SledgeLaw Group PLLC is comprised of a well-organized team of individuals that enjoy working together to efficiently and effectively achieve our clients’ legal and legislative goals. The members of our team possess a unique and incomparable skillset as experts in their areas of practice.

.Environmental


We help our public and private clients navigate the maze of environmental regulations and come out the other side in compliance and with permits in hand.
  • Permitting
  • Compliance counseling
  • Enforcement defense
  • Endangered species
  • Solid waste
  • Air and water quality
  • State and federal agency hearings

 

 

.Legislative and Governmental Relations


We provide legislative consulting and lobbying services for our clients in all areas of Texas public policy. We strive to maintain excellent relationships with elected and appointed statewide, legislative, and state agency officials to serve our clients’ needs.
  • Texas Capitol lobbying
  • Legislative and parliamentary strategy
  • Drafting of bills and amendments
  • Monitoring and tracking legislation
  • State agency relations
  • Ethics compliance counseling
  • Political action committees
  • Elections

.Water


Our attorneys not only practice in all areas of groundwater and surface water rights and regulations, as well as water quality and wastewater matters, we were the architects of much of Texas’ water statutes and regulatory framework.
  • Groundwater and surface water rights, planning, and management
  • Permitting
  • Contracts / transactions
  • Water quality
  • Wastewater / sewer
  • Sales, transfers, and leases of groundwater and surface water
  • Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)
  • Service area issues (CCNs)
  • Injection wells
  • Project financing
  • Water reuse
  • Desalination

.Utilities


Private and public water and sewer utilities in Texas face a myriad of local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Our expertise in this area enables us to help our clients achieve their legal goals efficiently and effectively.
  • Service area disputes (CCNs)
  • Rate ordinances and tariffs
  • Service extension policiesContracts and transactions
  • Sales, transfers, and mergers
  • Permitting
  • Infrastructure
  • Facilities and land acquisition
  • Retail and wholesale ratemaking
  • Contested case hearings
  • Litigation

.Contracts and Transactions


Our attorneys are experts at drafting and negotiating both simple and complex contracts for individuals, businesses, and governmental entities
  • Water and wastewater supply contracts
  • Water rights, leases, and transactions
  • Government contracts
  • Sales, transfers, and mergers of water systems
  • Goods and services agreements
  • Interlocal agreements between governmental entities
  • Procurement and bidding requirements
  • Construction contracts
  • Professional services procurement and agreements
  • Employment agreements
  • Design-build, DBO, and CMAR contracts

.Litigation


Our attorneys are well-trained advocates that have represented a broad range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to West Texas farmers in Texas trial courts and appellate courts.
  • General civil litigation
  • Water-related disputes
  • Government contracts
  • Environmental litigation
  • Contested case hearings
  • Business transactions disputes
  • Defense of local governmental actions
  • Regulatory takings disputes
  • Appeal of state agency decisions
  • Constitutionality challenges
  • Appellate litigation
  • Construction disputes

.Cities and Counties


City and county governments in Texas face complex legal issues that run the gamut of our practice areas. Voters expect their local government leaders to deliver services effectively and efficiently without raising taxes. Our attorneys have represented hundreds of cities and counties across Texas and can provide their officials and staff with reliable and cost-efficient guidance and assistance.
  • Water supply, wastewater, and sewer services
  • Legislative consulting
  • Open government
  • Elections
  • Environmental compliance
  • Ordinance drafting
  • Enforcement
  • Contracts / transactions
  • Solid waste
  • Construction projects
  • Land use and development
  • Litigation
  • Ethics compliance
  • Public finance

.Employment


Our attorneys represent employers in all areas of employment law, including developing sensible employment policies and procedures, training, hiring, discipline, termination, and handling claims through administrative procedures and litigation. We assist our public and private employers in dealing with employment matters promptly and getting back to focusing on their core missions and operations. Our services include:
  • Developing and reviewing personnel policies and manuals
  • Dealing with claims of discrimination and harassment
  • Counseling on hiring, reviewing, disciplining, and terminating employees
  • The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • Leave and disability issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Whistleblower Act litigation
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Texas Workforce Commission actions
  • Auditing of human resources practices for compliance with state and federal laws
  • Conducting personnel training and client counseling on employment and workplace practices and ethics
  • Advising clients on email and computer use
  • Conducting internal investigations for clients regarding employment matters
  • Defending clients in Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claims

Representative Experience

.Legal

  • Assist clients with regulatory compliance and environmental permitting matters.
  • Representation of groundwater conservation districts, water supply districts, sewer authorities, and other types of water-related special districts.
  • Representation of governmental entities on board governance issues.
  • General counsel, ethics compliance counseling, corporate counseling, and strategic planning assistance to non-profit corporation and political action committee created to support investment in water infrastructure throughout Texas.
  • Special counsel to municipalities on water rights matters, including regional water supply projects.
  • Representation of private and public clients on complex water rights transactions.
  • Representation of clients before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Railroad Commission of Texas on permitting, rulemaking, enforcement actions and stakeholder workgroups.
  • Representation of Fortune 500 company on water rights matters.
  • Representation of governmental entities on water tower leases with telecommunications companies.
  • Representation of businesses before municipal and other governmental entities.
  • Representation regarding all aspects of Texas Open Meetings Act, Public Information Act, and dual office holding compliance.
  • Representation of clients on election issues.
  • Representation regarding endangered species matters across Texas.
  • Assisted in securing approval from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of the first major surface water reservoir permit in Texas in 25 years (Lake Ralph Hall—2013).
  • Represented regional water district on interstate water issues between Texas and Oklahoma.
  • Represented brick manufacturing, municipal solid waste, and uranium mining industries on environmental and other regulatory matters.
  • Representation of clients in district court and appellate court proceedings, including submission of briefing to the Supreme Court of Texas.

.Legislative and Governmental Relations

  • Assisted in conceptualizing, drafting, and ensuring passage of all major water legislation in Texas over the last two decades: Senate Bill 1 (75th Legislature), Senate Bill 2 (77th Legislature), Senate Bill 3 (80th Legislature), and House Bill 4 (83rd Legislature).
  • Represented coalition of steel manufacturers on air emissions legislation.
  • Provide strategic, political, public-relations, and media-relations counseling on high-profile public policy matters and ballot initiatives.
  • Legislative creation of municipal utility districts, groundwater conservation districts, and various water supply districts.
  • Provide ethics compliance counseling to political action committees.
  • Secure legislative support to protect client’s interests before regulatory agencies.
  • Successfully defeated legislation gutting original city jurisdiction under the Gas Utilities Regulatory Act.
  • Representation of businesses on legislative and strategic planning initiatives.
  • Passed insurance legislation for trade association of doctors.
  • Represented Fortune 500 company on legislative matters protecting property interests.
  • Passed legislation expanding municipal civil enforcement authority.
  • Successfully defeated environmental legislation targeting industrial and mining clients.
  • Represented brick manufacturing, municipal solid waste, and uranium mining industries on legislative matters.
  • Represented governmental entities on boundary expansions.