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Boca Raton approves higher hourly rates for outside law firm Weiss Serota
Summary
Council approved Resolution 64‑2024 authorizing higher hourly rates for Weiss Serota, Heathman, Cole & Bierman under an amendment to its legal services agreement; staff said market pressures prompted the increase and the vote was 5‑0.
The Boca Raton City Council on Aug. 27 unanimously approved Resolution 64‑2024, authorizing the city manager to execute the seventh amendment to the legal services agreement with Weiss Serota Heathman Cole & Bierman, PL (Weiss Serota). The amendment raises several hourly rates for the firm’s attorneys.
City Manager Brown and the city attorney’s office presented the item. Brown noted the amendment is limited to hourly rates and does not guarantee any minimum billing; council members asked about the timing of previous increases. Development/council questions established the last increase occurred in September 2022.
Dan Abbott, a member of Weiss Serota, told the council ‘‘the legal expenses, primarily the cost of hiring attorneys, has really exploded in the South Florida community’’ and that the firm is discussing rate changes with many clients. He explained the agreement uses blended rates and assigns work to lower‑cost attorneys when appropriate to control expenses. ‘‘We are paid with taxpayer money; we take that obligation seriously,’’ Abbott said.
Council members pressed staff on vendor reviews during the city’s transitional period for the in‑house city attorney function and acknowledged the need to keep costs down. One council member said the proposed rates remain below what new government clients might be charged elsewhere in Florida and supported the increase; another urged periodic vendor audits.
The council adopted the resolution on a roll call vote, 5‑0. The amendment adjusts rates across categories (personal injury, litigation, and other matters) as described in the staff report; for example, some shareholder rates increased from $245 to $295 per hour in certain categories.
City staff said the agreement includes severability, appeal rights and an effective date; no specific fiscal year dollar totals were presented at the meeting. Council members said staff remains empowered to evaluate vendors during the in‑house transition and to seek savings where appropriate.
The resolution passed 5‑0.
