Laws Private Sector Business Attorneys Should be Aware of When Negotiating With a Government Entity in the United States

Julie Wiley, Special Counsel, SANDAG, USA

The San Diego Association of Governments, known as SANDAG, is a regional government agency in San Diego County, California. The agency serves as a public forum for policy decisions about growth, transportation planning and construction, environmental management, housing, open space, energy, public safety, and bi-national topics that cross local and national political boundaries. SANDAG is a regional government agency rather than a federal, state, county or city government, however, many of the laws applicable to all of these forms of government in the United States have similarities with which private sector attorneys should be versed.

Julie Wiley graduated from the University of California, San Diego with her Bachelors degree and attended law school at the University of Denver. She has practiced law in Colorado and California. Ms. Wiley practiced primarily in the areas of employment and construction litigation for private and public entities prior to becoming Deputy General Counsel for SANDAG in 2001. She was promoted to General Counsel for the agency in 2006 and transitioned to a Special Counsel position in January 2012.

The San Diego Association of Governments, known as SANDAG, is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members, and county supervisors from each of the region's 19 local governments. Supplementing these voting members are advisory representatives from Imperial County, the U.S. Department of Defense, Caltrans, San Diego Unified Port District, Metropolitan Transit System, North County Transit District, San Diego County Water Authority, Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association, and Mexico. Policy Advisory Committees assist the Board of Directors in carrying out the agency’s work program, which includes planning and construction of public infrastructure projects. The Board of Directors is assisted by a professional staff of planners, engineers, and research specialists.