Dallas City Attorney Position Open 5 Candidates Available
Dallas City Attorney Tom Perkins retired in August. Dallas Mayor will interview each candidate to select his successor.
The City Attorney advises the council on a variety of legal matters, including those that involve or could involve litigation.
The City Attorney’s office includes lawyers. Proposed budget for next fiscal year is $13.9 million. The City Attorney reports directly to the City Council. The others are the City Auditor, the City secretary and the City Manager. Most city staff members report to the city manager.
WARREN ERNST, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY
Warren Ernst joined the Dallas City Attorney’s Office in 2003, with 20 years of experience representing clients in a broad array of business matters, including counsel to boards of directors and special committees, public and private business acquisitions, complex financings and recapitalizations, joint ventures and other organizational structurings, and dispute resolution. Warren was appointed in 2009 to the position of Chief of the General Counsel Division. In that role he manages a staff of 30 attorneys and support staff. The Division provides advice to city staff, officials and members of all boards and commissions regarding contracts, procurement, economic development and housing projects, financings, zoning and land use matters, police academy legal training, ordinances, ethics and conflicts matters, open records and open meetings matters and special projects.
Peter B. Haskel
Peter Haskel joined the Dallas City Attorney’s Office in 1999. He is the Chief of the General Litigation Section, In addition, his practice focuses on complex civil litigation, often relating to telecommunications and public utilities controversies and bankruptcy as well as other technological and financial issues.
MALESHIA B. FARMER, A SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY IN FORT WORTH.
Maleshia Farmer joined the City Attorney’s Office in 2001 as a Prosecutor. She served as acting chief prosecutor until joining the Transactional Division in 2003. Currently, she is section chief of the General Services Section. Her practice focuses on computer information technology, copyright, telecommunications, media law, legislative affairs, public information, open government, financial management services and tax increment financing.
ANGELA K. WASHINGTON,
Angela K. Washington former assistant Dallas City Attorney who more recently was a vice president of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
RUSSELL COLEMAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL FOR BELO CORP.
Russell F. (“Russ”) Coleman is senior vice president and general counsel of media company Belo (NYSE: BLC).
Russ was a partner of the Locke law firm (now known as Locke Lord) before joining Belo, representing clients in general matters, capital markets, corporate finance, and business transactions. He earned engineering and law degrees at Rice and The University of Texas respectively and completed executive courses at Wharton.
He serves as immediate past chairman of the Dallas Bar Foundation and is a past chairman of the corporate counsel section of the Dallas Bar Association.
