GOVERNMENTAL LAW

The Government Relations Practice Group focuses on legal services for local governments, authorities, agencies and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

For over a half century, the firm has served as general counsel for the Peninsula Airport Commission (PAC) guiding the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (formerly Patrick Henry Airport) from its beginning after World War II as an abandoned Army facility to its status today as a major East Coast airport serving many airlines and thousands of passengers each month.  

Another half-century client has been the Hampton Roads Sanitary District Commission (HRSD), the political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia charged with providing sanitary sewer throughout the entire Hampton Roads area.  Once again, as attorneys, we have assisted HRSD so that today it provides service to substantially all of the areas in Hampton and Newport News, as well as reaching into the York County and Williamsburg areas, plus crossing the York River to serve Gloucester County and in the future, Mathews County.

With this core of experience, the firm has attracted the following clients:

• Industrial Development Authority (IDA) of the City of Newport News and its sister political subdivision, the Economic Development Authority (EDA).  Some years ago, the City of Newport News assigned to IDA and EDA the responsibility for the development of a 600 acre tract that had been acquired from the government.  With the deterioration of the Downtown area, the development of this parcel was slated to become the "center city" for the future.  The firm was heavily involved in the planning and execution of "City Center" so that today, it has become the economic center of the City.  The firm not only assisted in developing the overall scope of what was to be done, but assisted in the details involved in contracts, zoning, restrictions, outsales and the like.

• Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NNRHA).  This public agency owns and rents thousands of public housing residential units as well as having the responsibility for redevelopment of blighted areas.  The firm serves as general counsel in handling a variety of issues, such as assisting in the rental program and acquisition and development of real property.

• Federal Area Development Authority (FADA).  This is the agency originally charged with assisting in preservation, protection and where appropriate, development of Fort Monroe, which in 2011 will be closed as a military base.  The firm has assisted FADA because of a myriad of legal problems involved with Fort Monroe with portions of its property being owned by the state, other parcels by the federal government with a reversionary clause to be operative upon Fort Monroe being closed as a military base, and other parcels by the federal government outright and yet another category parcels where "accretion" has occurred adjoining the state or federal land with the reversionary clause.  At this point, only planning has occurred and pursuant to an Act by the 2007 General Assembly, this agency will be superceded by a similar agency in the future. 

Involved in all of the agencies mentioned above has been guidance and opinions on the Freedom of Information Act, advising on what matters are public, what matters are private and what information is required by law to be made available to the public.

Government Law Group