On Monday, Feb. 9, our colleague, friend and partner Ryan Waterman passed away after a brave yearlong battle with cancer. Our thoughts are with Ryan’s family—including his wife, Julia, and children, Ben, Luke and Catherine—during this difficult time.
Ryan joined Brownstein as a shareholder in the firm’s Natural Resources Department in 2015. His work included California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) issues; renewable energy projects in wind, solar, and battery storage; and land use, water quality and hazardous substances matters. He started a successful quarterly newsletter called CEQA News You Can Use to help inform other attorneys and clients. He was committed to pro bono work and was very proud to be part of the team that received Brownstein’s Jeffrey S. Rugg Pro Bono Award in 2025 for their work helping victims of human trafficking. He was also recognized by the San Diego Business Journal with the 2024 Leaders of Influence in Law Award and named a Thomson Reuters “Stand-out Lawyer.”
Beyond his practice, Ryan was deeply involved in the community, especially with Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, where he volunteered for many years and mentored four Little Brothers with whom he maintained lifelong relationships. He also served on the board of directors, including a term as board chair in 2022. In 2025, he was honored with the Big Champion Award for demonstrating exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to the organization’s mission: empowering young people to reach their full potential.
Donations in Ryan’s memory may be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego.
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