Mission Statement

The Civil Division provides a full range of legal services to the City of Reno. The Civil Division represents the City in litigation ranging from simple personal injury cases to complex civil rights litigation and wrongful death cases.

The division also serves as in-house counsel for the City Council, all City boards, commissions, and departments.  The division provides legal advice on a day to day basis ranging from answering simple questions to drafting and reviewing complex legal documents. The division also serves as legal counsel to the Redevelopment Agency.

Scroll below to learn more about the different sections of the Civil Division:

Administration

The Administration Section provides legal advice and guidance to the offices of the City Clerk; Finance; Communications and Technology; Management and Budget; Civil Service; and Human Resources.

Furthermore, the section advises the Human Resources Department and other city departments on employment issues, reviews administrative directive and personnel rule changes and assists city departments in employment related investigations.

Attorneys

• City Clerk
  • Robert Bony
  • William Cooper
• Finance
  
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Communications & Technology
  
  • Mark Dunagan
• Office of Management & Budget
  
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Civil Service (per city charter § 3.060)
  
  • Karl Hall
  • Susan Ball Rothe
• Human Resources
  
  • Mark Dunagan
  • William Cooper
• Industrial Relations/Collective Bargaining
  
  • William Cooper
  • Mark Dunagan

Civil Litigation

The Litigation Section is responsible for handling all civil litigation for the City of Reno.

Attorneys

• Civil Litigation
  
  • William Cooper
  • Mark Dunagan
  • Mark Hughs
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Risk Management
  
  • Mark Hughs
  • Karl Hall
    

Community and Development Services

The Community and Development Services Division provides legal advice and guidance to the following City departments and offices: Business License; Community Assistance Center; Community Development; Economic Development and Redevelopment; Housing and Neighborhood Development; Public Works; Real Estate; and Parks, Recreation & Community Services.

Attorneys

• Business License
• Community Assistance Center
  
  • Mark Dunagan
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Community Development
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Economic Development & Redevelopment
  • Chandeni Sendall
• Housing and Neighborhood Development
• Public Works
  
  • Susan Ball Rothe
• Real Estate
  • Mark Hughs
• Parks and Recreation
  • Susan Ball Rothe
    

Executive Services

The Executive Services Section serves as the legal adviser to the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager as wells as the Offices of Communications and Community Engagement, and Special Events.  

Attorneys

• Mayor and City Council
  
  • Karl Hall
  • Jonathan Shipman
• City Manager’s Office
  
  • Karl Hall
  • Jonathan Shipman
• Office of Communications & Community Engagement
  • Susan Ball Rothe
• Special Events Office

Public Safety

The Public Safety Section serves as general legal counsel to the Reno Police Department and the Reno Fire Department. The attorneys advise officers on a variety of topics, including laws of arrest, searches and constitutional issues.

The Public Safety Section also handles claims and defends lawsuits involving allegations of federal civil rights violations and state-law torts allegedly committed by any city employee. The section handles the lawsuits from initial service of process on the city or employee through final disposition, including appeal.

Attorneys

• Police Department
  
  • Brian Sooudi
  • Mark Dunagan
  • Robert Bony
• Fire Department
  
  • Robert Bony
  • Mark Dunagan
• Code Compliance
• Municipal Court—Advisory Only
  
  • Mark Dunagan
  • William Cooper
• Emergency Management
  
  • Karl Hall