Biography

Josh Katz practices in the areas of municipal law, environmental law, administrative law, water law, electric utility regulation, and civil litigation. He represents municipalities, river authorities, water districts, and private entities in these and related matters before state agencies and in state and federal courts.

Before joining Bickerstaff Heath in 2010, Josh was an associate with a large Austin firm and an environmental and property law litigation boutique. He also researched and drafted publications and other documents while clerking at TCEQ and the Jones McClure Publishing Company, where he drafted and edited various O’Connor’s legal publications.

Representative Experience

• Handled numerous environmental and property law litigation cases, including groundwater rights cases, title and easement disputes, and land use disputes, as well as breach of contract disputes and other civil litigation on behalf of governmental and private party clients
• Served as city attorney and assistant city attorney providing general counsel services to Texas municipalities, advising cities on important matters such as land use and zoning, annexation, ordinance drafting, elections, budget adoption, utilities operations, labor and employment, and compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and Texas Public Information Act
• Represented clients in contested case hearings before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Public Utility Commission (PUC), including electric and water utility rate cases and issues pertaining to municipal utility districts and wastewater permit applications
• Drafted comments on behalf of clients in administrative rulemaking proceedings, and successfully litigated challenges of administrative rulemakings
• Participated in administrative proceedings regarding permitting and operations of municipal solid waste facilities, permitting of groundwater wells and surface water impoundments, eminent domain proceedings, and water utility compliance and operations
• Experienced in appellate law, having drafted successful appellate briefs in appeals of administrative decisions, groundwater and utilities litigation, land use and development litigation, and breach of contract cases
• Experienced in drafting and reviewing contracts and property rights transfer documents, including water and mineral rights transfers

Member, State Bar of Texas (Environmental and Natural Resources Law Section and Administrative and Public Law Section); Member, Austin Bar Association (Administrative Law Section and Natural Resources, Environmental, and Water Law Section).

Advisory Council Member, Texas Environmental Science Institute, University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences

Chair, Texas Water Resource Network Task Force, University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences

Developments Editor, Texas Journal of Environmental Law

Perspectives on City Authority in the ETJ, Texas City Attorneys Association 2024 Summer Conference (June 2024)

Walk Hard: The Walking Quorum Story, Texas City Attorneys Association 2020 Summer Conference (June 2020)

Can I Sue Your City? Dealing with the Public and Pro Se Litigants, 2016 Texas City Attorneys Association Summer Conference (June 2016)

Regulatory Takings:  The Intersection of Takings and Property Rights, 2014 Texas Water Law Institute (November 2014)

Case Update on Texas Farm Bureau v. TCEQ, Austin Bar Association, Natural Resources, Environmental, and Water Law Section (May 2013)

Case Update on Texas Farm Bureau v. TCEQ, Texas Water Conservation Association Annual Conference (March 2013)

Case Law and Litigation Update, Co-Author, presented at CLE International Texas Water Law Conference (September 2009)