What Somach Simmons & Dunn does

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize specialty law firm founded by Stuart Somach and Paul S. Simmons, headquartered in Sacramento with offices in Washington D.C. and Boulder, Colorado. The firm concentrates on water, environmental, natural resources, and public-agency law, serving irrigation districts, settlement contractors, municipalities, joint powers authorities, and state governments across the Western United States.

The firm's practice spans ten core areas—Water Resources, Water Quality, Agriculture, Air Quality, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Review, Land Use, Litigation and Appellate, Local Government/Public Agency, and Toxics and Hazardous Waste—supplemented by neutral mediation services and policy alert publications. Its work covers the full regulatory lifecycle from permitting and CEQA review through ESA Section 7 consultation and federal appellate litigation, including appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court. The firm represents institutional clients in complex, multi-decade matters such as interstate stream compacts, water rights deliveries, and federal Endangered Species Act compliance.

The firm operates as a traditional professional services partnership, compensated through hourly billing, flat fees, and retainer arrangements negotiated directly with clients. There is no public revenue disclosure and no intermediary distribution model; client acquisition is driven by reputation, partner relationships, and demonstrated success in high-stakes regulatory and appellate forums. Following Paul S. Simmons's 2025 retirement, Theresa Barfield serves as Managing Shareholder, and the firm maintains continuity under its established brand.

Name

Somach Simmons & Dunn

Legal name

Somach Simmons & Dunn

Website

https://somachlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize specialty law firm focused on water, environmental, and natural resources law, serving Western irrigation districts, municipalities, settlement contractors, and state governments through litigation, regulatory counsel, and mediation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Water Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Environmental law services
• Water rights law
• Public agency counsel
• CEQA and NEPA compliance
• Appellate litigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Professional Services: The firm generates revenue through legal fees for water law, environmental law, land use, litigation, and public agency representation services. Fees are structured through hourly billing, flat fees for specific matters, and ongoing retainer arrangements with public agency clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize law firm providing specialized legal services in water law, environmental law, land use, air quality, agriculture, hazardous waste, and public agency matters. The firm represents public agencies, irrigation districts, and private sector clients across the Western United States in regulatory compliance, litigation, transactional matters, and policy advocacy. Services are delivered through ten core practice areas plus mediation and alternative dispute resolution.

Product overview

Somach Simmons & Dunn is a midsize environmental and water law firm offering a unified portfolio of legal services rather than a software product platform. The firm's practice is organized into ten core practice areas: Water Resources, Water Quality, Agriculture, Air Quality, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Review, Land Use, Litigation and Appellate Practice, Local Government/Public Agency Law, and Toxics and Hazardous Waste. These practices are complemented by specialized mediation services and informational products including policy alerts and publications that keep clients informed of legal developments. The firm serves public and private sector clients across the Western United States in regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Resources Practice Legal representation and counsel on water rights, water supply, and water resource management matters for public agencies, irrigation districts, and private sector clients across the Western United States.
• Water Quality Practice Counsel on water quality regulations, compliance, and enforcement actions under federal and state water quality laws including the Clean Water Act and Porter-Cologne.
• Agriculture Practice Legal services for agricultural clients addressing water rights, irrigation, land use, and regulatory compliance at the intersection of agriculture and water/environmental law.
• Air Quality Practice Representation on air quality regulations, compliance, permitting, and enforcement matters under federal and state air quality laws.
• Endangered Species Act Practice Counsel on ESA compliance, litigation, and regulatory matters involving endangered species and wetlands protection.
• Environmental Review Practice CEQA and NEPA compliance counsel, environmental impact review, and permitting for development and infrastructure projects.
• Land Use Practice Legal services for land development, land use regulations, zoning, and entitlements.
• Litigation and Appellate Practice Trial and appellate litigation services in state and federal courts, including Supreme Court arguments, on water, environmental, and land use matters.
• Local Government and Public Agency Law Practice Outside general counsel services for special districts and public agencies including Brown Act, Public Records Act, and employment law matters.
• Toxics and Hazardous Waste Practice Counsel on hazardous waste regulations, compliance, remediation, and enforcement under RCRA and state hazardous waste laws.
• Mediation Services Alternative dispute resolution services using mediators with expertise in water law to resolve conflicts outside of traditional courtroom settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully represented clients before U.S. Supreme Court including unanimous victories
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Remy Moose Manley LLP: Northern California environmental and land use boutique serving public agencies and developers on CEQA, water, and natural resources matters. Directly comparable niche practice; former employer of Somach shareholder Casey Shorrock.
• Best Best & Krieger LLP: California-based midsize law firm with a nationally recognized water, municipal, and special district practice. Directly comparable to Somach Simmons & Dunn in serving public agencies on water rights, CEQA, and public agency law across the Western U.S.
• Nossaman LLP: California-headquartered firm with a recognized water, environmental, and infrastructure practice. Comparable in advising public agencies and infrastructure owners on water rights, CEQA/NEPA, and major project counsel.
• Downey Brand LLP: Northern California-based full-service firm with a leading water law practice advising irrigation districts, municipalities, and agricultural clients. Closely comparable practice mix and client base to Somach Simmons & Dunn.
• Holland & Hart LLP: Western U.S. law firm with a well-established water and natural resources practice covering the Colorado River Basin and other Western compacts. Comparable in water rights counseling, ESA, and interstate compact work.
• Stoel Rives LLP: Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. law firm with substantial environmental, water, and natural resources practices. Comparable in serving Western agricultural, municipal, and infrastructure clients on regulatory and litigation matters.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP: Western U.S. law firm with a top-tier water and natural resources practice representing irrigation districts, municipalities, and energy clients. Comparable to Somach Simmons & Dunn in policy advocacy, litigation, and water rights counsel across the American West.
• Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Schieffer LLP: California-based firm specializing in water, environmental, and constitutional law with deep agricultural water rights experience. Directly comparable niche focus on California water and irrigation district representation.

Broad incumbents

• Mayer Brown LLP: Global law firm with a Supreme Court and appellate practice that competes for major water compact and environmental cases. Comparable in SCOTUS-level water litigation capability, but operates as a much larger, diversified platform.
• Omelveny & Myers LLP: Large national law firm with an environmental and energy practice that handles major water and ESA matters. Overlaps with Somach Simmons & Dunn at the high end of water litigation, but offers broader corporate and litigation capabilities as a full-service platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2266953

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Somach Simmons & Dunn