(530) 798-2416
charkins@chwlaw.us
Conor is an associate in the firm’s Grass Valley and Sacramento offices. Conor litigates a range of disputes for our public agency clients in both trial and appellate courts, including pro bono amicus briefs and an answer to a rare petition for review in the California Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction. As a litigator, Conor supports the firm’s public finance, public records, CEQA, code enforcement, elections, and law enforcement cases. Representative matters include:
• County of Alameda v. Alameda County Taxpayers’ Assn., Inc. (2024) 99 Cal.App.5th 226, a successful defense of Alameda County from a challenge to a sales tax approved by voter initiative;
• Martin v. County of Yuba, Super. Ct. Yuba County, 2022, No. CV22-00504, a successful defense of Yuba County from a California Public Records Act lawsuit;
• Protect Our Plaza v. City of Sonoma, Super. Ct. Sonoma County, 2022, No. SCV-265261, successful defense of the City of Sonoma from a California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit.
• Wilde v. City of Dunsmuir (2020) 9 Cal.5th 1105, successful defense of the City of Dunsmuir’s water rates against a voter referendum as amici curiae before the California Supreme Court.
Conor also supports the firm’s advisory practice by serving as General Counsel for the Humboldt County Association of Governments. Additionally, Conor advises police departments in Auburn, Grass Valley, Lakeport, and Novato on legal developments affecting law enforcement and represents them in discovery proceedings.
While in law school, Conor externed for the Honorable Ronald Robie on California’s Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. He participated in McGeorge’s Moot Court program and his team won best appellate advocates in the Traynor Moot Court Competition. Conor graduated from the McGeorge School of Law with distinction. Before law school, he was a business systems analyst in McKesson Corporation’s IT department. He has a bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Puget Sound.
Conor volunteers as secretary of the Nevada County Bar Association and as a judge for Sacramento County Office of Education’s Mock Trial & Moot Court Competition. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and backpacking in the High Sierra.
Practice Areas:
- California Public Records Act
- California Environmental Quality Act
- Code Enforcement
- Elections
- Public Finance
- Public Safety Defense