Stanley C. Hatch

Stanley Hatch "is a founding member of Hatch & Parent and served as its Managing Partner from 1968 to 1991. He has more than 38 years experience in land use regulation, public agency and water law and has been "of counsel" to the firm since 2001.

"Mr. Hatch's public agency clients include a major coastal water authority and numerous other governmental and private water purveyors.

"He has significant experience in providing legal counsel and advice to senior management and governing boards of public agencies, having served as general and special counsel for a number of water authorities and special districts throughout his career and having served as special water counsel as well as City Attorney for a variety of government agencies and cities in California.

"While serving as President of the State Water Contractors Association, Mr. Hatch was a lead urban negotiator in a process that resulted in the " Monterey Amendments" to the State Water Contract, which, in turn, resulted in a potential reduction in future State Water Project costs to urban water users in California of over $1.5 billion.

"Mr. Hatch was one of the early leaders in implementing technological advancements in the legal profession in the 1980s and served on the national board of directors of LawNet, Inc., as its Executive Vice President.

"After graduation from Harvard Law School, Mr. Hatch served two years in the U.S. Air Force as a Judge Advocate. In 1961, he joined the Santa Barbara Office of County Counsel, and also served as the County's Legislative Advocate for four years. During this period he successfully litigated the landmark case which removed all billboards from the highways in Santa Barbara County.

"After opening his own law offices in 1965, he successfully won watershed of origin protection for his clients on the Santa Ynez River in several important cases before the State Water Resources Control Board. Mr. Hatch also served as General Counsel for the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions under the late Robert M. Hutchins."


 * Chair, Direct Relief International