City Attorney

The City Attorney, Douglas L. Guynn, unless otherwise directed by Council, has the management, charge and control of all legal business of the City and is counsellor at law to the mayor, council, city manager and various boards and departments of the city primarily regarding civil matters.  Mr. Guynn also serves as general counsel to the Staunton School Board, a separate legal entity of the City.  As City Attorney, Mr. Guynn regularly monitors and helps guide legal work performed by outside legal counsel, including legal counsel retained by the City's legal risk management program to defend particular litigation.  The City Attorney does not provide advice to individual city citizens and does not handle criminal proceedings.  The Commonwealth Attorney, a separate official elected directly by Staunton citizens, is responsible for criminal matters.

Mr. Guynn also is privately affiliated with the law firm of Timberlake, Smith, Thomas and Moses.  In this separate capacity, he does general and special counsel work for various Virginia school boards and other clients, such as Virginia institutions of higher education.  He is a frequent speaker on a wide array of education law issues for both clients and for professional groups, such as the Virginia School Boards Association.  He previously was a partner with Wharton, Aldhizer and Weaver and was recommended for consideration for an Article III federal judgeship in 2003. Mr. Guynn has served as a member of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, by appointment of the Speaker of the House of Delegates, and as a member of the Virginia State Council of Higher Education, by appointment of the Governor.  He is a graduate of Virginia Tech (B.S. Finance) and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.).

Mr. Guynn accepted Council's appointment as City Attorney as part of a committment to provide a period of public service to the City, which is his birthplace.  He has been active over the years in serving the regional community that comprises the central Shenandoah Valley, including service on the board of the Community Foundation as well as on the board of the Valley Alliance for Education, which he helped to establish.

The City Attorney's office includes a paralegal, Linda L. Little. Ms. Little joined the office several years ago.  She previously worked for a private law firm and for the Virginia state court system.  She brings her collective experience of over 20 years in the legal field to the office of the City Attorney.  She may be contacted directly for information on the office of the City Attorney or as to matters within its purview.  Her direct dial number is (540) 332-3999, or she may be contacted through email: littlell@ci.staunton.va.us