The City of Atlanta announced today that the Atlanta Law Department received the Government In-House Legal Department of the Year Award from The Daily Report, Georgia’s primary legal newspaper. The Department was recognized for its successful in-house handling of high-stakes litigation and complex, high-profile legal transactions.  

City Attorney Cathy Hampton leads the city’s Law Department – a team of 45 attorneys, six paralegals, five investigators and 23 administrative professionals. These 79 employees serve over 8,500 City employees throughout 12 departments, including a water utility, police force and the world’s busiest airport.  

“The Law Department handled a wide array of complex, fast-moving transactions and litigation this year, and handled those matters as well as any private firm out there,” said City Attorney Cathy Hampton.

The Daily Report highlighted a number of the Law Department’s successes, including the $27 million sale of City Hall East, the unprecedented 13-year extension to the City’s federally mandated sewer Consent Decree and the validation of hotel-motel tax revenue bonds which partially finance construction for the new Mercedes-Benz stadium.  

Most recently, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled unanimously in favor of the City’s historic pension reform. The ruling avoids the need for personnel reductions and service cuts, and keeps the City on its path of fiscal stability.