joining the City Attorney’s Office, Nick practiced at Wittwer Parkin LLP and the Center for Biological Diversity. Speaker: Brett A. Stroud, Partner, Young Wooldridge LLP Biography Brett Stroud is a partner in the Water Law and Special Districts Department at Young Wooldridge, LLP. His practice is focused on complex litigation, writs, and appeals. He represents the firm’s public agency clients and others in a broad variety of litigation matters, including water rights cases, CEQA challenges, validation actions, Prop 218/26 challenges, eminent domain actions, federal takings cases, public nuisance cases, and proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board. He also serves as General Counsel to several public water agencies.
