No civil or criminal action or proceeding that has been brought by or against the City, or any City department and that is pending as of the effective date of this Charter, shall be affected or abated by the adoption of this Charter. All such actions or proceedings may be continued, even if the functions, powers or duties of any City department that is a party to such action or proceeding have been assigned or transferred under this Charter to another City department. In that event, such actions may be prosecuted or defended by the head of the City department to which such functions, powers and duties have been assigned or transferred under this Charter.