Free event!

Many attorneys have wondered how they can land a role with a local government agency or how they can represent a public agency. This panel will feature government agency attorneys and attorneys in private practice that represent government agencies to demystify the application and process to this area of law.

Moderator: Adrieannette Ciccone, Chair, CLA Litigation Section

Speakers:

• Emilio Varanini
• Eric Casher, Founding Partner, Redwood Public Law
• Diane Jackson McLean, Partner, Goldfarb & Lipman LLP

Eric Casher is an engaging and effective relationship builder who specializes in all aspects of Government and Regulatory Affairs with a niche expertise in Federal, State and local contracting for public and private sector entities, as well as, conflicts of interest under the Political Reform Act and Government Code 1090.  Eric is the City Attorney for the City of Pinole, and General Counsel for the East Bay Dischargers Authority a joint powers agency consisting of five local agencies that manages wastewater treatment and disposal for a population of 900,000.  Eric is an effective deal maker with experience negotiating contracts and navigating the complexities of Federal and State funded projects and has advanced the development of region changing developments from ballpark projects to large transitional housing developments.

Eric also serves as legal counsel for LifeMoves, a non-profit organization focused on ending homelessness. Eric has assisted LifeMoves in the development and construction of two large Homekey interim housing projects totally over $100M. Eric is special counsel to Oakland Acquisition Company, formerly the African American Sports & Entertainment Group, advising on the acquisition and development of the 120 acre Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum complex. In addition, Eric provides special counsel services for the San Francisco Giants, GP II Foundation and various special districts throughout the State.

Eric combines substantive legal expertise with sophisticated, practical, and first-hand experience across governmental, legislative and regulatory areas of law.  He has a deep understanding of the intricacies of the decision-making process and frequently appears before and works with elected leaders, senior staff, legislative committees, regulators, agencies, boards and commissions at many levels of government.  Eric’s unique first-hand governmental and regulatory experience also includes being appointed by then Attorney General Kamala Harris to serve a four-year term as Commissioner on the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), which enforces political campaign, lobbying and conflict of interest laws.

Eric has administered contracting and grant compliance on a multitude of projects ranging from large ballpark construction projects to transitional housing developments involving hundreds of millions of dollars of State and Federal funding.  Eric also assists clients in working with advocacy groups and citizens to convey his client’s community affairs goals, as well as, achieve project specific objectives.

Eric’s demonstrated leadership is a true asset to his clients and communities throughout the State and Country.  Eric has served as Board President of the Charles Houston Bar Association, California ChangeLawyers, and the California Minority Counsel Program.  He chaired the Meyers Nave Diversity Committee and served on the CalCities Advancing Equity Advisory Committee.  He received an Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Award from the Bar Association of San Francisco, and was named Nation’s Best Advocate:  40 Under 40 by the National Bar Association.  Eric is a lecturer at Berkeley law teaching students the importance of local government law.  Finally, Eric is the a member of the ABA Federal Judiciary Standing Committee evaluating and ranking the President of the United States’ nominees to all Federal Courts in the 9^th Circuit leaving his mark on the judiciary and advancing justice at the national level.

Dianne Jackson McLean has over 30 years of community economic development, real estate, tax-exempt financing, relocation, land use, and housing experience. Her practice includes the representation of former redevelopment agencies, public housing authorities, and other public agencies in major economic development projects and housing developments, including but not limited to shopping centers, hotels, public-private public housing developments under various financing programs provided by local, state or federal government agencies.  She serves as general counsel and special counsel to public housing authorities and local city and county agencies in on-going agency administration, open meetings and public records requirements, relocation issues and related matters.  She has substantial experience in all aspects of complex real estate closings, including the drafting of and/or reviewing and negotiating purchase and sale agreements, land disposition and development agreements, lenders loan documents, tax-exempt bond documents; resolving title issues, environmental issues, including issues related to hazardous materials and related matters. She prepares public agencies’ loan documents for rental housing and ownership housing developments, including secondary resale documents.

Ms. Jackson McLean also represents nonprofit housing developers in the development and construction of low and moderate-income rental and ownership housing, including mobile home parks. She provides all necessary legal services to develop various projects, including negotiating contracts to acquire land, review and negotiate lender documents from both the private and public sectors, review and negotiate partnership documents in transactions involving low-income housing tax credits.

In addition, Ms. Jackson McLean is a frequent lecturer and/or panel speaker at various conferences related to affordable housing, economic development, and ethics.