Governance

How do you become good counsel on organizational, operational, financial and governance matters and intergovernmental relationships? We believe it’s through experience…and lots of it.

At Lashly & Baer, we have prepared thousands of ordinances and resolutions for consideration by the governing bodies of municipalities, districts, authorities and agencies. This has even included the Board of Aldermen for the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis County Council. Our proven experience is evident in the fact that we’ve prepared legislation adopted by the Missouri and Illinois General Assemblies.

Lashly & Baer has represented private enterprises and public agencies before local boards, commissions, and public officials. We’ve been there for these clients regarding development projects, proposed legislation as well as applicability or compliance with existing legislation. We can take this same kind of service and knowledge and apply it to your legal needs.

We regularly handle the following legal issues for our clients:

• Administrative Proceedings
• Annexation
• Appropriation and expenditure issues
• Bond issue requirements
• Budget and finance
• Calling, conducting, and recording the proceedings public meetings
• Collective bargaining for school, fire, and public transportation employees
• Community development
• Condemnation and inverse condemnation
• Conduct of telephone meetings
• Conflict of interest
• Constitutional issues affecting the operations of public institutions, including search and seizure, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, equal protection under the law, freedom of association and due process, election and expenditure issues, fiduciary obligations, and the financing of public projects
• County government law
• Debt limitations
• Delegation of authority
• Development projects
• Economic development
• Elections campaign and campaign contributions law
• Eminent domain
• Environmental contamination and remediation
• Federal grants
• Fiduciary obligations
• Financial disclosure requirements
• Financing of public operations and facilities
• Governmental immunity
• Governmental tort liability
• Indemnification of public officials and of private parties by public agencies
• Initiative and referendum
• Internal bylaws and rules of order
• Legislative practice
• Lobbying regulations
• Local government law
• Maintenance and disclosure of public records (Sunshine Law)
• Municipal corporation law
• Open meetings (Sunshine Law)
• Oversight of municipal operations
• Proposed legislation, amendment, applicability, and compliance with existing legislation
• Public employee relations
• Public employee retirement
• Public official liability
• Public pension plans and retirement systems
• Public records (Sunshine Law)
• Public transportation law
• Resignation, appointment, and election of board members
• Resolution ballots, notices of election, and ordinances
• Resolutions, bylaws, and policies
• Sale of governmental assets to other public agencies and to private parties
• Sales taxes and exemptions
• Sovereign immunity
• State government law
• Sunset provisions
• Tax-exempt purchase of construction materials
• Use of public monies
• Uses for sales tax funds
• Zoning and land use rights