Willis Hon

Willis Hon focuses on serving water industry clients across California on a broad range of administrative and regulatory matters. He has extensive experience before the California Public Utilities Commission where he has participated in a number of ratesetting, adjudicatory, and rulemaking proceedings on behalf of water utility companies, industry associations, and regional transportation agencies. He also provides legal counseling and governance advice to public agencies on regulatory compliance issues, including matters relating to the Brown Act and public procurement laws.

Willis has written and presented on climate change resilience and adaptation matters, with a particular expertise on recent legislation addressing wildfire risks and the doctrine of inverse condemnation. He also has experience representing clients in federal court and before administrative agencies on environmental law matters involving the Clean Water Act and local air quality regulations.

Prior to joining Nossaman, Willis was an associate at a boutique environmental law firm in New York City, where he worked on federal and state environmental litigation and advised clients in regulatory investigations. He also served as a law clerk with the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Law and Policy Section.

Experience

Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee. Serves as special regulatory counsel for independent committee created by the California Public Utilities Commission to provide oversight on safety matters at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Provides advice on regulatory developments before the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission. Acts as liaison for the committee with Energy Division staff at the California Public Utilities Commission.

California Water Association. Represents the statewide association of investor-owned water utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission and the State Water Resources Control Board in proceedings relevant to low-income programs, affordability issues, and other policy matters impacting the delivery of safe, reliable water service at reasonable rates.

Water Utility Companies. Represents multiple water utility companies in California in adjudicatory and rate setting matters (including general rate cases and cost of capital proceedings) and provides counseling on novel issues affecting public utility service from new legislation.

San Francisco County Transportation Authority. Member of team that serves as General Counsel to the Authority, which administers and oversees the delivery of the local transportation sales tax program to fund major transportation infrastructure projects.

Automobile Parts Yard. Member of team that represents a client that sells used automobile parts in a federal court citizen action suit involving claims under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and common law environment tort claims relating to allegations of groundwater contamination.

Solvent Recycling Facility. Member of team that represents a client that operates a solvent recycling and resource recovery facility in a hazardous waste enforcement action by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).

Manufacturing Company. Member of team that represented client in an Order of Abatement hearing before the South Coast Air Quality Management District regarding air emissions and in a Clean Water Act citizen suit relating to allegations of stormwater pollution.

Publications

Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

News

Multimedia

Community & Professional

Asian American Bar Association

California Minority Counsel Program

Water Education Foundation, Water Leaders Program, 2020

Conference of California Public Utility Counsel, Board of Directors, 2024-2027

Conference of California Public Utility Counsel – Young Utilities Lawyers section, Co-Chair, 2020-2022

Bar Association of San Francisco

Honors & Recognitions

Included in Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch for Administrative/Regulatory Law, 2021-2025