Municipal Governance and Public Finance
Airports. Roads. Affordable housing. Schools. Water. Sewer. Solid Waste. Local governments and other municipal organizations responsible for financing, constructing and operating these projects face difficult challenges every day. They have an immense responsibility to meet public expectations while working within the limitations of state and federal laws. Christian & Barton works with both local governments and public authorities to assist them with their governance, operations and financing. With extensive experience working on regional projects, we can help coordinate public sector issues among jurisdictions.
Our clients range from a regional airport commission responsible for an international airport to a metropolitan authority that operates toll roads, parking decks and a professional baseball stadium. We serve as counsel to other public entities, including ambulance and behavioral health authorities. We have also served as counsel to a statewide authority that provides financing to local governments for water, sewer, waste and other facilities, including aviation facilities, and we have represented a state authority that finances housing projects for low-to-moderate income families. Altogether, we have served as counsel in connection with the issuance of over $5 billion in tax-exempt bonds for those organizations.
Our lawyers provide a wide variety of legal services to public authorities and local governments. We advise clients in the area of privatization of public services. We also assist clients engaged in economic development, helping them secure access to public resources such as water, sewer and waste-disposal services.
Our lawyers are experienced in a range of issues, including:
public sector governance
advice on contracts and procurement, including, cooperative procurement of deregulated electricity services
environmental issues
utilities regulation
employee relations and benefits
water rights
advocacy of the public sector clients’ interests in matters before the Virginia General Assembly
Christian & Barton represents Virginia state agencies, local governments and other public authorities on a range of public financing matters. We have served as bond counsel, underwriters' counsel, issuer's counsel and trustee's counsel for the issuance and sale of all types of tax exempt and taxable bonds. We also advise clients seeking financing through “industrial development” bonds. Our strong finance background helps us guide clients through the complex and confusing maze of federal requirements that govern tax exempt bonds. With the increasing role of the IRS and the Securities and Exchange Commission in public financing, we understand the importance of keeping our clients informed of the latest legal changes and requirements.