David A. Prentice

Mr. Prentice served as County Counsel of the County of Madera from 2002 through the end of 2010, having assumed that appointment after four years as City Attorney for the City of Colfax.  He is currently the City Attorney for the City of Taft and District Counsel for the Monterey Peninsula Airport District. Mr. Prentice is the Managing Partner of Cota Cole's Central Valley office.

Mr. Prentice has considerable experience relating to the many issues municipalities face. His experience includes, among other matters, those involving prevailing wage, employment and labor, public nuisance, water rights, civil rights, housing, land use, redevelopment, public contracting, the Brown Act, and the Public Information Act. Mr. Prentice is seasoned in advising policy boards and councils on conducting public meetings, and has many years of experience as a public agency litigator with regard to the full array of issues such agencies face, including constitutional due process, equal protection, breach of contract, employment termination, and discrimination. Mr. Prentice has also extensively litigated a wide range of municipal issues on behalf of public agencies issues involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Mr. Prentice also has experience in providing advice to planning commissions, civil service commissions, airport land use commissions and local transportation authorities.

Mr. Prentice has also represented private businesses and individuals before both state and federal courts.  He has negotiated, drafted and/or reviewed a multitude of acquisition contracts, leases, joint powers agreements, memorandums of understanding and public works contracts.  His contract experience includes government-to-government agreements, tax sharing agreements, and Indian gaming contracts.

Mr. Prentice routinely provides ongoing updates to clients regarding CEQA, the Brown Act, the Public Information Act, and Proposition 218.  Mr. Prentice published a brochure on contracting for dissemination to department heads, subordinate supervisors, and the Board of Supervisors, and was the principal author of A Guide to Proposition 218 (2006).  He also trains department heads on the issue of preventing sexual harassment in accordance with the mandates of state law.

Mr. Prentice was the principal attorney in the following published cases:

• Golden Cheese Co. v. Voss (1991) 230 Cal.App.3d 547
• Larramendy v. Newton (E.D. Cal. 1998) 994 F.Supp.1211
• Montero v. Agco (9th Cir. 1999) 192 F.3d 1856
• DiRuzza v. Tehama County (9th Cir. 2000) 206 F.3d 1304
• Brewster v. County of Shasta (9th Cir. 2001) 275 F.3d 803

 

Bar Admissions:

California Bar: 1989
United States District Court, Central District of California
United States District Court, Eastern District of California
United States District Court, Northern District of California
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Supreme Court