Donald R. Lincoln

phone
(877) 569-1635
(619) 544-0123

fax
(619) 544-9110

Donald R. Lincoln has been practicing law since 1968, was one of the firm's founding partners, and currently continues to practice law with the firm in an Of Counsel status.  While he has wide experience in many areas of civil law, his primary practice has involved representing municipal and other clients in complex administrative, trial and appellate proceedings.

Mr. Lincoln has served clients in numerous types of matters and proceedings.  He has represented municipalities in civil disputes ranging from employment discrimination and termination matters to water rights litigation. He has also negotiated contracts for the sale and purchase of electrical energy, participated in the drafting of local, state and federal legislation and obtained court approval of the first voluntary school integration plan for a major urban school district.

Mr. Lincoln has been Counsel of record in more than thirty-five reported appellate cases covering a wide range of issues.  He has twice successfully represented municipal clients in the United States Supreme Court.  The first case which centered on a water and power dispute included as parties five Indian Bands, the Department of the Interior and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  The second case was a landmark proceeding which upheld a city's right to enact mobilehome park space rent regulation.  Other career highlights include successfully representing fifty-two California counties in a property tax case before the Ninth Circuit, and arguing on behalf of seventy-six cities in a rent control case before the California Supreme Court. He also has regularly appeared in the California Courts of Appeal where his successes include reversing a $55 million eminent domain verdict against a county.

Mr. Lincoln received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1962 and his law degree from Duke University in 1967. In 1989 he also received an L.L.M. in Tax from the University of San Diego.

He has held many positions in his local church and is active in many other community activities including the La Jolla Rotary Club. He served in the United States Navy and is now retired with the rank of Commander.

Areas of Practice:

Appellate

Condemnation

Public Agency

Bar Admissions:

California, 1968

U.S. Federal Court, 1968

U.S. Supreme Court, 1971

U.S. Tax Court, 1989

Education:

University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, California, 1989
L.L.M., Master of Law -Tax

Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina, 1967
L.L.B., Bachelor of Law

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1962
A.B., Bachelor of Arts

Representative Cases:

Yee v. City of Escondido, 503 U.S. 519, 112 S. Ct. 1522 (  1992)

Escondido Mut. Water Co. v. La Jolla Band of Mission Indians et al, 466 U.S. 765, 104 S.Ct. 2105 (  1984)

Marvin F. Poer and Co. v. Counties of Alameda, 725 F.2d 1234 (C.A.9 (Cal.) 1984)

Galland v. City of Clovis, 24 Cal.4th 1003, 16 P.3d 130, 103 Cal.Rptr.2d 711 (  2001)

Crawford v. Board of Ed. of City of Los Angeles, 551 P.2d 28 (Cal. 1976)

Representative Clients:

San Diego Unified School District

City of Carpinteria

City of Escondido

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Kearny Mesa Rotary Club, 1987 - 1988

President

La Jolla Rotary Club

Past Employment Positions:

United States Navy