Baird Holm Government Law & Administration Forum
From 10/29/2026 8:00 a.m. until 10/29/2026 4:00 p.m.
At The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker
Baird Holm is proud to host its inaugural Government Law & Administration Forum, a program we developed specifically for elected officials, administrators, department heads, and government attorneys who serve Nebraska’s communities and institutions.
Our day-long forum will feature practical, attorney-led sessions on the legal and administrative challenges and opportunities facing public sector leaders today. Attendees will gain actionable guidance on topics including effective decision-making processes and documentation, government litigation strategies, labor relations, media relations, public records and open meetings compliance, tax-exempt financing, and public-private partnerships.
We look forward to welcoming you to a day of substantive discussion, meaningful networking, and practical guidance in support of the important work of public service.
This live, in-person event is free for Baird Holm clients and invited guests. The event will not be recorded or available virtually.
For questions, please contact Callie at csutton@bairdholm.com.
WHEN:
Thursday, October 29, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
WHERE:
The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel
333 S 13th St
Lincoln, NE 68508
COST:
Free for Baird Holm clients and invited guests
REGISTRATION:
Please click HERE to register for this in-person event.
HOTEL INFORMATION:
A block of rooms has been reserved at The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. To reserve a room, please click here or call (888)-236-2427 and ask for Baird Holm’s Government Law & Administration Forum room block. Rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations must be made by October 8 to receive the discounted rate.
AGENDA
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast & Registration
8:30 – 8:50 a.m. | MAIN SESSION 1 | Opening Remarks
Jimmie L. Pinkham III
8:50 – 9:50 a.m. | MAIN | The Vote Is Just the Beginning: Why the Decision-Making Process Is Your Best Defense
Jimmie L. Pinkham III & David J. Kramer
Elected officials and administrators often assume it’s the decision itself that creates legal liability. But courts, regulators, and opposing counsel do not just scrutinize what your entity decided; they scrutinize how you decided it. This session explores the legal doctrine of post-hoc rationalization, what it means to build and maintain a decision record in real time, and how documentation practices (or lack of them) become a central issue in litigation. Drawing on examples from school boards, local governments, executive agencies, and legislative bodies, this session offers practical guidance on contemporaneous documentation, deliberative process, and the habits that distinguish entities that win in court from those that do not.
9:50 – 10:00 a.m. | Break
10:00 – 10:50 a.m. | BREAKOUT SESSION 1
Labor Relations Landmines: Labor Relations Challenges for Public Employers
Mark McQueen & David P. Kennison
Public employers face a distinct set of labor relations challenges. This session provides practical guidance on managing common workforce issues in both union and non-union environments—including discipline and discharge, due process requirements, grievance procedures, and collective bargaining obligations. Attendees will come away with concrete strategies for avoiding the most common and costly mistakes public employers make when managing their workforces.
On the Record: Media Relations and Communications Strategy for Public Officials
George E. Martin III
A single statement to the media can influence public perception, shape a developing controversy, and, in some cases, become evidence in future legal challenges. This session offers practical, real-world guidance for public officials and administrators on communicating effectively with reporters while managing legal and operational risks. Topics include handling media inquiries, staying on message during difficult situations, responding to crises, and understanding how public statements can affect public records, open meetings compliance, and potential litigation. Whether facing questions about a controversial vote, a personnel matter, or an emergency response, participants will leave better equipped to communicate with clarity, confidence, and sound judgment.
10:50 – 11:00 a.m. | Break
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. | MAIN SESSION 2 | Sued by the Public: Managing Civil Discovery When a Government Entity Is a Defendant
Heidi A. Guttau
When a governmental entity is sued, the discovery process presents unique and often underestimated challenges. This session focuses on what to expect—and how to prepare—when plaintiffs come looking for documents, data, and witnesses. Topics include strategies for responding to broad document requests, managing the burden of e-discovery, handling Rule 30(b)(6) depositions of governmental entities (including how to select, prepare, and defend your designated witnesses), and using motion practice to limit overreaching discovery demands. Practical guidance for administrators and government attorneys who want to avoid being caught flat-footed when litigation hits.
11:50 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch Break
Join us for a complimentary networking lunch.
1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | MAIN SESSION 3 | Open Government, Closed Doors: Avoiding Common Pitfalls Under Nebraska’s Public Records Statutes and Open Meetings Act
Erin E. Busch & Leslie S. Donley – Assistant Attorney General, Legal Services Bureau
Nebraska’s Public Records Statutes and Open Meetings Act impose strict obligations on governmental entities—and the consequences of getting them wrong range from embarrassing to costly. This session, led by attorneys from Baird Holm and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, takes an interactive approach to the most common mistakes public entities make: improperly denying records requests, failing to maintain adequate meeting notice, mishandling executive sessions, and more. Come prepared with your questions—this session is designed to give you practical answers you can apply the next time a records request lands on your desk or a board member asks whether a topic can be discussed privately.
1:50 – 2:00 p.m. | Break
2:00 – 2:50 p.m. | BREAKOUT SESSION 2
The Dual-Role Dilemma: Protecting Privilege with In-House Counsel
Danielle L. Rowley & Isabella M. Jacobsen
Litigants commonly argue that government attorneys occupy a unique dual role—part legal advisor, part policy partner. That alleged dual role can create real privilege risk. This session examines how courts draw the line between legal advice (protected) and policy or administrative guidance (not protected), and what happens when opposing parties come looking for your communications in litigation. This session will also cover how to handle the interplay of in-house counsel working with outside counsel for workplace investigations. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for structuring communications to maximize privilege protection from the outset—and for defending those protections if a challenge arises.
Financing Public Projects: A Practical Introduction to Tax-Exempt Bonds
Tyler J. Mullen & Thomas R. Norvell
Tax-exempt bonds are one of the most powerful and widely used financing tools available to public entities—but many administrators and elected officials who approve them have little familiarity with how they actually work. This session provides a practical, jargon-light introduction to tax-exempt bond financing: what it is, who can use it, how the issuance process works, the key legal and compliance requirements that come with it, and common pitfalls to avoid. Whether your entity is considering a bond issue for the first time or has issued bonds before, this session will give you a clearer picture of the tool you are working with and the obligations it creates.
2:50 – 3:00 p.m. | Break
3:00 – 3:50 p.m. | MAIN SESSION 4 | Building and Benefitting Together: Utilization and Structuring of Public-Private Partnerships
David C. Levy & Michael D. Sands
Public-private partnerships can be an effective development tool for projects providing mutual benefit to the public and private sectors — specifically those that would be infeasible without diversification of cost and risk. Every public-private partnership project is different and the structure of the partnership must be analyzed and tailored accordingly. This session covers the fundamentals: when a public-private partnership makes sense (and when it does not), the range of potential deal structures, how the capital stack typically works, available incentives and financing tools, and the key legal and negotiating considerations for public entities entering these arrangements.
3:50 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Closing Remarks
Jimmie L. Pinkham III
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Reception
Continuing Education Credits
This event is pending approval for the following continuing education credits:
- NE CPE
- NE MCLE
- CCB CEU
- IA CLE
- AICP CM
