Elk Grove's Contracted Law Firm Seeks to Represent Client Who is in Talks With City
The Sacramento law firm that provides a city attorney for the City of Elk Grove is seeking approval from the city council to also represent...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2013/03/elk-groves-contracted-law-firm-seeks-to.html
The Sacramento law firm that provides a city attorney for the City of Elk Grove is seeking approval from the city council to also represent a client who the city will be seeking to rezone their property.
According to item 8.8 on the consent calendar for Wednesday night's regular council meeting, the city's contracted legal counsel, Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard’s will concurrently be representing Capital Nursery Company in relation to potential land use designation change and or re-zoning of Capital Nursery’s property. KMTG through City Attorney Jonathon Hobbs seeks a resolution identifying the potential conflict of interest and city approval for KMTG to continue representation of the two potentially conflicting clients.
According to the staff report on the matter, KMTG will establish an "ethical wall" between the unnamed attorney representing Capital Nursery and Elk Grove City Attorney Jonathon Hobbs who is a partner at the white shoe Sacramento firm. According to the report, the city is seeking to have the parcel rezoned to high density residential.
7 comments
Well, since the rezone is probably a done deal (like they all are), the chance for litigation is probably nil, so this is just a technicality to stay in compliance with the State Bar.
This is a blatant conflict of interest.
Hobbs is paid hourly for his work as city attorney.
Why can't the city hire an independent attorney at the same rate for this matter?
Otherwise, this opens the city up to more litigation, due to the conflict.
This is a no-brainer. Hobbs cannot represent the city while his firm represents the opposing party in legal matters.
I can see the Grand Jury complaint being filed now.
When will Laura Gill learn?
Jonathon Hobbs is a partner in Kronick; so therefore any other work his colleagues bring into the firm, he receives compensation of some sort.
Conflict of interest every way yo look at it.
Greed is good
Please take this off the "consent agenda." This item is not routine in nature. When you have to ask for an exception to the rule of law, it crosses over from routine to ridiculous. Since Hobbs is an hourly employee, he needs to sit this one out. Pay someone else the hourly wage and get an independent representative. This is Law School 101 boys!!!
Remember the "code of ethics" before you vote on this one. It refers to even the "appearance of a conflict of interest". This APPEARS to cross the line from appearance to actual conflict. The only one that wins here is Hobbs...he gets to bill his company and then his company bills the city....Stop this madness!
...and the city council wonders why no one trusts them...
They have no ethics, no integrity, no common sense. They show it time and again.
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