Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC

Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC represents local governments throughout California as general and special counsel in municipal law, including public revenues, land use, elections, labor and employment, redevelopment, housing, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act regarding Local Agency Formation Commissions, and associated litigation. Our core commitment is to provide advice our clients find helpful, understandable, and fairly priced.

City Attorney

The firm serves as city or town attorney of these cities:

Auburn
Barstow
Calabasas
Grass Valley
Lakeport
Ojai
Sierra Madre
South Pasadena
Yountville

Successor Agencies

The firm also serves as general counsel to the Successor Agencies to redevelopment agencies in these communities:

Auburn
Barstow
Sierra Madre
South Pasadena

General Counsel

The firm provides general counsel to these Oversight Boards:

Huntington Park
Pomona
Rialto
San Bernardino
San Gabriel
Temple City

We also serve as general counsel to these special districts, joint powers agencies and other special-purpose agencies:

Calaveras LAFCO
Downieville Fire Protection District
First Five Yuba Commission
Higgins Fire District
Los Angeles County Law Library
Ophir Hill Fire District
Orangeline Development Authority
Penn Valley Fire Protection District
Pine Grove Community Services District
Rough & Ready Fire Protection District
Garden Valley Fire Protection District
Los Osos Community Facilities District
Nevada County Cemetery District
North San Juan Fire Protection District
Oak Tree Park and Recreation District
San Diego LAFCO
SELACO Workforce Investment Board
Tahoe Forest Hospital District
Yuba LAFCO

Special counsel projects for Counties, cities and special districts

We also do a wide range of special counsel projects for counties, cities and special districts around the state. Such projects have included:

• Representation of the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission on matters as to which County Counsel had a conflict of interest
• Representation of Marin County in Greene v. Marin County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (2010) 49 Cal.4th 277(property-owner election on property-related fee not subject to ballot secrecy that applies to registered-voter elections)
• Public finance advice to the Nevada County Sanitation District No. 1
• Investigation of an Elected Official for Orange County
• Public finance advice to Riverside County
• Public finance advice to San Benito County
• Public finance advice to the City & County of San Francisco
• Representation of Riverside County in Beutz v. Riverside County (2010) 184 Cal.App.4th 1516 (challenge to park and recreation assessment under 1972 Landscaping & Lighting Act)
• Public finance advice to Ventura County
• Representation of the Ventura County Campaign Finance Commission
• Representation of the Ventura County Civil Service Commission

In short, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC and its lawyers have deep experience in the full range of legal issues confronting California’s cities and counties and are well equipped to provide helpful, understandable and fairly priced advice as general counsel and in a wide range of special counsel assignments.

A representative listing of present and recent clients is here.