New Haven Independent

At Monday night’s Administration and Finance Committee meeting, members approved $425,000 in seven separate agreements for legal advice, research, litigation, and other services, including renewal of $90,000 on-call contract with attorney Martyn Philpot (pictured).

The contracts next go to the full Board of Education for approval.

The new contracts supplement the legal work done for the BOE by the city’s corporation counsel. According to Will Clark, the chief operating officer, the city’s legal office doesn’t always have the specific expertise needed.

Longtime outside counsel for the BOE, the politically connected Milford-based firm Berchem, Moses & Devlin, nabbed four separate contracts to represent the board in areas that range from personnel grievances to labor grievances.

Clark said that Berchem is known statewide for effectively representing school districts in special education matters. “And Floyd Dugas,” Clark said of one of Berchem’s principals, “has tremendous credibility with, for example, David Cicarella,” head of the city teachers union. “Floyd and I can do in ten minutes what others take hours to do.”

Before he came to the BOE, Clark (pictured on left, with committee chair Richard Abbatiello) was an attorney with Berchem. Before that, he was director of labor for the Board of Ed and helped to negotiate many contracts. Clark said that he would continue to captain negotiations with the custodians and the trades.

Also provisionally approved for hire was Frank Radelet, Attorneys and Counselors, headquarterd in Chicago. Why a Chicago firm? Clark said the firm has experience with school reform issues.

Labor facilitator Lawrence Fox also had his contract renewed. “He’s facilitating meetings with the teachers, the city, and with his union connections, he makes a valuable contribution to the team. Click here for a previous article on Fox’s first contract with the Board. That ran from April to June, for $20,000. The new contract would run through June 2010 and will not exceed $40,000.

Clark said that none of these contracts will cost the BOE additional money. He said the funding comes from previously approved agreements, savings, and transfers from other accounts.

“In 1999,” he said, “the board was spending close to $1 million on legal fees. We’re down to less than half.”

Committee member Michael Nast took special pleasure in voting to approve Martyn Philpot’s contract; Nast was principal when Marc Glenn, a member of Philpot’s legal team, graduated from Stamford High School.

The contracts now go to the full board for official approval, which is usually pro forma.