Bill picture

Bill Wynder

Of Counsel

Los Angeles

t: (310) 527-6660

d: (310) 527-6667

e: wwynder@awattorneys.com

VCard

Bio

Mr. Wynder, one of two named partners who were instrumental in forming a firm determined to become a premier law firm devoted to the practice of public law, has transitioned his status from that of equity partner to being of-counsel.  Over his career, Mr. Wynder has specialized in the fields of municipal governance, land use & zoning law, general public law, municipal litigation, constitutional torts, and election matters.  Most recently, Mr. Wynder assisted the City of Rancho Palos Verdes in the acquisition of 96 acres of scenic coastal land to forever protect the Lower Filiorum and Plumtree properties from threats of development.  He will, however, remain actively involved in assisting the City of Carson in the enforcement and collection of its Oil Industry Business License tax involving the major oil refineries in that community.  Mr. Wynder is looking forward to enjoying more time pursuing his outside interests.  He, and his wife Carol, are the parents of seven children and the grand-parents of 17 perfect grand-children.  They plan on devoting more time traveling to and spending time with family.

Mr. Wynder was part of a team of litigators who obtained a landmark published ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversing a nearly $8 million trial verdict against firm client the City of Carson.

He further briefed and argued an appeal involving in a dispute, spanning almost 13 years, and two trips to the California Court of Appeals.  In response to Bill’s arguments, the California Court of Appeals, in a published opinion reported at Carson Harbor Village v. City of Carson (2015) 239 Cal.App.4th 56, acknowledged the error of its prior opinion and ruled in favor of the City. 

Mr. Wynder has extensive appellate experience and has acted as counsel (or amicus) in more than a dozen published state and federal appellate decisions, including:

  • 218 Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 182
  • Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 840
  • Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates, LLC v. City of Los Angeles (2012) 55 Cal.4th 783 (as amicus curiae)
  • Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (9th Cir. 2011) 640 F.3d 948
  • Colony Cove Properties, LLC v. City of Carson (2010) 187 Cal.App.4th 1487
  • El Dorado Palm Springs, Ltd. v. City of Palm Springs, 96 Cal.App.4th 1153 (2002)

Mr. Wynder succeeded in expanding the protections afforded taxpayers and every public agency in California under Government Code § 1090 (one of the State’s important conflict of interest statutes). 

In Carson Redevelopment Agency v. Padilla (2006) 140 Cal.App.4th 1323, the Court of Appeals extended the reach of Section 1090 to include a governmental decision to award a contract to private party defendant who was the victim of extortion by a corrupt public official (the court declared the contract void and required the private party defendant to disgorge $1 million in financial benefits back to the local municipality). 

Mr. Wynder protected the independence of local administrative agencies in Carson Gardens, LLC v. City of Carson (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 856. 

In two other important cases affecting local governments in California, he succeeded in: (1) defending the authority of a City Council to remove from office an elected City Clerk due to his lack of residency within the city (Nicolopolus v. City of Lawndale (2001) 91 Cal.App.4th 221), and (2) persuading the Court of Appeals that cities do not owe a “special duty” to warn visitors to their public parks of the possible presence of gang members (Muñoz v. City of Carson, Second Appellate District (2013) Case No. B-237951).  The national implications of the latter case were considered in a January, 2014, issue of “Parks & Recreation” (www.nrpa.org) in an article entitled, “Website Invitation to ‘Dangerous Park.’”)

Effective January 1, 2024, Mr. Wynder has transitioned his City clients to other partners in the Firm and has assumed the status of-counsel to the municipal clients of the Firm.

  • City Attorney & General Counsel, City of Glendora & Housing Authority (5 years).

  • City Attorney & General Counsel, City of Rancho Palos Verdes & Housing Authority (5 years).

  • City Attorney & General Counsel, City of Carson & Carson RDA (over 11 years),

  • City Attorney& General Counsel, City of Cypress & Cypress RDA (over 16 years),

  • City Attorney, City of Lawndale & Lawndale RDA (13 years)

  • Assistant City Attorney, Signal Hill, Irwindale, and Palm Springs (collectively 12 years)

  • General Counsel, Palmdale Water District (2 years)

  • General Counsel, Rossmoor Community Services District (10 years)

  • Special Counsel, Carson Mobilehome Park Rent Review Board (10 years) 

  • Special Counsel, Palm Springs Rent Review Commission (over 11 years)

• State Bar of California

• United States Supreme Court

• US Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit

• US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit

• US District Court, Central, CA

• US District Court, Eastern, CA

• US District Court, Northern, CA

• US Tax Court

:  Mr. Wynder was asked to take a sabbatical from his law practice to serve as the Director of the Historic Kirtland Visitors’ Center, and related sites, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This sprawling complex in Northeastern Ohio hosts some 75,000 visitors annually.  During his tenure, Mr. Wynder supervised a staff of 50 docents in publicly exhibiting a “restored” Village of Kirtland, and he coordinated with the work of forensic archeologists, archivists, and site restoration specialists in the Church’s ongoing historic site acquisition, provenance, and preservation activities in this early Mormon community established in the 1830s.  Since his return to the Firm, he and his wife return twice a year to serve as volunteer docents at the Kirtland Temple, guiding visitors through this 182-year-old historic structure which was the first of the restoration era temples. 

  • Bill is a 1978 cum laude graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law.  He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperdine Law Review, and earned the “Best Advocate” award in its prestigious Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition.
  • Following graduation, Bill clerked for the Honorable Harry Phillips (dec.), then-Chief Judge of the Sixth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. 
  • Bill began his legal career in 1979 with the international law firm of Latham & Watkins.  He later joined the firm of Rutan & Tucker to try the then-largest municipal law litigation in Orange County.   (See, Golden West Baseball Co. v. City of Anaheim (1994) 25 Ca1. App. 4th 11.)
  • Bill along with Dave Aleshire form Aleshire & Wynder, LLP (2003).
  • University of Utah, BA, 1975
    magna cum laude