Leal ▪ Trejo, APC, provides legal services related to the day to day operations of public agencies, including advice regarding Agenda items.
Leal ▪ Trejo has successfully litigated and represented the interests of various public agencies including municipalities, school districts and joint powers authorities (JPA’s). Our attorneys have extensive experience working with elected officials and their staff. They understand the unique nuances and challenges of our public agencies.
Our attorneys advise cities, and special districts in the full spectrum of laws and regulations governing and affecting California public agencies. Our experience includes:
Our attorneys advise in negotiations, draft and review proposed contract language, consult with and advise the administration and governing board regarding negotiations.
Our attorneys regularly provide legal advice concerning board-relations issues, including advising and in-servicing boards on the Brown Act.
Leal ▪ Trejo also provides services in the following areas:
Brown Act Compliance – Our attorneys are well versed in all aspects of the Brown Act and routinely advise public officials on Brown Act issues to ensure compliance with this law.
Our attorneys help school districts in matters involving charter school operations. We develop charter policies, assist with petition review, oversight issues, special education and due process, renewal and revocation issues, section 504, develop MOUs and evaluate and solve charter facility concerns.
Leal ▪ Trejo’s special education attorneys have a depth of knowledge and experience regarding local education agency obligations to students with disabilities. Our attorneys provide guidance and counsel to clients on a broad range of laws regarding students with disabilities and related issues, including:
Leal ▪ Trejo has great experience and knowledge of the legal and educational issues affecting clients in the Community College Districts. Our attorneys serve in both the legal and operational needs of community colleges.
We advise our clients in negotiations, draft and review proposed contractual language, consult with and advising the administration and governing board regarding negotiations, and representing community college districts through mediation and fact-finding.
Leal ▪ Trejo also assists in employment litigation, labor arbitrations, real property, governance, and labor negotiations.
Leal ▪ Trejo has expertise in federal and state Superfund law (CERCLA), ground water remediation and treatment, statutory water law. Our specialized attorneys help our clients craft water regulations that are comprehensive and best serve the water needs of their constituents.
We frequently advise public agency and private clients on all aspects regarding allocation of scarce water supplies. Our attorney’s aid in the acquisition, development and maintenance of surface and ground water rights as well as navigating issues related to regional management of water supplies and water transfers.
Our team has extensive experience in employment matters, including public sector labor negotiations, the defense wrongful termination, sexual harassment and discrimination actions, as well as wage and hour claims and the preparation and review of personnel policies and employee handbooks. We also provide in-service training for management and employees in avoiding sexual harassment and provide advice and counsel on ongoing personnel matters.
Our environmental experts have in depth knowledge of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as well as issues arising from the enforcement of Federal and State Superfund laws and from local laws dealing with contamination caused by leaking underground storage tanks. Moreover, we have experience in negotiating indemnification agreements, cleanup cost-sharing agreements, and related documents in the purchase/sale of contaminated property.
Our litigation team has experience before both state and federal trial and appellate courts in such diverse areas as employee and student rights, discrimination claims, Brown Act claims, mandated costs claims, special education appeals, attorney fee disputes, and construction issues. We are experienced in mediation and both binding and non-binding arbitration. Our attorneys have handled complex, multi-district litigation in the areas of banking, civil rights, construction, professional liability, insurance coverage, and employments and business disputes.
The firm has extensive experience in the defense of governmental tort liability claims, including defensing civil rights actions (42 U.S.C. 1983), personal injury defense, common carrier cases, and environmental tort defense.
We have extensive experience in construction and public works matters, including negotiating and drafting construction contracts for public entities, and the litigation of construction defect cases, as well as delay, disruption, and acceleration claims. Moreover, out attorneys are experienced with all aspects of the competitive bid process for public works contracts.