GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
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Administrative Law, Regulatory Compliance and Governmental Law
Governments – federal, state and local – impact the lives of virtually everyone on a daily basis through their actions and requirements. Businesses, associations, and individuals are subject to a wide array of statutes, regulations, investigations, enforcement actions and other governmental intrusions. As a business, association or individual, your success and livelihood may depend on dealing with a governmental entity. That success can be benefitted from legal representation from attorneys who are well-versed and experienced not only in the substance of administrative law but who also understand the process and who have developed the relationships with those who can affect the outcome of an administrative law matter – governmental officials, regulators and attorneys, and third parties, such as lobbyists. Our attorneys not only have years of experience in private practice dealing with administrative and governmental law issues, but they have also served as governmental attorneys and governmental officials (elected and appointed) throughout their legal careers.
Some areas of administrative law in which we regularly engage are more specialized areas: Professional Licensing, Public Procurement, Gaming, Utilities Regulation, Health Care, State and Local Taxes and Election Law. Our attorneys have successfully represented a wide range of clients and developed substantial knowledge and skill to apply on behalf of clients with issues in these in these unique areas of the law as shown in the web pages for those legal matters.
There are other aspects of administrative and governmental law which do not fit into the unique categories listed above but which our clients encounter on a somewhat frequent basis. These representations involve some niche substantive legal areas but more often than not require the application of general legal skills our attorneys have acquired after years of practicing in the administrative and governmental law arena. These include, but are not limited to:
General Counsel and Special Counsel: Our firm and our attorneys have been engaged as general counsel, special counsel, and Missouri counsel to a variety of State agencies, county and municipal governments, special districts (such as fire protection districts, sewer districts, public water districts, tourism commissions, etc.), and public officials. In this capacity, we have prepared and filed the necessary documents for formation, legal recognition and exercise of powers of the entity as political subdivision; prepared ordinances, resolutions and other official documents; provided legal oversight to public and closed meetings; facilitated the exercise of the power to tax through document preparation and filing; assisted in tax collection efforts; and provided advice and counsel to the entity and its officials on day-to-day operations.
Sunshine Act Compliance (Open Records and Open Meetings Law): Missouri’s Sunshine Act requires political subdivisions to make their records and meetings open to the public. We frequently deal with the issues of Sunshine Law compliance on behalf of clients, both private clients and governmental clients. On behalf of private clients, we prepare and often submit open records requests to governmental entities, engage with those entities on issues of production, and, when necessary, initiate litigation to enforce the client’s right to records. For those governmental entities we represent (whether as general or special counsel) we advise them on questions of whether the records requested are open or closed records; review documents being produced; prepare responses to requests, particularly if some records are being withheld as closed records or are partially redacted; and represent the entities in Sunshine Act litigation.
Legislation and Regulation: Our governmental practice also involves assisting our clients' participation in the legislative or regulation promulgation process. Our activities include: drafting proposed legislation and regulations; reviewing proposed legislation and regulations and providing edits to them; drafting legal opinions or position papers for dissemination in the legislative process; drafting and filing comments to proposed rules; providing testimony at hearings in favor of or opposition to proposed legislation or regulations; and litigating constitutional, statutory and other legal challenges to the validity of statutes, ordinances and regulations. Although we do not engage in lobbying, we often work closely with lobbyists in developing and implementing legislative strategies.
Governmental Litigation: We are frequently asked to represent clients in litigation against governmental entities. The subject matters of this litigation are diverse. Procedurally, our experience has provided us with a knowledge and background in declaratory judgments, injunctions, temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions, mandamus, prohibition and other extraordinary relief and judicial review (contested case) actions. We have litigated cases of this nature in the State trial courts, appellate courts, Administrative Hearing Commission, State Tax Commission, independent agency administrative proceedings, and local government boards and commissions.
OUR CLIENTS |
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Municipal Corporations
Counties
Special Districts State and Local Agencies, Boards and Commissions
Public Officials
Individuals
Business Entities
Associations
SERVICES |
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Formation
General Counsel & Outside Special Counsel
Public Contracting & Contract Litigation
Utility/Public Service Commission Approvals
Property and Sales Taxes
Election Law
Campaign Finance Compliance
Missouri Ethics Commission Investigations and Complaints of Officials
Administrative Actions
Open Records/Sunshine Law
Regulatory Compliance
Legislation and Regulation
General Litigation
WHERE WE REPRESENT CLIENTS |
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State Administrative Licensing and Regulatory Agencies
Local Boards and Agencies
Missouri Ethics Commission
Missouri Public Service Commission
Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission
State Tax Commission
State and Federal Trial and Appellate Courts
Missouri Legislature (excluding lobbying)
Transactional Documents
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ATTORNEYS |
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