Hampton retiring, township looks for attorney

Bloomfield Township attorney Bill Hampton has notified the township board of trustees that he will retire as of December 31, 2018, and trustees have issued a request for proposal (RFP) for either an in-house attorney or a law firm to provide the township with legal services.

Hampton has had a long and illustrious career, first practicing law with his father in Pontiac, when in 1964, at the age of 26, he was elected to the state House representing Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. Two years later, Republican leaders elected Hampton House Majority Leader, despite his youth.

"It was pretty heady stuff to be the House Majority Leader at age 28," Hampton has said. "I was suddenly in a position where I was meeting regularly with Governor Romney and Lieutenant Governor (William) Milliken to plan our strategy for getting the Governor's programs through the state House."

After a third term, he decided to he'd had enough of the state government – although Milliken considered Hampton as lieutenant governor, before choosing James Brickley. Milliken appointed Hampton to an opening in the Oakland County Circuit Court, where he served several years as chief judge.

In 1977, Hampton returned to private practice, as a partner with Secrest Wardle, specializing in municipal law, providing counsel for cities, townships and county agencies. He retired from the firm in February 2017, and went in-house with Bloomfield Township.

Bloomfield Township Clerk Jan Roncelli has posted a letter that the township is “interested in filling the position either as in-house or through a law firm with a designated attorney to do general township legal services. Existing contracts for prosecution, labor and tax tribunal work will be renewed and are not subject of the RFP.”

The township is looking for a general philosophy on the attorney-client relationship the township may expect.

Fee schedules are negotiable, the RFP states.

Submissions must be returned no later than 3 p.m. Thursday, October 11, to the township clerk's office.