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easements for street, utility and other public purposes, and initiation and prosecution of eminent <br />domain proceedings. <br />Public Projects. We provide legal consultation and direction on issues relating to public <br />improvement projects. In Minn. Stat. Chap. 429 proceedings, we assist staff in drafting resolutions <br />and special assessment agreements and recommending appraisers. We review the notices and <br />process to ensure that requirements of the statute are met. In negotiating the resolution of <br />assessment appeals, we maintain the city's position, ensuring that the city has not compromised <br />itself for future assessment projects. If necessary, we represent cities in assessment appeals. <br />Legal Updates. We frequently provide our clients with updates related to legislation and court <br />opinions. Our extensive municipal clientele means that we often have firsthand information on <br />arising issues. We also attend regular updates sponsored by entities such as the League of <br />Minnesota Cities to ensure we can keep our clients update on new legal matters. <br />Municipal Financing. We have assisted in negotiating and drafting TIF agreements. We have <br />litigated lawsuits over TIF and taxing authority issues. We are familiar with and have worked with <br />federal grants administered through USDA and state grants through DEED and MPCA on <br />municipal projects. <br />Municipal Litigation. We regularly represent cities throughout Minnesota as defense counsel <br />appointed through the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust and as special counsel. We have <br />handled a wide variety of cases, including but not limited to: land use litigation and development <br />issues, including constitutional, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and historic <br />preservation claims; zoning and licensing disputes; construction claims; contract claims; TIF <br />claims; alleged open meeting law violations; public bidding; and other disputes questioning <br />municipal authority. In addition to trial work at the district court level, we are experienced in <br />appellate work and have argued over 90 cases in the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota <br />Supreme Court and the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. We have handled over 400 civil <br />litigation cases for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust in both State and Federal courts. <br />In addition, we have been hired as special counsel by a number of cities where conflict situations <br />exist in a variety of areas, including development and personnel. Our extensive litigation <br />experience provides us with a unique ability to recognize potential liability and provide advice for <br />our clients. <br />Personnel. We regularly work on personnel matters for our clients from hiring and updating <br />personnel polices to discipline and termination. We have represented our clients in veterans' <br />preference hearings and grievance hearings and we have negotiated and drafted settlement <br />agreements for departing employees. We have been involved in labor negotiations and disputes <br />including meetings, hearings, mediations, arbitrations and litigation. <br />Data Practices and Open Meeting. We have extensive experience in data practices and open <br />meeting issues. We regularly review data practices requests and work with staff to provide <br />appropriate and timely responses. We have drafted and updated data practices policies to ensure <br />compliance with the ever -changing regulations. We also work with staff to reduce the costs of data <br />requests by ensuring that the requests are appropriately narrowed and if necessary by providing a <br />7 <br />