California Lawyer magazine
July 2009

    As recession-battered law firms continue to lay off staff in record numbers, some in California have seized upon a silver lining: the state's share of $787 billion in federal economic-stimulus funds. 

    "We've set up a stimulus working group and broken down the whole legislation, piece by piece, to identify funding opportunities for our clients," says Haviva Shane, an associate at Best Best & Krieger (BBK), which has been preparing for stimulus work since last year.

    For example, back in October BBK's attorneys were advising Inland Empire clients including the Lake Arrowhead Community Services District on stimulus-plan issues, says Shane, who is based in Ontario. And in November managing partner Eric Garner was briefing lobbyists in Washington, D.C., on ways to craft the stimulus legislation to include favorable provisions for BBK's clients.

    In general, firms best positioned to benefit from stimulus funds are those with clients involved in government contracts, public-private partnerships, municipal and special-district transactions, environmental and land-use concerns, commercial construction, and public-infrastructure projects.

    To read the entire story, click here.