RICHMOND — After years contracting out its metropolis lawyer place to a Southern California regulation agency, Richmond will search a brand new high counsel so as to add to their inside employees after receiving discover that the agency plans to resign.
Dave Aleshire and his agency, Aleshire & Wynder, will probably be stepping down as Richmond’s metropolis lawyer on the finish of December, a call Aleshire stated is because of private well being causes and demanding journey.
Richmond’s council meets 3 times a month, not like the standard two-meeting schedule many different councils observe, and people conferences usually go late into the night, Aleshire stated. The schedule required the 75-year-old lawyer to journey from Irvine, the place he lives, to Richmond ceaselessly.
A founding companion on the agency, Aleshire has been contracted as Richmond’s metropolis lawyer since July 2022 beneath an estimated $1.8 million contract, after serving about six months as interim metropolis lawyer. He changed Teresa Stricker, who’s now high counsel for town of Santa Rosa, after she resigned in late 2021.
Former Mayor Tom Butt, who served on the council for greater than 20 years and voted in favor of contracting with Aleshire, stated town chosen a agency reasonably than hiring an lawyer to its inside employees as a result of it was arduous to seek out somebody to remain within the place.
Although not supportive of all of Aleshire’s authorized choices, Butt stated he appreciated him and the service he supplied to town. However the former mayor additionally raised considerations a couple of potential battle of curiosity with Aleshire and his agency, arguing {that a} metropolis like Richmond, which frequently finds itself in authorized battles, offers any agency the possibility to direct circumstances itself reasonably than search exterior counsel.
“He had a really sweet deal because Richmond is a very litigious city, and so whoever gets the legal work for Richmond is going to make a lot of money,” Butt stated.
Related considerations had been raised by Councilmember Soheila Bana throughout Tuesday’s council assembly.
Aleshire argued the considerations are hypothetical and unfounded, asserting his agency wouldn’t stand in the best way if one other group had higher charges and has completed out years billing under their contract maxes.
Town has engaged with different attorneys on some points and has beefed up its inside authorized workforce over time, each strikes that may theoretically draw cash away from Aleshire & Wynder, Aleshire stated.
And whereas most Bay Space jurisdictions have in-house attorneys, Aleshire famous many in Southern California contract out.
“Our position is, if we control the litigation or are responsible for it, we’re held accountable,” Aleshire stated. “At the end of the day, it’s all about what your costs are, and I think if one looks at how we actually handled things, our bills didn’t just escalate. They actually went down.”
Regardless of some considerations being raised, present councilmembers praised Aleshire and his work over the previous few years, which has included difficult points like negotiating a $550 million settlement with the Richmond Chevron Refinery and transitioning plans for Level Molate, a big swath of land alongside Richmond’s waterfront, from a serious improvement undertaking to open inexperienced area.
The council voted Tuesday night to just accept Aleshire’s resignation, approve a brand new 1-year providers settlement value $150,000 with Aleshire & Wynder for authorized help on various tasks, and appointed Chief Assistant Metropolis Legal professional Shannon Moore as momentary counsel. Moore’s annual wage will probably be elevated to $341,391.58.
In the meantime, town will start its seek for a everlasting alternative by first looking for a agency to assist with the recruitment course of.
“I think this is what’s best for the city, to move into a role where we have someone locally based in person as a city attorney, but also delighted that we get to keep Aleshire close to us to get good advice,” Councilmember Sue Wilson stated.
