Municipal Law

The firm's Public Policy and Ethics Compliance group counsels public agencies, officials and private businesses who wish to promote public confidence in their decision-making processes by assuring that official conduct is above reproach.

The intensity of public scrutiny facing private companies and public agencies with regard to matters of ethics and compliance continues to resonate at a feverous pitch.  Responding to the public, all levels of government are adopting, re-examining and strengthening standards of ethics and accountability.  Regulatory bodies – including environmental, financial and political – have adopted aggressive policies to pursue and prosecute violations.

The Public Policy and Ethics Compliance group’s goals are to better provide comprehensive and strategic compliance solutions to public agencies and corporations attempting to align with new public scrutiny, standards and regulations; to advise and represent clients on public integrity issues involving political practices; and to inform clients of pertinent federal, state and local legislation including the Political Reform Act, the Brown Act and the Public Records Act.

Group services include:

• Review of current policies and procedures
• Development of ethics codes and compliance strategies
• Federal, state and case law compliance reviews
• Federal, state and local elections laws compliance
• Proactive statutory and regulatory updates
• Management compliance controls
• Management anti-fraud program and controls
• Independent management audits
• Best practices documentation
• Liability protection strategies
• Investigating alleged misconduct
• Administrative and legal defense
• Provide training for management, staff and elected officials

BB&K attorneys in the Public Policy and Ethics Compliance group are committed to helping our clients develop even stronger ethical processes, manage relationships between government and business, and maintain or improve public confidence.  We can help your organization achieve its goal of making ethics an organizational, as well as an individual responsibility.

 For additional information, please contact Gary Schons, the chair of the Public Policy and Ethics Compliance practice group.