Public Records Act Counseling and Litigation Support

In California, public entities are subject to the requirements of the Public Records Act. The provisions of the Public Records Act serve the noble purpose of keeping the public informed of government actions, but public records requests are often extremely burdensome, time-consuming, and expensive. While the Public Records Act proscribes many requirements that public entities must comply with, public entities are also entitled to adopt their own individualized procedures to help better manage public records requests and avoid litigation. Bergman & Dacey is uniquely qualified to assist you with your Public Records Act needs, including the preparation of Public Records Act procedures, and the defense of Public Records Act litigation.

• Preventative Counseling and Ordinance Drafting
  We provide ongoing advice and counseling to our clients related to Public Records Act issues. We can analyze your existing procedures and assist in drafting successor procedures that will comply with California state law requirements. This counseling often provides you with the maximum amount of control over the Public Records Act process.
• Litigation Support
  While we strongly recommend a proactive, preventative posture to avoid litigation, Bergman & Dacey offers the full spectrum of litigation services and has the core legal experience necessary to defend public entities in court should Public Records Act litigation arise.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
  We recognize the important role that alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") plays at all stages of Public Records Act litigation, and depending on the specific facts of each case, we regularly work with our clients to develop an effective ADR strategy that can substantially reduce the expense of litigation.