Why Complex Water Law Demands a Collaborative Legal Team

Elizabeth Ewens
Partner, Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources – Water Resources

Abstract

Elizabeth Ewens, Partner in the Environmental, Land Use & Natural Resources Group at Stoel Rives LLP, reflects on why joining the firm was a pivotal move in her career as a California water law attorney. As client needs have expanded beyond traditional water rights into increasingly complex environmental and regulatory challenges, Ewens emphasizes the value of working within a deep, multidisciplinary team that can offer sophisticated, coordinated legal support.

Transcript

My name is Elizabeth Ewens, and I am a partner in the Stoel Rives Sacramento office, and my practice focuses on California Water Resources Law.

Why did joining Stoel feel like the right move for you?

So, I joined Stoel Rives just over five years ago, and it was just a great career move. In my practice area, specifically in water and environmental law, the practice is getting much more complex. We are seeing a lot more litigation, a lot of client needs that go beyond just pure water rights, and it was really important to me to have a talented and very deep bench of professionals who are very good at what they do to support my clients’ needs as they continue to evolve. That is why I came to Stoel, and all expectations have been exceeded. It has been a phenomenal move.

How does Stoel support attorneys as full human beings—both professionally and personally? 

So, one of the things I love about Stoel is it really supports the entire attorney and recognizes that the professionals at all levels in the firm are full human beings with lives and interests that go even outside the practice of law. One of the ways this manifests is a sabbatical program that is offered to attorneys at Stoel. Actually, today is my first day back from a sabbatical. What I really appreciate about this is that it is part of the culture of the firm, and similar to the rest of our day-to-day practices, we support each other. We have each other's backs when someone needs to step away or has a sabbatical and gets to step away for a little bit. We have a team that continues to support the clients so that their needs are fully met and supported even during sabbatical. So, it is a great benefit. It is nice to be back, but it was also nice to be away.