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Practice Areas :
Municipal Representation
Patton Boggs is the leading firm in Washington for representation of municipal governments. Our clients range from nearly half the nation’s 15 largest cities to a number of the nation’s smallest. What each has in common is the need to influence events in the nation’s capital in ways that promote local interests. For some, that means seeking federal funds for local institutions. Our lawyers help these clients secure hundreds of millions of dollars each year for local projects in a variety of areas. Others seek important policy changes through the legislative process. We have discovered that what may appear to be the most modest policy changes can dramatically affect a municipality’s ability to serve its citizens.
We understand and negotiate the appropriations process at every juncture. We succeed by pursuing the Administration’s and the President’s budget requests as submitted to Congress through the various phases of congressional consideration and finally to agency implementation. We have successfully designed and implemented strategies to keep controversial programs funded, increased funding for client priority programs, and initiated funding for programs not requested in the Administration budget. Our attorneys have built solid, bipartisan relationships with the key House and Senate committees and federal agencies that are most closely involved with issues affecting municipalities. Many attorneys at the firm have either served in Congress or worked in senior staff positions in Congress, at the White House, in the Executive Branch agencies, or at the national committees of the two major political parties.
Our direct and continuous involvement with decision makers enables us to anticipate and influence pivotal developments that impact our clients, and to alter strategy at a moment's notice. We also spot legislative opportunities and problems—our attorneys know that a minor amendment to pending legislation could mean the difference between qualifying or not qualifying for a federal program or between winning and being foreclosed from a federal grant.
We understand and respect the unique nature of municipal representation. We are ever mindful of our role as an extension of the elected and appointed leadership of the municipality, and sensitive to the fact that public sector entities operate under close public and media scrutiny. Our clients trust our advice and counsel because they respect our integrity and discretion, and know that our interactions with federal and congressional officials will always reflect positively on their behalf.
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