December 16, 2025
Mayor's Office
DATE: December 16, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
Councilmember Doria Robinson
Councilmember Sue Wilson
SUBJECT:
Actions Related to City Attorney Resignation and Interim Legal Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Aleshire & Wynder legal services agreement for City Attorney Services costs approximately $400,000 per
quarter, for a contract amount not to exceed $1,800,000, and is funded from Account String 01151014 - 400206.
The proposed actions will reduce this amount by
$1,650,000 and will require additional funds in the
personnel line item for the City Attorney’s Office and for recruitment of a permanent City Attorney.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
July 19, 2022
December 17, 2024
June 24, 2025
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
As a result of the City Attorney informing the Ad Hoc
Committee to the City Attorney evaluation that he is
resigning from providing City Attorney services to the
City, the Committee seeks approval of a Legal Services
Agreement with Aleshire & Wynder, LLP to provide for
the continuation of legal services on certain projects and to provide for various attorney services. To provide for City Attorney services, Chief Assistant City Attorney
Shannon Moore has agreed to provide the services on an
interim basis. The Committee recommends the Council
conduct a recruitment for a city attorney and requests
approval to seek a recruiting firm to be managed by the AGENDA
REPORT
December 16, 2025
Committee with the assistance of the Interim Senior
Assistant City Attorney, Heather McLaughlin.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ACCEPT the resignation of Dave Aleshire/Aleshire &
Wynder, LLP as City Attorney; APPROVE a legal
services agreement with Aleshire & Wynder, LLP, for
ongoing legal services in an amount of $150,000 for a
term ending December 31, 2026; APPROVE an
Agreement with Shannon Moore for interim City Attorney
services; and AUTHORIZE a request for proposals for
the city attorney recruitment – Mayor Eduardo Martinez
(510-620-6503)/Councilmember Doria Robinson (510-
620-6568)/Councilmember Sue Wilson (510-609-211).
DISCUSSION:
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP (A&W), and its partner, David J. Aleshire, currently provide City Attorney services for the City of Richmond. David Aleshire was appointed interim City Attorney on December 21, 2021, and appointed as the City Attorney by the City Council on July 19, 2022.
The City Council and its Ad Hoc Committee earlier this year conducted a 360° evaluation of the City Attorney. As a result of the evaluation, the Council approved a Restated Contract Services Agreement for City Attorney Services in June of this year.
The agreement clarified, among other things, roles and responsibilities for day-to-day operations in the City Attorney’s Office and established a plan for providing monthly confidential attorney-client privileged reports to the City Council.
With the term of the Restated Agreement expiring on December 31, 2025, the Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the agreement and followed up with a check-in with the City Attorney. During that check-in, Mr. Aleshire informed the members of the Ad Hoc Committee and the Interim Senior Assistant City Attorney that he is resigning as City Attorney. In recognition of the successes Mr. Aleshire has had with the City’s more challenging projects and of the interesting projects the City has, the Ad Hoc Committee recommend that he and Aleshire & Wynder continue to provide services to the City on an outside counsel basis. The proposed agreement will allow him to focus on projects where his expertise, experience and historical knowledge will be best used. He will also help provide transitional services to the interim city attorney.
The proposed agreement has a term until December 31, 2026. It is hoped by that time a permanent City Attorney will be in place and that person can evaluate the need for various outside counsel.
December 16, 2025
Article III, Section 9 of the Charter requires the Council to appoint a city attorney. With the resignation of Dave Aleshire effective December 31, 2025, the Council will need a city attorney. Shannon Moore, the City’s Chief Assistant City Attorney has agreed to fill the position on an interim basis. The Ad Hoc Committee recommends approval of the agreement. The agreement gives Ms. Moore a 15% increase in base salary over her current salary of Chief Assistant City Attorney, which will be $14,224.65 bimonthly for a total annual salary of $341,391.58, and allows her to resume her position of Chief Assistant City Attorney should she not be appointed as permanent City Attorney. This amount is in line with other comparable cities with similar complexities. [Hayward City Attorney’s annual compensation is $352,393 (with 4% COLA effective July 1, 2026); Berkeley City Attorney’s annual compensation is $396,864 and Concord City Attorney’s annual compensation is $331,248.] The MOU provisions applicable to unrepresented employees will also apply to the agreement. The Interim Agreement also requires the City to contribute a prorated monthly installment to her 457 plan at the maximum limit of $24,500 in 2026 or the maximum allowed per year by the Internal Revenue Service, including any catch up provisions, if applicable.
The Ad Hoc Committee also recommends that a recruitment for a permanent city attorney be made. Because this position reports directly to the Council, the Ad Hoc Committee recommends that the recruitment be handled by the Committee with the assistance of the Interim Senior Assistant City Attorney. This will help ensure the independence of the city attorney position.
The Ad Hoc Committee recommends:
1) Accept the resignation of Dave Aleshire/Aleshire & Wynder effective December 31, 2025, and thank him for his service.
2) Approve a legal services agreement with Aleshire & Wynder in the amount of $150,000.
3) Approve an interim city attorney service agreement with Shannon Moore in the amount of $14,224.65 bimonthly.
4) Authorize a Request for Proposals for a City Attorney recruitment managed by the Committee and the Interim Senior Assistant City Attorney, Heather McLaughlin.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - Legal Services Agreement with Aleshire & Wynder (proposed) Attachment 2 - Restated Contract Services Agreement for City Attorney Services Attachment 3 - Amendment 1 to Agreement for City Attorney Services Attachment 4 - Original Agreement for City Attorney Services with Aleshire & Wynder Attachment 5 - Interim City Attorney Services Agreement (proposed)
December 16, 2025