Published Articles
Every day local governments in California must manage numerous emerging legal issues, as well as carry on the business of operating their cities, counties, districts, and other agencies. One of the ways our attorneys provide superior value is by authoring articles to provide context and insightful analysis on a wide-range of critical issues impacting public agencies today.
Navigating CEQA guidelines and regulating greenhouse gas emissions, addressing ethics and transparency in government, discussing methods to reduce gang violence to make communities safer, and identifying how employers can ensure compliance with labor and employment laws to avoid penalties are a few examples of recently published articles written by our attorneys.
If you work for a newspaper or magazine and would like one of our attorneys to write an article for your periodical, please contact our marketing manager, Lindsey Staples, at 510.808.2000 or lstaples@meyersnave.com.
Some of our most recent articles are presented below grouped by their practice area. Older articles are available in the Archives, which can be accessed via the links in the left column.
Attorney General Appoints Eric Casher of Meyers Nave to FPPC
SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced her appointment of Eric Casher to a four-year term on the Fair Political Practices Commission.
“Eric’s commitment to justice, fairness and the rule of law will make him a strong asset on the Fair Political Practices Commission,” said Attorney General Harris. “The people of California will be well-served by his diligence and his judgment.”
Please click here to read the press release in its entirety on the Attorney General's website.
How They Were Built
What does it take to start a law firm? What’s it like? Was it easier a few decades ago? What has changed? Where do the pitfalls lie? To try to answer some of these questions, Don Oppenheim, former law firm executive director and consultant to many California law firms, interviewed three founders or co-founders of leading Bay Area law firms, each now in the later stages of his career.
San Francisco Business Times - Executive Profile on David Skinner
David Skinner, Managing Principal of Meyers Nave, is highlighted in this interview with the San Francisco Business Times.
Please click here to read the article in its entirety.
Crisis Management: Public Policy, Ethics and Investigations
City of San Bruno Files Claim Against PG&E for $2.25 Billion for the San Bruno Blast and Fire
Steven Meyers announced the filing of a claim of $2.25 billion for the City of San Bruno against PG&E in front of PG&E headquarters in San Francisco on Monday, May 6, 2013.
Please click here to read this article on the SF Gate website in its entirety.
Sociology Alumna Recognized for Law Work
The Recorder, a newspaper serving the Black Oakland legal community, has named Jayne Williams, ’70 sociology, to its “2012 Women Leaders in Law” list.
Please click here to read the article on the CSU East Bay Magazine website.
© Copyright California State University, East Bay.
Environmental Law
Meyers Nave Named to "Leading Environmental Practices" List
The Recorder, April 9, 2012 - A household name among governmental entities, the firm routinely scores wins for its municipal clients at trial and on appeal. It also advises on CEQA, water rights and land use issues, and represents municipalities in multimillion-dollar development projects in Northern California and across the state.
Please click here to see the full list in The Recorder - April 9, 2012 Issue
Labor and Employment
How Will PEPRA Affect Retired Annuitants?
The California Public Employee Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) brought significant changes to public pensions in California that will take effect on January 1, 2013. PEPRA has sparked strong reactions from public agencies, unions and the public. While the voice of retired annuitants has received less attention, PEPRA does impact retired annuitants in a number of ways.
Eddie Kreisberg answers the question of how PEPRA will affect retired annuitants in this article featured in CSDA e-News.
Use of Criminal Records in Hiring
Introduction:
Employers often conduct criminal background checks during the hiring process. Advances in technology have made accessing applicants’ criminal history oftentimes as easy as pressing a button. As a result, employers may discover criminal records more frequently than in the past.
Please click here to read the full article.
Municipal and Special District Law
City of Cotati Hires Meyers Nave's Robin Donoghue as its New City Attorney
Come next year, Cotati will have a new city attorney.
The Cotati City Council, at its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 21, was expected to approve the hiring of Robin Donoghue to replace the retiring Richard Rudansky, who announced he would step down at the end of the year.
Please click here to read the article in its entirety on The Community Voice website.
What to do with that empty seat? Options districts have to fill vacancies and rules they must follow
At some point, most special district boards will face the task of filling a vacant seat. For districts with appointed boards, vacancies are typically filled by the “appointing authority,” which is often the county board of supervisors. (Gov. Code § 1779.)
Legislative Alert - Status of the Brown Act
The reimbursable provisions of the Brown Act, California’s open meetings law, were suspended by the Legislature in this year’s budget and the California Department of Finance has officially notified special districts of the suspension. When a reimbursable mandate is suspended, local governments are no longer eligible for reimbursement, nor statutorily obligated to adhere to the mandate. In spite of this, special districts are rightly upholding all requirements of the Brown Act.
Although failing to follow the unfunded reimbursable mandates within the Brown Act is no longer a violation of state law, CSDA strongly advises all special districts to continue abiding by all Brown Act provisions in order to ensure public transparency and accountability. Our communities are accustomed to these requirements, which help ensure confidence in local service providers. For a more detailed explanation of the legal ramifications and the ability of districts to claim reimbursements for past years, please review the below contributions by experts in the fields of state mandated local requirements and reimbursements.
Local Agency Electronic Media Use and California Public Records Law
Members of the public and local agency officials carrying out the public’s business use electronic media to communicate, and this type of communication is increasingly widespread. Local agencies also use electronic media for external and internal communications and to create, transmit and store official information.
This article provides an overview of the law affecting local agency electronic information, discusses some emerging electronic records issues affecting local agencies and offers suggestions regarding local agency electronic records programs.
