Schneiders & Associates is pleased to announce that Leroy Smith joined the firm as Of Counsel. Mr. Smith served as the County Counsel for the County of Ventura from July 2010 until his retirement from County service in October 2020. As County Counsel, Mr. Smith was the chief civil law officer of the county and provided legal advice and representation to the Board of Supervisors, all county officers and departments, and to related special districts and agencies. He managed the work of 25 full-time attorneys and an office budget of 6 million dollars, and personally acted as general counsel at the public meetings of the Board of Supervisors and to the Ventura County Civil Grand Jury.
Legal Experience
Mr. Smith has deep experience providing legal opinions and advice to public entities and their governing bodies, including compliance with all relevant procedural laws such as the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act; the Government Claims Act and the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act. He has substantial experience and expertise in drafting and reviewing contracts, resolutions, ordinances and similar documents.
As to substantive legal issues, Mr. Smith has experience and expertise providing advice and/or litigation services on virtually every issue that might confront municipalities and other local public agencies, including land use (CEQA issues), local coastal plans, coastal zoning ordinances, non-coastal zoning ordinances, affordable housing, harbor and airport regulations, regulations of short-term vacation rentals, legalization of cannabis and hemp cultivation and sales, agricultural commissioner regulations, public works projects, prevailing wage laws, environmental health and solid waste regulations, air pollution control board procedures and permitting, water and sanitation districts, groundwater management agencies, tax agreements, annexations to and reorganizations of local agencies, property tax assessments and assessment appeals, health care and hospital operations, emergency services, public health orders, code enforcement, election laws and initiative proceedings, fire protection, oil and gas regulations, public conservatorships and mental health, law enforcement and civil rights claims, public employee pensions, union recognition disputes and collective bargaining, employee discipline processes, discrimination and harassment claims, fire protection and juvenile dependency disputes.
Mr. Smith will be part of the firm’s municipal, government, land use and real estate practices. Welcome, Leroy!