On December 2, 2020, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati filed a complaint in Kern County Superior Court in California on behalf of a consortium of prominent environmental groups comprising the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Audubon California, The Endangered Habitats League, and the Planning and Conservation League. The lawsuit was filed against the Tejon Ranch Co. and Tejon RanchCorp. (collectively “TRC”), alleging that TRC breached its obligation under the landmark Tejon Ranch Conservation and Land Use Agreement by failing to make promised payments to Tejon Ranch Conservancy—a nonprofit organization created under the agreement to oversee conservation of the protected lands at Tejon Ranch, foster scientific research, and manage public access.

“These payments are the conservancy’s lifeblood. Without them, the conservancy may be unable to, for example, prevent invasive species from taking root on the property or keep cattle from running roughshod over streambeds,” says Joel Reynolds, senior attorney of NRDC and chairman of the 12-member conservancy board.

The ranch is a unique crossroads of natural habitats and a diverse array of rare species. The purpose of the underlying Land Use Agreement is to preserve 90 percent of the 270,000-acre ranch in a natural state.

“We are proud to represent these venerable conservation organizations in this critical effort to preserve the extraordinary beauty and biodiversity of Tejon Ranch, and to support the inspiring work of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy to maintain the land,” says Wilson Sonsini partner David Berger.

For additional information, please see coverage from LA Times and Courthouse News.