In September the Town Council approved the hiring of Pierce Coleman attorneys to act as legal counsel for the Town of Fountain Hills, filling a vacancy left with the firing of Gust Rosenfeld last fall.

The firm of Dickinson Wright served the town on an interim basis and will remain six weeks to assist with transition.

Pierce Coleman has assigned attorney Aaron Arnson to act as the designated attorney for the Town of Fountain Hills.

Arnson has been with the firm for two years as of February 2019. He received a J.D., magna cum laude from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He began his legal career as clerk for the Honorable Ann A. Scott Timmer at the Arizona Supreme Court. Arnson practiced with the regional firm Lewis and Roca (now Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie) before joining Pierce Coleman as an associate. Arnson cites the advantages of having big firm experience at a small firm.

Arnson has experience working with human resource management issues for both business and municipal entities. He has represented clients before the EEOC, U.S. Department of Labor, Arizona Department of Economic Security and the Civil Rights Division of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He frequently writes and presents on employment law issues.

Pierce Coleman represents the cities of Tolleson and El Mirage as legal counsel. Arnson said they are currently involved with a project for Tolleson that proposes development of an historic area of the city’s downtown. He said plans include a new town hall facility as well as mixed use commercial and residential development.

There are advantages to finding appropriate public/private partnerships when undertaking such projects, Arnson said.

“It is important to know citizen needs,” he said. “Our approach is that there must be public input before we draft anything.”

One of the first tasks before Arnson is to begin a working relationship with new council members. With four people new to the council, including three who have not served previously, it is important for them to understand legal aspects of the job.

“What I will be doing from the outset is ensure that they are all aware of the legal and practical requirements that go with serving,” Arnson said.

In particular, they need to understand open meeting laws and conflict of interest, he said.

Arnson said Pierce Coleman uses a contract model that they believe is a great cost saver for clients. Agreements with municipalities use a flat annual fee for services.

The practice is for firms to bill on an hourly basis that can easily lead to unintended overruns, or possibly staff or council members not getting the legal help they need for fear of increasing costs.

“It is my understanding that model has resulted in significant cost savings for the City of Tolleson,” Arnson said. “That is important for cities that have limited financial resources.”

Pierce Coleman submitted a proposal to the Town of Fountain Hills for a $225,000 first year fee, which they agreed to reduce to $180,000 when asked by council.

In recent years the Town Council has taken particular interest in watching and providing input on activity by the Arizona State Legislature. In that regard Pierce Coleman is well suited, according to Arnson. Founding Partner Justin Pierce served in the State Legislature previously.

Arnson said it is important to have someone who understands the legal as well as political aspects of municipal interests. He said Pierce can serve that role well with his experience.