The LGA Board of Directors is excited to host the 2026 Fall Conference in person at the Hyatt Regency Reston, October 8-10, 2026.

Registration Information:

• Registration opens August 27 online HERE.
• Registrations after September 10 incur a $50 late fee. Registration closes October 1.
• Register manually by completing the printable registration form and mailing with payment or emailing it to amy.sales@easterassociates.com
• Full-conference registration includes the ONP and Awards Banquet. If you plan to attend, please check the box in registration marked “Opening Night Party (SELECT IF YOU ARE A FULL OR SOCIAL REGISTRANT)” and “Awards Reception & Banquet (SELECT IF YOU ARE A FULL OR SOCIAL REGISTRANT).”
• Guests must register as Social Only registrants. Please check the box in registration marked “Opening Night Party (SELECT IF YOU ARE A FULL OR SOCIAL REGISTRANT)” and “Awards Reception & Banquet (SELECT IF YOU ARE A FULL OR SOCIAL REGISTRANT).”
• Daily registration DOES NOT include the ONP and Awards Banquet. If you plan to attend, please check the boxes in registration marked “Opening Night Party (SELECT ONLY IF YOU ARE A DAILY REGISTRANT)” and “Awards Reception & Banquet (SELECT ONLY IF YOU ARE A DAILY REGISTRANT).” Social events are $80 each, $100 each after September 10.

Room Block:
LGA has negotiated a room block with rates starting at $219++ per night. One night’s room and tax is required at the time of registration. The room block will close September 16 or once the block is full.

REMEMBER – register then reserve! Rooming link will be provided in the confirmation email. Please refrain from reserving under a single name; each hotel reservation should be under the name of the ATTENDEE, and multiple rooms reserved under the same name will be flagged.

Sponsorship Opportunities:
LGA appreciates our conference sponsors for their generous support. For more information on opportunities, check out the available Conference Sponsorships. Consider becoming a dual program sponsor and enjoy more benefits! Contact Amy Sales at amy.sales@easterassociates.com for details.

Exhibit Opportunities:
There are a limited number of tabletop exhibit spaces available; rates are $500; after September 10, there is an additional late registration fee of $50. To inquire about available exhibit space contact. Contact Amy Sales at amy.sales@easterassociates.com for details.

Law Fellow and Student Scholarships:
Law student and law fellow scholarship applications are available for LGA spring and fall conferences. Applications are due three weeks before the conference start. Please encourage your office’s law student interns, externs, and post-graduate law fellows to apply. Please contact Tara Mooney, Law School Liaison and Scholarship Committee chair at tmooney@pwcgov.org, with any questions, or contact amy.sales@easterassociates.com.

Friday Afternoon Activities: 
The conference committee is planning several area activities on Friday afternoon, October 9. Please email your ideas to staff at amy.sales@easterassociates.com for details.

Important Documents:

• Online Registration opens August 27 and closes October 1.
• Early registration pricing ends September 10.
• Printable Registration Form
• Law student and law fellow application forms
• Hotel Room Reservation Link will be distributed in registration confirmation email.
• Cancellation Policy
• MCLE Forms for will be provided the week of the conference.
• Friday Activities will be posted when available.
• Registrant List will be made available at the conference.
• Presentation Handouts will be made available the week of the conference.

Help LGA Save Thousands of Dollars Per Year!
REMEMBER – register then reserve! MORE INFO HERE

LGA Service Awards

The LGA Service Awards recognizes those attorneys from the association’s active-member localities (as well as full-time legal staff with the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties) who have served local government in Virginia for 15 years or more. Please email your service anniversary to staff at at amy.sales@easterassociates.com for details.

PROGRAM

2026 LGA Fall Conference | October 8-10, 2026
Hyatt Regency Reston | Schedule (Approved 07/17/26)

Thursday, October 8

8 a.m. – 1 p.m.  LGA Fall Board Breakfast, Meeting, & Lunch with Annual Sponsors

1 – 1:15 p.m. Opening Remarks

1:15 – 2:45 p.m. General Session A

Local Government Case Law in Review: Key Decisions and AG Opinions from the Past Year (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Amy F. Wilson, County Attorney, County of Culpeper

Speakers:
Andrew R. McRoberts, County Attorney, Counties of Nottoway and Richmond; Town Attorney, Town of Irvington, Sands Anderson PC

Martin R. Crim, Town Attorney, Towns of Berryville, Culpeper, Middleburg, Washington, and Occoquan, Sands Anderson PC

Ellen F. Bergren, Chief Deputy City Attorney, City of Chesapeake

This session reviews the past year’s most significant decisions affecting Virginia local governments from the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Court of Appeals, the Virginia-based federal courts, the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court, along with notable Attorney General opinions. Panelists will cover sovereign and qualified immunity, municipal liability under § 1983, land use and zoning (including public-hearing advertising, variances, short-term rentals, and nonconforming uses), local-government employment and whistleblower claims, school-division matters, child welfare, and law-enforcement use of force — with practical takeaways for advising boards, administrators, and departments.

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 – 4:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions 1 & 2

Interlocutory Appeals: An Overview (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Brett A. Callahan, Assistant County Attorney, County of Fairfax

Speakers:
Peter S. Askin, Partner, ThompsonMcMullan, P.C.

Timothy A. Richard, Associate, ThompsonMcMullan, P.C.

Darlene P. Bradberry, Chief Deputy City Attorney, City of Newport News

Christopher S. “Chris” Boynton, Deputy City Attorney, City of Virginia BeachThis session provides a practical overview of the options available to litigants seeking appellate review of interlocutory decisions issued by Virginia circuit courts or federal district courts before the entry of a final order. The program begins with a brief primer on Virginia’s appellate system, including the basic structure of the appellate courts and the ordinary appeals process. Presenters will then examine the procedures and strategic considerations for pursuing interlocutory appeals before the Virginia Court of Appeals, followed by a discussion of the methods and standards governing interlocutory appeals to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The session concludes with a comparison of Virginia’s interlocutory appeal procedures and those of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, highlighting key similarities and differences practitioners should understand when litigating in state and federal courts.

Proffers and Performance Bonds: Legal Framework and Practical Considerations (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Wahaj Memon, Assistant County Attorney, County of Arlington

Speakers:
Patrick V. Foltz, Assistant County Attorney, County of Fairfax

Jeffrey L. Mincks, County Attorney, County of Chesterfield

Alan F. Smith, Deputy County Attorney, County of Prince William

Proffers are an important land use tool and play a vital role in the development approval process. Equally important is understanding how bonds support and secure proffered obligations. This session will provide an overview of the law governing proffers, including recent decisions and practical examples of effective and problematic proffer language. It will also examine the role of performance bonds in securing proffered improvements, including the use of bond committees in certain jurisdictions, and conclude with a brief discussion of the process and considerations involved in calling bonds.

5 – 6 p.m. Friends of Bill Meeting

6– 8 p.m. Opening Night Party (onsite)

Friday, October 9

8 – 9 a.m. Breakfast

8 – 8:50 a.m. Practice Group Meetings

9 – 10:30 a.m. General Session B

Advising Boards, Commissions, and Governing Bodies: Practical Advice for Local Government Attorneys (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Meghan S. Roberts, Deputy City Attorney, City of Alexandria

Speakers:
Tracy A. Gallehr, Town Attorney, Town of Hillsboro, Sands Anderson PC

David E. Lanier, Jr., Assistant City Attorney, City of Alexandria

Tara A. McGee, County Attorney, County of Goochland

Boards, commissions, authorities, committees, and oversight bodies play an increasingly significant role in local government decision-making. Local government attorneys are often asked to advise these bodies while balancing competing interests among elected officials, staff, board members, and the public. This session explores practical and legal challenges that arise when advising public bodies, including governance issues, board independence, due process requirements, open meetings compliance, and navigating difficult relationships among stakeholders. Through Virginia-focused hypotheticals and real-world examples, attendees will discuss strategies for maintaining credibility, protecting institutional integrity, and effectively serving as counsel to public bodies.

10:30 – 11 a.m. Break

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions 3 & 4

Power, Property, and Preemption: Transmission Lines, Local Government Authority, and Environmental Protections (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator:
Milissa R. Spring, Senior Deputy County Attorney, County of Loudoun

Speakers:
Bryan S. Turner, Partner, Marquis Law Group (non-member)

Adam B. Winston, Associate, Sands Anderson PC

Jonathan Zator, Senior Assistant County Attorney, County of Loudoun

With the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, data centers are popping up all over the Commonwealth.  These large buildings house servers and networking equipment for the storage and management of enormous amounts of digital information. They also consume significant electricity to operate the servers, adding to increased demand in general for electricity.  This session will examine the federal and state regulatory frameworks that govern electricity transmission lines, discuss local government authority (is there any?) over these lines, navigate the economic and political issues in locating new transmission lines, and look at the impact of these lines on the environment. The panel will provide practical guidance on the role of localities and advising local elected officials on these matters.

Procurement 101: Navigating Procurement Protests, Contractual Claims, and Surety Bonds (1.5 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Susan M. McKenney, Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Richmond

Speakers:
Richard Dzubin, Assistant County Attorney, County of Fairfax

Brendan S. Hefty, Attorney, Hefty Wiley & Gore, P.C.

William E. Moore, Jr., Senior Assistant County Attorney, County of Spotsylvania

Disputes can arise at every stage of the procurement and contracting process: bid protests before award, contractual claims during project performance, and surety bond issues during default.  This session will provide local government attorneys with an overview of the procurement protest process, procedural and practical considerations for contractual claims, and a review of performance and payment bonds in public construction projects.

12:30 – 1 p.m. Awards Reception

1 – 2:30 p.m. Awards Banquet

2:30 p.m. Friday Afternoon Activities TBD

8 – 10 p.m. Hospitality Suite

Saturday, October 5

8 – 9 a.m. Breakfast

8 – 8:50 a.m. Practice Group Meetings

9 – 10 a.m. Concurrent Sessions 5 & 6

Code Enforcement: Important but Under the Radar Issues Facing Code Prosecution (1.0 MCLE)
Moderator:

Diamond C. Royster, Assistant City Attorney, City of Virginia Beach

Speakers:
Andrew A. Meyer, City Attorney, City of Colonial Heights

Diamond C. Royster, Assistant City Attorney, City of Virginia Beach

Rachel W. Lower, Deputy County Attorney, County of Roanoke

Code enforcement is one of the most legally complicated kinds of enforcement that localities use. This session will go beyond the surface to look at some of the most important, but most easy to overlook, issues that confront legal practitioners in code enforcement.  Each speaker will examine different issues to consider in enforcement, including the common elements that all code enforcement charges share, the strengths and weaknesses of civil prosecution as compared to criminal prosecution, administrative inspection warrants under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, local agency assistance and cooperation in code enforcement, and the interplay between code enforcement and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

An Introduction to Guardianship and Conservatorship Cases (1.0 MCLE)
Moderator: 
Patrick C. Murphrey, Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Newport News

Speakers:
Marta J. Anderson, Assistant City Attorney, City of Lynchburg

Patrick C. Murphrey, Senior Assistant City Attorney, City of Newport News

Elizabeth Chupik reached out to Rachel Evans, Virginia Beach

This session will be an introduction to guardianship and conservatorship matters both regular, emergency, and proceedings seeking to appoint a replacement guardian or conservator. It will explore statutory requirements and in-Court proceedings.

10 – 10:30 a.m. Hotel Check-out Break

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. General Session C

What Would You Do? Ethical Dilemmas in Local Government Practice (2.0 Ethics MCLE)
Moderator: 
Leo P. Rogers, County Attorney, County of Loudoun

This interactive ethics program uses a trivia-based format to explore common and challenging professional responsibility issues facing local government attorneys. Participants will analyze real-world scenarios involving client identification, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, competence, candor, technology, and emerging ethical issues. Through audience participation and facilitated discussion, attendees will apply the Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct to situations commonly encountered in local government practice.

LGA THANKS OUR ANNUAL SPONSORS: