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Atlantic Beach pension trustees vote to retain Pedro Herrera at Jones Walker
Summary
On May 28 the Atlantic Beach Police Officers and General Employees Pension Boards voted to retain attorney Pedro Herrera and move representation to Jones Walker. The police trustees voted unanimously; the general‑employees trustees approved the change 4–1 after discussing fees and past firm performance.
The Board of Trustees for the Police Officers Pension Board and the General Employees Pension Board of the City of Atlantic Beach voted May 28 to retain Pedro Herrera as their primary legal counsel and to contract with the national firm Jones Walker.
Pedro Herrera, who said he recently moved his practice to Jones Walker, outlined the firm’s larger bench and offered to serve as the boards’ primary attorney with a guaranteed rate of $400 per hour. David Robinson, partner at Sugarman & Susskind, said Sugarman has served the plans since about 2018 and offered a 25% discount on fees; the board noted Sugarman’s discounted rate appeared in a letter as about $372.75 per billable hour.
Trustees debated continuity and institutional knowledge versus the resources of a national firm. A trustee who said he has long worked with Herrera moved that the boards contract with Jones Walker and retain Herrera as counsel; that motion was seconded and brought to voice votes. The police‑side trustees voted all in favor. On the general‑employees side the motion passed 4–1.
Board members asked about fee guarantees and term length; Herrera said he could guarantee the quoted fee for multiple years and that Jones Walker provides litigation, appellate and other specialized teams if needed. The chair said the boards have three options: stay with Sugarman & Susskind, move to Jones Walker with Herrera, or select a different firm. Trustees asked staff to retain records of proposals and confirm contract terms.
The boards took the decision as an administrative contract action and recorded the votes accordingly. The meeting moved next to the actuarial valuation reports.
