The Local Government Practice Group is headed by Charles D. “Chip” MacLeod, former County Administrator for Kent County, Maryland. The Group has extensive experience and provides representation in a broad spectrum of matters involving Maryland governmental entities, including:
- Litigation - Attorneys in the Group have represented local governments and their agencies before federal and Maryland courts (trial and appellate) and administrative forums, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings and the Maryland Human Relations Commission in disputes involving employment law issues, including ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FSLA and Title VII matters; environmental issues; Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights matters; personnel actions; civil rights issues; capital project and performance bond issues; contract disputes; the Maryland property tax differential; municipal annexation; public health, and development and land use issues (including developer rights and responsibilities agreements). Firm lawyers have litigated complex federal and State constitutional issues, including Commerce Clause, Fourteenth Amendment and First Amendment constraints in environmental matters and adult entertainment licensing and zoning schemes and challenges to the Maryland legislative redistricting.
- Municipal Law - Lawyers in the Group provide advice and counsel to elected officials, administrators, finance officers, public works and human resources directors, planning and zoning officials and police chiefs. Firm attorneys serve as local counsel to several Maryland counties and municipalities and in such capacity provide advice and counsel on a diverse range of local government matters including development and land use issues, capital project and construction issues, intergovernmental joint ventures, cable television franchising, noise abatement and loitering, code enforcement, charter and code amendments, property taxation, financing programs, personnel, administrative processes and election law compliance. Group members have assisted Maryland local governments in pooling together for insurance, investment, high-speed wireless networking and electricity and energy-related services purchasing.
- Public Finance - The Group's public finance practice concentrates on governmental purpose financings for Maryland counties, municipalities and public entities. Notwithstanding this focus on traditional governmental borrowings, firm attorneys have served as bond counsel, issuer's counsel, underwriter's counsel, trustee's counsel, borrower's counsel and purchaser's counsel in a wide variety of transactions in Maryland and throughout the country, including qualified 501(c)(3) transactions and qualified small issues for manufacturing facilities. The Group has provided bond counsel representation in special taxing district and tax increment financing transactions in Maryland and created or been involved in the establishment of 63-20 corporations. Public finance practitioners have authored legislation passed on the State and local levels to create local revenue and redevelopment authorities.
|
