Public and Municipal Law

Cities, towns, districts, and agencies throughout Massachusetts turn to Mirick for objective and pragmatic approaches to public sector legal services. Mirick attorneys understand the unique issues faced by public officials and care about the communities we represent.

Trusted Public Sector Counsel

For over 50 years, Mirick attorneys have served as Town Counsel, Special Counsel, and Labor Counsel for public entities across the Commonwealth. We draw upon a depth of experience to provide responsive and cost-effective legal representation.

Town Counsel and Special Municipal Counsel Services

Mirick attorneys advise towns, cities, and districts in all areas of municipal law:

Labor Counsel Services

Representing public sector clients on labor matters, we serve as counselors, negotiators, and litigators. In doing so, we render advice on the full array of employment laws and laws unique to the public sector, including:

• Public sector collective bargaining
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Wage and hour laws
• Anti-discrimination laws
• Civil service

Collective Bargaining

Our role in collective bargaining varies depending upon our client’s preference. At times we handle negotiations from beginning to end, consulting with clients throughout the process; alternatively, we sometimes serve as lead spokesperson among a team of town officials comprising the town’s bargaining team or simply act in a consultative role by preparing proposals and recommending strategies.

In today’s world of labor relations, litigation is an unfortunate reality. At Mirick, we have a successful track record in representing clients before:

• Civil Service Commission
• Department of Labor Relations
• Joint-Labor Management Committee
• Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
• State and federal courts.

In addition, we regularly represent clients at grievance arbitrations.

Industry Insights

Our attorneys monitor legal developments and provide timely communications that may affect our clients. We also conduct in-house training programs for public officials on the Open Meeting Law, Conflict of Interest Law, and Public Records Law. Mirick’s labor attorneys provide workplace trainings on all aspects of labor and employment law, including harassment prevention training, and present an annual labor and employment law seminar.