Expert advice for California cities and local agencies on contract, procurement, and construction law.
Clare M. Gibson
Clare provides expert advice to California cities and local government agencies on public contract, procurement, and construction law. She takes a practical, cost-effective, and results-oriented approach to assistance with legal compliance and best practices. Clare prepares user-friendly contract documents written in plain English. Her experience as a litigator informs her transactional practice. Clare is recognized as a statewide expert on California public contract law. She has submitted amicus briefs on behalf of the League of California Cities on public contract issues before the State Court of Appeal and California Supreme Court. Clare writes and presents on public contract issues for the League’s City Attorney’s Department and other attorney organizations. She is a past Chair for the Public Contracting Chapter of the California Municipal Law Handbook. Clare received her A.B. in English from U.C. Berkeley and her J.D. from the U.C. Berkeley School of Law. She has practiced public contract law her entire legal career. Clare is a past City Attorney for Larkspur and has served as Assistant City Attorney for the cities of Petaluma and Hercules. She was an equity partner with Jarvis Fay & Gibson, LLP, for 14 years before establishing her solo practice in Oakland. In addition to her law practice, Clare enjoys hiking in California’s beautiful parks and open spaces and traveling abroad to learn about other cultures and places.
Services
Public Contracts – Advise and assist on review and preparation of contracts and contract templates for legal compliance and recommended best practices.
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Procurement – Advise on local government procurement requirements—including procurement policies, formal and informal bidding, RFQs and RFPs, and negotiated procurements—consistent with best practices, conflict-of-interest laws and Civil, Government, Labor, and Public Contract Codes.
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Public Works – Support for all phases of public works projects, including pre-qualification, design-build delivery, bidding, bid protests, subcontractor issues, and change orders.
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Claims – Experienced, cost-effective representation for construction contract claims, including mediation and compliance with Public Contract Code section 9204.
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Complex Transactions – Advise and assist with specialized and complex transactions.
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Training – Customized staff trainings on public contract and procurement issues—including bidding requirements, contract documents, and use of RFPs and RFQs—tailored for the agency’s specific needs and requirements.