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Board authorizes bids for district land sale and engages outside counsel Thompson Horton
Summary
Trustees authorized solicitation of bids to sell district-owned land and approved an engagement letter with law firm Thompson Horton to serve as additional outside counsel on discrete matters, citing need for independent counsel on certain board-related matters.
The Board authorized administration to solicit competitive bids for the sale of district-owned property and approved an engagement letter with Houston-based law firm Thompson Horton to provide outside counsel work on a case-by-case basis. Trustees characterized the firm as a supplemental legal resource for matters where independent counsel may be useful due to conflicts or the appearance of conflicts involving long-standing relationships with in-house counsel.
School Board Attorney Ben Castillo said the outside firm would be engaged for specific projects and not as replacement general counsel. "It may be advantageous to the district that you get a third party with no ties to anybody to give legal advice," Castillo said, describing scenarios where independent advice can preserve public confidence in contested or sensitive matters. The board approved the engagement after discussion and voted to authorize bid solicitations for district land.
