The federal Civil Rights Act (“Act”) was enacted by Congress in 1964 to protect individual civil liberties, but the Act has evolved over time into a vehicle that can also be used to challenge public agencies on a wide range of topics, as long as there is a constitutional right implicated. This side of the Act recently shocked the County of Sacramento, when a jury awarded a mining operator more than $100 million in compensatory and punitive damages for unconstitutional treatment affecting the business. In my recent Daily Journal of Commerce article, I look at the implications of the verdict in Hardesty v. Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. Read the full article here.

Originally published as “Op-Ed: Draconian results for California agencies in civil rights case”  by the Daily Journal of Commerce on July 21, 2017.

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Ryan Wood practices in the firm’s Real Estate and Construction group and focuses on construction and business litigation. Ryan has a record of success challenging public agencies in bidding and contract administration, achieving favorable results in bid protests and public contract litigation. In…

Ryan Wood practices in the firm’s Real Estate and Construction group and focuses on construction and business litigation. Ryan has a record of success challenging public agencies in bidding and contract administration, achieving favorable results in bid protests and public contract litigation. In addition to his litigation practice, Ryan functions as outside general counsel for both construction and commercial entities, where he advises clients on a wide range of matters affecting the day-to-day operations of their businesses. Ryan also has experience in environmental litigation, appellate and writs, corporate law and intellectual property and licensing.

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