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Stoel Rives LLP / Outside Counsel / Proposed Legal Services Agreement / Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. City of Los Angeles

Council File 26-1095

Under review — the Budget and Finance Committee unanimously approved hiring outside legal counsel for an environmental lawsuit, clearing $75,000 from existing funds. The full City Council still needs to vote to finalize the contract.

Introduced
2026-08-07
Last changed
2026-09-15
CFMS file status
File open See note on file status
Expires
2028-09-11
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Initiated by
City Attorney
References
City Attorney Report: R26-0463United States District Case: CV26-07417

This is the City Clerk's status for the council file itself, not the outcome of the measure. A file often stays open after the Council has already adopted an item. The summary above reflects the latest recorded action.

Brief

The City Attorney's office requested authorization to retain the law firm Stoel Rives LLP as outside counsel for litigation defense in Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. City of Los Angeles, a federal case currently pending in U.S. District Court. The Budget and Finance Committee approved the legal services agreement on September 15, 2026 following committee review.

Full summary

The City Attorney initiated this file on August 7, 2026, seeking City Council approval to engage Stoel Rives LLP as outside counsel for the city's defense in Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. City of Los Angeles, a case filed in U.S. District Court (Case No. CV26-07417). The source documents do not detail the underlying claims, but the plaintiff is an environmental advocacy organization, and the city's need for specialized outside legal help points to complex environmental or water-related litigation. The proposed arrangement carries a cost of $75,000, to be transferred from the Unappropriated Balance Outside Counsel line item into the City Attorney Fund. The Council would also authorize the City Attorney, or a designee, to prepare any necessary Controller instructions to execute the financial transfer, subject to approval by the City Administrative Officer. No formal fiscal impact statement was submitted by the City Attorney, and neither the CAO nor the Chief Legislative Analyst had completed an independent financial analysis at the time of committee action. The Budget and Finance Committee considered the matter at its September 15, 2026 meeting, held public comment, and voted 5-0 to approve all three recommendations — contract approval, fund transfer, and Controller authorization — in open session. Committee members Yaroslavsky, Blumenfield, Hutt, McOsker, and Hernandez all voted yes. The committee's report notes that the City Council retains the option to recess to closed session to discuss litigation exposure. The file now awaits full Council action, which is required before the agreement becomes official.

Activity (4)

  • 2026-09-15 Budget and Finance approved the item in Open Session.
  • 2026-09-11 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 15, 2026.
  • 2026-08-12 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-08-07 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated August 7, 2026.

Documents (2)

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