Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Conflict Of Interest topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City attorney discloses firm’s role in estate litigation tied to Waterford development
Summary
The city attorney told the Calera City Council he and a partner are handling a will challenge to the estate of John Ringer and said the representation is not believed to create a professional conflict with the city’s Waterford matter; he said resolving the estate could help move Waterford negotiations forward.
The city attorney told the Calera City Council at a work session that a member of his firm has been asked to handle a will challenge involving the estate of John Ringer, who died in March. He said the firm does not believe that representation creates a professional conflict with the city’s involvement in the Waterford matter but disclosed the work "to inform the mayor and the council as a whole."
The attorney said family members are engaged in a will challenge and that his partner, Frank Head, was asked to handle the estate matter. "We don't believe it meets conflict underneath the rules of our professional responsibility," he said, but added he had a duty to inform both clients and the council. He suggested that moving the estate process forward could help the city's interests by identifying a point of contact for the Waterford development and advancing resolution of outstanding issues related to the project.
The disclosure did not prompt a formal council motion or vote. The attorney said he would continue to try to bring resolution on Waterford while his firm handles the will challenge and invited any council concerns or objections. The council did not take formal action on the disclosure at the session.
