Legal Costs Outlined
BEFORE & AFTER JONES & MAYER
In response to an inquiry at a recent City Council meeting, today Costa Mesa Interim Communications Director Bill Lobdell issued a Press Release outlining the "before" and "after" of our legal expenditures. The "before" is prior to the hiring of Jones & Mayer as our contract City Attorney. The "after", logically, quantifies the costs following Jones & Mayer's hiring. The year in which that transition took place , the 2004/2005 fiscal year, is NOT included in their calculations for the average costs. You can read the press release and the attachment spread sheet HERE.
SAVED A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR
So, according to Lobdell, using Jones & Mayer has been a real deal for the city, which apparently saved, on average, more than a half million dollars each year. Keep in mind, too, that a couple of those years included the ill-conceived Benito Acosta lawsuits.
WHAT ABOUT THE RESULTS?
What is missing is any indication of judgments and settlements for those years. After all is said and done, the proof of the value of an attorney is the job he does for you in court - or keeping you out of court. One of the rationale's used for outsourcing our legal department was the perceived need for litigation strength - which Jones & Mayer and the other bidding law firms said they possessed. I'd like to know what our legal actions cost the city - or earned for the city - before and after Jones & Mayer. That would complete the picture for me.
In response to an inquiry at a recent City Council meeting, today Costa Mesa Interim Communications Director Bill Lobdell issued a Press Release outlining the "before" and "after" of our legal expenditures. The "before" is prior to the hiring of Jones & Mayer as our contract City Attorney. The "after", logically, quantifies the costs following Jones & Mayer's hiring. The year in which that transition took place , the 2004/2005 fiscal year, is NOT included in their calculations for the average costs. You can read the press release and the attachment spread sheet HERE.SAVED A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR
So, according to Lobdell, using Jones & Mayer has been a real deal for the city, which apparently saved, on average, more than a half million dollars each year. Keep in mind, too, that a couple of those years included the ill-conceived Benito Acosta lawsuits.
WHAT ABOUT THE RESULTS?
What is missing is any indication of judgments and settlements for those years. After all is said and done, the proof of the value of an attorney is the job he does for you in court - or keeping you out of court. One of the rationale's used for outsourcing our legal department was the perceived need for litigation strength - which Jones & Mayer and the other bidding law firms said they possessed. I'd like to know what our legal actions cost the city - or earned for the city - before and after Jones & Mayer. That would complete the picture for me.Labels: Bill Lobdell, Jones and Mayer, Legal Costs
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 5/24/2011 12:47:00 PM
5 Comments:
The other idications missing are the willingness of the council to expose the city to risk, this majority lives by the lawsuit, the bankruptcy and other peoples money. Legal by the skin of their teeth Each year that a council decided to go off on a self motivated direction, political or football or developing. Legal actions followed. This majority will set a record. Can't blame the lawyers. This council is the lawyers pot of gold at the end of monahan's rainbow. If someone gets hurt or a house burns on the 2nd,3rd or 4th of july will the city get sued. the council changed the law for financial gain. hum
Why don't we just stick our tail between our legs and run the city based on what the ACLU says, or whoever yells the loudest at the podium wants?
Why don't we let Righeimer be lawyer too since he already believes he knows how to do every position better and we all know rules don't matter to him. I mean a bar card is only a piece of paper right? And he will just yell over the witness when they have something to say that he doesn't agree with so adverse testimony won't hurt the city anyway. I'm sure he watches Law and Order to gain expertise!
I don't think Jones & Mayer are the only attorneys that work for Costa Mesa. It may be good research to review all legal fees.
There is a line in the report for "other legal firms", so it appears that part is already provided. Thanks.
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