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Office of the County Counsel
Office of the County Counsel
Man in glasses wearing blue suit

John A. Castro ( He/Him/His )

Deputy County Counsel

Overview

John A. Castro joined the Office in 2019 and is the County’s principal public works attorney.  John’s practice focuses on advising multiple County departments and special districts on matters relating to construction, facilities, real estate, infrastructure, energy, and related policy matters.  Prior to joining the County, John represented owners, design professionals, general contractors, and subcontractors in a wide variety of construction matters, including transactional, dispute resolution, and litigation.  John’s professional expertise includes construction law and business, claims and litigation, public contracting requirements, bidding and procurement, public works / capital projects, and alternative project delivery methods. 

Office practice areas
  • Environment and Land Use Team 
  • Finance, Government Operations, and Technology Team 
Education
  • University of California, Hastings College of the Law, J.D., cum laude, 2010 
    • Executive Articles Editor & Symposium Editor, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 
    • Second Class Citizens, Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, 37 Hastings Const. L.Q. 199 (2010) 
    • CALI and Witkin Awards in Criminal Law and Disability Law 
    • External Political Chair, Hastings La Raza Law Students Association 
    • Member, Hastings Pro Bono Society 
  • University of California, Santa Cruz, B.A., Politics and Philosophy, 2005 
Professional associations
  • Forum on Construction Law, American Bar Association (2018-Present) 
    • Steering Committee, Division 13 (Government Construction) (2020-Present) 
    • Editor/Co-Author, False Claims in Construction Contracts (2023-2024) 
    • Speaker, Schedules and Delays, Changes, and Differing Site Conditions (2023 Construction Law Foundations Regional Program)  
    • Session Coordinator, Government Contract Subcontracting: Avoiding Pitfalls When Contracting with Small Business and Disadvantaged Business Subcontractors (Fall 2023) 
    • Diversity Fellow (2020-2023) 
    • Presenter, Handling Cost Escalations (Division 13 (Government Construction) Hot Topic, November 2021) 
  • Member, Legal Advisory Committee, Associated General Contractors (2017-2018) 
  • Barrister, Earl Warren American Inn of Court (2014) 
Prior experience
  • Senior Counsel at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP (2017-2019) 
  • Senior Counsel at Boornazian, Jensen & Garthe (2011-2017) 
  • Research Attorney at Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco (2010-2011)