City Attorney - Jeremy Berry
The City Attorney serves as the chief legal officer for the City. Providing advice to and taking direction from the Mayor, City Council and City Manager, the City Attorney fulfills the requirement in the Charter that the City obtain and maintain competent legal advice and assistance throughout the operations of the City. The City Attorney is on call to all Department Heads to answer questions and respond to legal issues throughout the City's functional areas.
Attorney Jeremy Berry was appointed City Attorney for the City of Brookhaven in March 2023. In addition to his local government legal work and representing cities, Attorney Berry focuses his law practice on government contract and procurement issues, campaign finance and election law, governmental and regulatory affairs matters, charter schools, gaming, investigations, and government and public policy litigation.
Attorney Berry is a graduate of Emory University School of Law. Emory College honored Attorney Berry in 2014 with its Young Alumni Service Award for his distinguished community and public service. In 2013, the Daily Report recognized Attorney Berry as being “On The Rise,” an award given to 40 attorneys under the age of 40 in the state of Georgia. Attorney Berry graduated Leadership Atlanta in 2018 and Leadership DeKalb in 2012.
Attorney Jeremy Berry served as City Attorney for the City of Atlanta in 2017 and 2018. Prior to that service, Attorney Berry was a partner at one of the largest law firms in the world.
Representative experience:
- Negotiating with Atlanta Hawks and City of College Park in a series of transactions that resulted in $192 million renovation of Phillips Arena and ensures the Hawks remain in the City for 30 years.
- Negotiating, legislating, and implementing the annexation of Emory University and surrounding areas into the City of Atlanta, the largest expansion of City limits in 50 years.
- Coordinating legal response to extensive ransomware/cyber incident against the City’s information technology infrastructure that affected almost every operational department in the City. Worked with external agencies and federal law enforcement to assist in investigating incident.
- Represented three commission charter schools in litigation before trial court and Georgia Supreme Court testing constitutionality of Georgia’s charter school law that created independent state-level charter authorizer. Gwinnett County School District v. Cox, 289 Ga. 265 (2011).
- Represented numerous clients asserting and defending against bid protests before more than a dozen Georgia state and local government agencies.
- Defended outdoor advertising company in litigation regarding application of laws governing “multiple message” signs and issuance of state and local permits. Litigation lasted seven years and was before every level of Georgia state court and City and State administrative tribunals.
- Successfully represented Fortune 500 company in recoupment action brought by Georgia Department of Community Health in which state agency sought to recoup more than $18 million from client, leading to dismissal of recoupment action.
The City Attorney also represents all boards and commissions including, but not limited, to:
- Planning Commission
- Board of Appeals
- Alcohol Board
