Practice Areas
Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai LLP provides legal representation for cities, counties, airports, ports, school districts, state agencies and other governmental employers, non-profit organizations and individuals in a wide range of matters. Our areas of specialization include the following:
Government Law and Litigation
Government law affects every aspect of the policy-making and operations of local governments, from how legislative bodies conduct their meetings, to the ethics laws that govern the conduct of public officials and employees, to very constitutional principles that form the basis of our governmental system. The ability of local governments to act effectively in the public interest depends on receiving precise and practical advice on the wide array of government law issues, and receiving expert representation when policy decisions are judicially challenged.
Government Law Counseling
Our government law practice model emphasizes providing accurate and timely advice that takes into account the practical realities faced by local government decision-makers and administrators. Our aim is to provide local officials with the confidence that they are making decisions and conducting their business in a manner that complies with all federal and state laws so that they may focus on the critical policy issues they are charged with addressing.
Our lawyers have extensive experience advising local officials on a broad range of government law issues. Our firm includes an attorney who served as the elected San Francisco City Attorney, and who was responsible for advising elected and appointed officials on matters ranging from resolving complex constitutional issues, to drafting and interpreting city charter provisions and ordinances, to government sunshine laws governing public meetings and public records. Our firm also includes a former chief deputy city attorney, and the former chief of the government litigation section of a city attorney's office.
Ethics Advice
RSHS attorneys also have extensive experience in guiding public officials through the labyrinth of ethics laws that govern their conduct. We offer ethics advice and training programs for public officials and employees, including Political Reform Act provisions on conflicts of interest and restrictions on gifts and other perquisites to public officials.
Government Law Litigation
Our firm's attorneys have represented local agencies and officials in federal and state court challenges to their decisions and policies. We have successfully defended local governments against constitutional challenges to a wide range of ordinances and policies, as well as challenges to decisions by administrative agencies. In addition, we have defeated claims alleging violations of the state's open meetings and public records laws. Our approach is to zealously defend the ability of public officials to make the difficult decisions they are charged with making, and seek early termination of such challenges so that policies in the public interest may be fully implemented at the earliest possible time.
For more information on our fir's Government Law advice and representation, please contact Louise Renne (415) 678-3805 or Randy Riddle (415) 678-3814 or Scott Dickey (415) 678-3827
Public Interest Litigation
Our Model
Our public interest litigation model was a vanguard approach to public sector litigation when Louise Renne and Jon Holtzman introduced it a decade ago in the San Francisco City Attorney's Office.
Ms. Renne, as San Francisco City Attorney, "reinvented" municipal law by filing class actions against tobacco, insurance companies, energy producers, national banks, gun and lead paint manufacturers and escrow companies. Organized by Ms. Renne, the suits embodied cooperative efforts by cities, counties, utility districts, and non-governmental organizations all working in concert with one another. This inter-jurisdictional cooperation achieved strength in numbers and enabled local governments to put a stop to fraudulent, harmful or deceptive practices that were against the public's interest. Under Ms. Renne's leadership, the San Francisco City Attorney's Office recovered more than $1 billion for California taxpayers. We continue this effective model of affirmative litigation, representing and organizing public agencies, non-profit organizations and individuals in public interest and consumer protection litigation.
For more information on our firm’s Public Interest practice, please contact Louise Renne (415) 678-3805
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