Board designates Orbach, Huff & Henderson LLP as primary counsel after debate over response times

The Perris Union High School District board voted on Feb. 25 to designate Orbach, Huff & Henderson LLP as the board’s primary law firm for existing and future cases after an extended discussion about legal services and responsiveness.

Trustees framed the motion as an attempt to centralize board counsel and gain clearer oversight of pending litigation. One trustee said the firm had explained it would review all pending cases and recommend whether any should remain with their current counsel or be transferred to Orbach, Huff & Henderson "so that we could be in a better position," and that the firm would avoid restarting matters near settlement.

Several trustees and cabinet members raised concerns that some other firms on the district’s panel had been more responsive on human-resources matters and that HR needs sometimes require faster turnaround times than the primary firm offered. A cabinet representative said the district had experienced slow response times on personnel questions and recommended retaining HR-friendly firms for those matters.

The board discussed options including retaining multiple firms for different practice areas, limiting Orbach’s scope, or allowing cabinet to continue using specific firms for HR matters. The motion put forward and seconded recommended using Orbach, Huff & Henderson LLP as the primary law firm; the chair announced the vote was 3 in favor, 2 opposed.

No litigation transfers or staffing changes were executed at the meeting; trustees asked administration to provide case lists and contract copies so members could follow which firms currently handle specific matters and costs associated with each firm.