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Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP

Public Agencies

What's it like to work with F3?

F3 attorneys have great depth and breadth of experience in representing many California public agencies including individual superior courts and other Judicial Branch entities, a wide variety of special districts, county governments, and public housing authorities. We work closely with these clients in the full range of labor and employment law; facilities, property, and business contract issues; public sector governance requirements; and civil litigation.

What can F3 solve for you?

We care deeply about the communities we serve and bring our unparalleled breadth of knowledge and experience to how we answer every question and address every client need. We make sure we acquire a thorough understanding of our clients’ fiscal constraints, operational objectives, and priorities for success of the mission in serving the public.

“Our job is to improve communities and access to resources. Each of us is personally invested in that objective. Individually and collectively, we know we’re making a difference.”

– Jessica Ehrlich, Partner

F3 attorneys offer extensive legal experience across all areas of public sector labor and employment law. Our commitment to professional excellence in law and personal commitment to deliver the highest quality, responsive service is the right combination to serve today’s public institutions.

Experienced F3 attorneys support public agencies in navigating their general business, facilities and construction needs.  This includes drafting and negotiating contracts, handling real property transactions, supporting facilities maintenance and renovation, and providing assistance for construction projects from design to construction administration to project close-out.  While our focus is always litigation prevention, we also have extensive experience in supporting public agencies in litigation matters, from informal dispute resolution through trial.

We have special expertise in helping our public agency clients in the challenges with meeting public service needs in the face of funding and operational constraints.  We well understand the vital importance of our clients’ missions to the general public and the specific communities served.  In addition to legal services in support of our clients’ business and facilities needs; advice and representation in labor and employment matters; and civil litigation, we also regularly provide training required by statute or Rule of Court in all areas, including ethics, conflict of interest laws, and awareness and prevention of discrimination and harassment.  

Helping the Judicial Council in its facilities and business needs 

Every courthouse in California is supported by the Judicial Council, the mission of which is to ensure the consistent, independent, and accessible administration of justice. The Judicial Council, the policymaking body of California courts (the largest court system in the nation) looks to F3 attorneys for guidance on a wide range of business, facilities, operational and other matters.

Representing individual trial courts and other public agencies in labor negotiations and dispute resolution

We represent California superior courts and other public agencies in labor negotiations and union and unrepresented dispute resolution by joining with the employer’s seasoned operational team to ensure both good labor relations and continued good stewardship of public funds. Our mission is to help our clients achieve their missions. 

Representing special districts 

Today California has nearly 3,400 special districts providing vital community services.  We work closely with many special districts on labor and employment matters, and public access and other governance issues, helping them effectively serve their communities

Explore what we’ve done

  • Successfully settled property dispute in advance of formal litigation 
  • Assisted in the construction of a multi-million dollar state building facility 
  • Worked with public agencies to identify causes and find solutions for design and construction defects mid-construction project, while simultaneously providing support to keep the project on time and on budget 
  • Support public agencies to procure design and construction teams to build new facilities to provide publicly available resources  

F3 is known for these strengths

  • Advising on Brown Act and other federal and state compliance 
  • Working with agencies to successfully administer and complete capital building construction projects
  • Representing agencies in litigation and other kinds of disputes
  • Representing the Judicial Council
  • Representing Joint Powers Authorities, such as transportation agencies
  • Managing labor and employment matters, including collective bargaining and union negotiations 
  • Providing counseling and training on agency governance 
  • Helping agencies with budgeting and funding counsel  
  • Advising and representing agencies on real estate matters 
  • Representing housing authorities, water districts, fire districts, sanitation districts, parks and recreation districts, and more
  • Advising agencies on construction, procurement, and other contracts and expenditures 
  • Advising agencies on communications issues, including crisis communications 

Related Professionals

  • Media item displaying: Lynn Beekman

    Lynn Beekman

    Partner

    San Diego
    760.304.6037 760.304.6037
    lbeekman@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Namita S. Brown

    Namita S. Brown

    Partner

    Oakland
    510.550.8217 510.550.8217
    nbrown@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Jessica E. Ehrlich

    Jessica E. Ehrlich

    Partner

    Los AngelesOaklandSan Diego
    323.330.6821 323.330.6821
    jehrlich@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Peter K. Fagen

    Peter K. Fagen

    Partner

    Labor Relations & Negotiations
    San DiegoFresnoInland EmpireLos AngelesMidwest
    760.304.6000 760.304.6000
    pfagen@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Douglas N. Freifeld

    Douglas N. Freifeld

    Partner

    Oakland
    510.550.8224 510.550.8224
    dfreifeld@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Milton E. Foster III

    Milton E. Foster III

    Partner

    Inland Empire
    951.215.4907 951.215.4907
    mfoster@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Diane Marshall-Freeman

    Diane Marshall-Freeman

    Partner

    School and College Athletics
    SacramentoFresno
    916.604.3073 916.604.3073
    dmarshall-freeman@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Gretchen M. Shipley

    Gretchen M. Shipley

    Partner

    San DiegoInland Empire
    760.304.6015 760.304.6015
    gshipley@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Mary Breffle

    Mary Breffle

    Associate

    Oakland
    510.550.8215 510.550.8215
    mbreffle@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Jonathan M. Velasquez

    Jonathan M. Velasquez

    Associate

    Inland Empire
    951.215.4917 951.215.4917
    jvelasquez@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Pat Kernan

    Pat Kernan

    Of Counsel

    SacramentoOaklandMidwest
    916.604.3071 916.604.3071
    pkernan@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Jeff A. Harrison

    Jeff A. Harrison

    Partner

    Los Angeles
    323.330.6838 323.330.6838
    jharrison@f3law.com

  • Media item displaying: Nathaniel Rosilez

    Nathaniel Rosilez

    Associate

    Inland Empire
    951.215.4906 951.215.4906
    nrosilaz@f3law.com

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