• Alaska Native Corporations and Public Housing Authorities Law
• Appellate Practice
• Aviation Law
• Banking and Commercial Finance
• Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
• Commercial Transactions
• Business Torts and Commercial Litigation
• Complex Litigation
• Construction Law and Litigation
• Government and Agency Relations
• Labor and Employment Law
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Natural Resources and Energy Law
• Personal Injury
• Product Liability
• Public Finance and Municipal Law
• Public Utility and Regulatory Law
• Real Estate and Land Use Law
• Telecommunications and Technology Law

Home Practice Areas Alaska Overview Public Finance and Municipal Law

Public Finance and Municipal Law

The attorneys in Birch, Horton, Bittner and Cherot's nationally recognized public finance practice have represented issuers, conduit borrowers, underwriters, trustees and credit enhancers of tax-exempt obligations of Alaska state agencies and municipalities for more than 20 years. As bond counsel, we have rendered opinions on more than $3 billion of tax-exempt bonds and other obligations. Our experience includes:

• General obligation bonds for schools, roads, water and sewer facilities, hospitals and other public improvements
• Revenue bonds for water, sewer and electric utilities, docks and wharves, electric generation projects, transportation facilities and health care facilities
• Financings for single-family and multi-family housing, industrial development projects and student loans
• Special assessment and service area financings
• Lease financings for buildings and equipment

We have drafted the enabling legislation for state and local financing agencies, and have successfully defended litigation challenging the validity of municipal financings. We are listed in The Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace directory.

BHBC attorneys have served numerous Alaska municipalities as general or special counsel for more than 25 years, providing general legal representation, substantial litigation capability and experience in legislation and public affairs. We have represented municipal clients on a wide spectrum of issues, including:

• Land use regulation
• Labor and employment law
• Construction claims and disputes
• Bid and government contract disputes
• Environmental disputes and claims
• Taxation and special assessments
• Open meeting and public record disclosure requirements
• Contract negotiations
• Real estate law
• Facilities and tidelands leasing
• Election law and the Voting Rights Act
• Local government incorporation, annexation and detachment
• Public utilities law and regulation
• Public finance and investment
• Civil rights
• Defense of liability claims

Our practice is focused on creative problem solving. For example, BHBC pioneered the creation of collaborative economic development projects between municipalities and private sector organizations.

Our attorneys offer a diverse array of skills and talents that serve the equally expansive needs of BHBC’s public finance and municipal law clients. We have drafted and revised numerous ordinances and home rule charter amendments. In other instances, we represented municipalities in administrative proceedings before state and federal regulatory agencies. Our experience in this regard includes representation before the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the Local Boundary Commission.

Attorneys

• Thomas F. Klinkner
• Kenneth E. Vassar