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r71 WEISS SEROTA HELPMAN COLE & BIERMAN AT 711 CROSSROADS Or business, GOVOINm[rcr & TI it Lee• Municipal Government Law Local governments not only deserve the same high-level of professional legal services as "for prof t" businesses, but they also need a firm sensitive to their public -interest emphasis. Like private companies, local governments are multi-million dollar "municipal corporations" with employees, staffs, complex regulatory systems and demanding stakeholders - namely, the residents and businesses within the community. Most importantly, and distinct from corporations that answer to shareholders, local governments must focus upon achieving the public good to which their very existence is dedicated. Rather than be a full-service firm with dozens of unrelated practice areas, we instead have chosen to concentrate on a limited number of practice areas to build our expertise. Municipal law has been one of our core areas of practice since we opened our doors in 1991. Our attorneys in the Local Government Law Division include many former city and county attorneys, and those that are Florida Bar Board Certified in this specialty. With more than 30 attorneys practicing day-to-day municipal law, our Group is one of the largest in the country. Our legal approach supports the twin mission of cities: to provide necessary services to the public and to govern in accordance with law. Our practice areas are structured to operateas a team and interact seamlessly with staff and elected and appointed officials as they strive to perform their public duties and to timely respond to virtually all of the legal needs of cities. Our Concentration Translates into Client Savings We don'tjust dabble in municipal law. Our lawyers have devoted their careers to providing legal services to municipalities, and they are knowledgeable in nearly every area of local government law. This means local government entities that select us as their general counsel almost never need to hire special outside counsel. This saves our clients - and taxpayers - money. We draft thousands of resolutions and ordinances each year, saving our clients precious taxpayer money. We strive to draft legislation that is both understandable to the general public and able to survive legal challenge. We keep abreast of the latest legislative and judicial developments in municipal law through a program of in-house training and continuing education. We are frequently requested to publish articles and make presentations to our peers, local bar associations, the Florida League of Cities and other prestigious organizations. The Group focuses upon providing the full range of legal services at both city hall and the courthouse. We have experience in all aspects of: • Affordable housing development; • Animal control; • Code enforcement and lien law; • Community redevelopment agency law; • Constitutional law; • Construction; • Contraband forfeiture; • Elections; • Eminent domain; • Environmental law; • Ethics; • Foreclosure; • General municipal representation and legal advice; • Governmental litigation; • Home Rule Law; • Labor and employment; • Municipal land use; • Procurement; • Public contracts;