![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.hudsoncountyview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Bayonne-City-Council.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBy Daniel Ulloa\/Hudson County View<\/p>\n
The temporary contract to run from today, October 15th, through December 31, 2026 \u201cfor an amount not to exceed $40,000,\u201d according to a copy of the resolution.<\/p>\n The governing body approved the measure without discussion at last night\u2019s roughly 75-minute meeting, with Business Administrator Andrew Casais explaining why they were moving on from having a Law Department led by a law director.<\/p>\n \u201cIn recent years, the number of attorneys in the Bayonne Law Department has declined, and legal demands have grown both in volume and complexity. After this week, there will be just two attorneys employed by the City. The current trajectory is unsustainable, and a municipality of Bayonne\u2019s size needs access to high-quality legal advice and expertise to scale,\u201d he told HCV following on inquiry today.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is precisely why the Administration and the City Council have designated DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick & Cole as General Counsel for the City of Bayonne. The firm has expertise in municipal law and government, and we are confident in their ability to provide a depth and variety of legal services to our municipal departments and officials,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n The move follows the city seeking a request for proposals (RFP) for general counsel<\/a> in August.<\/p>\n The duties of the office require an individual to \u201cattend all regular and special meetings of the City Council \u2026 attend all regular and special meetings of boards, committees, and commissions of the city (as required),\u201d the RFP said at the time.<\/p>\n Jay Coffey and Donna Russo<\/a> previously served as law director, with Coffey retiring at the end of last year after 35 years.<\/p>\n Arlene Qui\u00f1ones Perez, a Decotiis equity partner, served as corporation counsel in Hoboken from January through August of this year, when the city decided to bring the post back in house, as HCV first reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n