PEABODY — The School Committee is hiring an education law attorney for the district.
At the committee’s most recent meeting, committee members interviewed representatives from three law firms, which stated their best cases as to why their firm should be selected .
“I was impressed with all three and will fully support whichever firm the committee chooses,” said Superintendent of Schools Josh Vadala. “During this unprecedented time, there is an increased need to enter into impact bargaining with all bargaining units, as well as a need to navigate the various COVID-related regulations. Peabody has historically utilized the city solicitor, but many times, the city solicitor is required to tend to city matters and it is important the committee has access to counsel as needed.”
Vadala said the committee has allocated $25,000 in an open-purchase order and that any money not spent on legal fees will be transferred to the general fund at the end of the year. He said fees will be charged based on an hourly rate and that most firms “generally charge in six-minute increments.”
Representatives from Murphy Hesse Twomey & Lehane, a Quincy-based labor and employment law firm, have local connections.
“I have special ties to Peabody as I married into the Spatafore family,” said Sarah Spatafore, an attorney with the firm that counts 150 Massachusetts schools and districts in its client base.
“We still own a home here and love the community and would be happy to represent Peabody schools.”
Colleague Felicia Vasudevan, a special education lawyer and Title IX training specialist, worked under Vadala as Revere’s special education attorney.
In response to a question regarding travel frequency, Spatafore said firm members have been traveling on a regular basis since mid-summer.
“We have learned that some things, especially negotiations, are more effective when in person, so yes, we prefer meeting with clients in person whenever possible,” she said.
Rebecca Bryant and Colby Brunt delivered Boston-based firm Stoneman, Chandler & Miller LLP presentation.
Bryant has 30 years of experience in labor relations and personnel matters, special education, and general school law, including student discipline. She specializes in assisting school officials in policy development and practical problem solving.
Brunt is a special education and school law specialist with 20 years of experience. She also handles matters relating to district-policy development, labor and employment matters and student discipline.
Bryant said their firm is “unique” in that all of their attorneys have experience beyond school law.
“We were both teachers before becoming school lawyers,” Bryant said, adding that the firm also has clinical psychologists on staff. “Another advantage our firm has is that it executed some of the first collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in Massachusetts, so we have a historical perspective in terms of issues school committees face.”
Brunt said her firm represents nearby districts in Salem, Reading, Manchester-Essex, Reading, Woburn, Chelsea and Ipswich and the North Shore Education Consortium, and has seven lawyers in their group.
She said the firm “prides itself on being available.”
Bryant said legal needs vary among districts.
“Some superintendents talk to us every day, some once a month,” she said. “They have different needs, so that’s why we take an individualized approach.”
The final firm, Valerio, Dominello & Hillman of Westwood, emphasized its strengths in negotiating CBAs and using proactive measures to stave off potential litigation.
“The best way to deal with disputes is to avoid them,” Rob Hillman said. “Early engagement is key to avoid litigation. We have lots of experience with grievances and arbitration and are a first-name basis with most clerks.”
The committee voted to hold off selection until its next regular meeting (TBD).
The meeting came on the heels of last week’s City Council’s approval of a $580,000 appropriation to cover a projected deficit in the FY2020 school budget.
Vadala said that “in January, the school business administrator indicated that the school budget was projected to be in deficit in the health insurance account of over $1 million. There were no new hires from December to June and the money saved from March 13 to June 30 reduced the deficit to the $580,000 that the city council appropriated the other night.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
