State & Local Governments
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s State and Local Governments industry group represents entities such as counties and municipalities, water and sewer districts, school districts, colleges and universities, hospitals, state agencies, nonprofit corporations, retirement facilities, foundations and charities. Our attorneys have developed the knowledge and experience to help clients manage the complex problems that face them on a daily basis.
Our firm has a long history of partnership with both state and local governments throughout South Carolina, particularly in the areas of public finance, governmental powers and governmental liability.
Our lawyers have years of experience in assisting state and local governments to meet the needs of their constituents, whether it involves structuring complex public finance and inter-governmental agreements, drafting legislation, providing procurement advice or litigating about the ever-changing role of local government.
Our experience includes:
- Advising on council member legal and ethical responsibilities, including developing and following processes for addressing conflicts of interest and appearances of conflicts of interest
- Representing public bodies in lawsuits involving FOIA
- Representing clients on the issuance of municipal bonds and private activity bonds
- Advising on economic incentive matters and projects
- Offering employment law advice and counsel, and representation of the entity before any administrative agencies, tribunals or courts in employment-related claims or litigation
- Representing municipalities in the negotiation of annexations, development agreements and PUD zoning provisions
- Representing municipalities on condemnation matters
- Advising on real estate matters, including permitting and entitlement, financing, leasing, acquisition and disposition and being well-versed in easement and land dispute matters
- Representing clients in environmental matters before administrative, state and federal courts
- Counseling on the ramifications of receiving governmental grants and on complying with requirements that often accompany such grants
- Advising governmental entities on compliance with federal entitlement programs including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
- Advising governmental entities on matters pertaining to affordable housing
- Advising government bodies on procurement-related issues, including providing counsel and training concerning procurement policies and ordinances, preparing bids, requests for proposals, requests for qualifications and other solicitation documents, drafting, reviewing and negotiating contract documents and advising on contract awards
- Counseling on numerous development and inducement agreements, either on a standalone basis or as part of a public infrastructure financing
- Advising on FOIA policies that address open meetings requirements, response to FOIA requests, executive session parameters and preparation and retention of minutes
- Creating and advising multiple joint action agencies and preparing intergovernmental agreements to guide the operation and management of such agencies
- Counseling on permitted investments under State law, including with respect to GASB 45 compliance and to complex interest-rate exposure management practices
- Advising on budgetary matters, including notice requirements, compliance with millage cap limitations, compensation of elected officials and inter-fund transfer policies
