Michael picture

Michael Huston

Partner

Orange County

t: (949) 223-1170

d: (949) 250-5433

e: mhuston@awattorneys.com

VCard

Bio

Michael is a partner with the Firm and currently serves as the Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Fillmore and San Dimas. He advises cities on a wide range of public law issues and specializes in land use and planning law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and labor and employment issues. Michael also represents cities in land use and CEQA litigation.

Michael joined Aleshire & Wynder in 2011. Prior to joining the Firm, Michael worked as a research attorney at Lassen County Superior Court and provided assistance to self-represented litigants through the Court's “Access to Justice” Center.

Following law school, he received an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA in 2011. While pursuing his urban planning degree, he externed with the land use divisions of the Fresno City Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

• Muskan Food & Fuel, Inc. v. City of Fresno (2021) 69 Cal.App.5th 372.
In 2021, Michael prevailed for the City of Fresno in a published Court of Appeal decision concerning a project challenger who sued the City over a land use permit.
This published case clarified the legal requirements for the exhaustion of administrative remedies defense.

• Granville Homes, Inc. v. City of Fresno (Cal. Ct. App., June 1, 2020, No. F077870) 2020 WL 2832493.
In 2020, Michael prevailed for the City of Fresno in a case challenging the City’s enactment of a water capacity fee, on the issue that the enactment of the water capacity fee did not constitute approval of a project under CEQA.

• Michael served as the lead associate representing the City of Bell in the litigation involving the California Attorney General’s claims against the “Bell 8”.
People ex rel. Harris v. Rizzo (2013) 214 Cal.App.4th 921, which allowed for recovery against former city officials after Attorney General’s lawsuit was dismissed by the trial court.

• City of Bell v. Superior Court (2013) 220 Cal.App.4th 236, which held that former city manager was not entitled under the terms his employment contract with the City of Bell to payment of his legal fees for his defense in criminal and civil cases against him.

• Assistant City Attorney, Fillmore

• Assistant City Attorney, San Dimas

Assistant City Attorney, Lawndale

State Bar of California

• CalPELRA Annual Conference, November 2022, "Making a Hit- The Retired Annuitant Remix"

• CalPELRA Annual Conference, November 2020, "Labor Negotiations in Times of Fiscal Crisis: Strategies for Confronting New Economic Realities"

• CalGov HR 2020 Conference & Expo, March 2020, 'AB 5 and Independent Contractors - The Saga Continues …'

• CalPELRA Annual Conference, December 2018, 'Navigating the CalPERS Administrative Appeals Process'

• PELRAC Annual Conference, October 2018, 'Skelly 101'

• PELRAC Annual Conference, October 2017, 'Steering Clear of CalPERS hiring Traps: Retired Annuitants, Independent Contractors and Outsourcing' • Antelope Valley PIHRA Chapter meeting, June 2017, 'Supersized Leave/Curbing Leave Abuse'

• University of California, Los Angeles, MA, 2011, Urban Planning

• Chicago-Kent College of Law, JD, 2007

• University of California, Los Angeles, BA, 2003, International Economics/ East Asia area studies, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa