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Council terminates Keller Thoma labor contract and approves interim agreement with Ogletree Deakins after staffing departures
Summary
After the city’s contracted labor attorneys left Keller Thoma to reconstitute their prior firm, council voted to terminate the Keller Thoma agreement and approved a time‑limited contract with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart for labor and employment matters through June 30, 2026; vote was 4‑1.
The City Council on Sept. 9 authorized notice of termination to Keller Thoma PC for labor and employment legal services after the firm’s labor attorneys departed, and agreed to retain Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PLLC on an interim basis through June 30, 2026.
City staff reported that several labor attorneys who handled the city’s labor matters at Keller Thoma — including Gary Sashital, Greg Schultz and Elizabeth Young — left the firm and reconstituted their prior practice. Because there would be no remaining labor counsel at Keller Thoma able to fulfill the contract, staff recommended terminating the existing agreement and engaging Ogletree to continue representation.
Council approved the termination notice unanimously and then voted 4‑1 to approve the Ogletree agreement. Council member Watson voted no. During the discussion, council members debated procurement options and said an RFP could be issued to solicit proposals for longer‑term labor counsel; staff suggested starting an RFP process after the start of 2026 so proposals would be in place when the interim agreement ends. Council member Altman and others emphasized continuity and the risks of labor negotiations going poorly if counsel were not in place.
The interim Ogletree contract was authorized to run through June 30, 2026, to allow continuity during upcoming labor cycles (including police and fire negotiations referenced for 2026). Council asked staff to consider an RFP and to return with timeline options to the council before the interim contract expires.
Ending
Council terminated Keller Thoma’s contract because the firm no longer had labor attorneys available to perform the work, and it approved an interim agreement with Ogletree to maintain labor and employment legal services while the city prepares a longer‑term procurement process.
