The Firm advises public institutions on organizational, operational, financial and governance matters, and intergovernmental relationships. We have prepared thousands of ordinances and resolutions for consideration by the governing bodies of municipalities, districts, authorities, and agencies including the Board of Aldermen of the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis County Council. We have prepared legislation that has been adopted by the Missouri and Illinois General Assemblies. We have represented private enterprises and public agencies before local boards, commissions, and public officials regarding development projects, and before local, state or federal legislative bodies regarding proposed legislation, and applicability or compliance with existing legislation.  We have served as public counsel, judicial officers, prosecutors, and counsel for those appearing before various administrative agencies, and as special counsel for a variety of agencies.

We regularly address 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