(a) No attorney who has been employed by the City in the Law Director's Office shall, for twelve months thereafter, provide legal assistance to, represent a client for, or act in a representative capacity for, any person on any matter in which he or she participated as an attorney for the City th2ough decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation or other substantial exercise of administrative and legal discretion.
As used in this subsection, "matter" includes any case, proceeding, application, determination, issue or question, but does not include the proposal, consideration or enactment of statutes, rules, ordinances, resolutions or charter or constitutional amendments. As used in this subsection, "represent" includes any formal or informal appearance before, or any written or oral communication with, any court or public agency on behalf of any person.
Nothing contained in this subsection shall prohibit, during such period, a former attorney from being retained or employed to represent, assist or act in a representative capacity for the public agency by which he or she was employed or on which he or she served. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit the performance of ministerial functions, including, but not limited to, the filing or amendment of tax returns, applications for permits and licenses, incorporation papers and other similar documents.
(b) No attorney who has provided legal assistance to the City shall disclose or use, without appropriate authorization, any information acquired by him or her in the course of his or her official duties which is confidential because of statutory provisions, or which has been clearly designated to him or her as confidential, when such confidential designation is warranted because of the status of the proceedings or the circumstances under which the information was received and when preservation of its confidentiality is necessary to the proper conduct of government business.
(Ord. 255-94. Passed 9-23-96.)