Municipal Law and the Issues before us today

Andover’s Town Counsel serves as the chief legal adviser to Town Meeting, the Select Board, Town Manager, and all Town Departments, making it a role that impacts virtually every Town function.  The appointment of Doug Heim marks the first time that the Town of Andover has named a Town Counsel since 1990 when Tom Urbelis was appointed to the role. 

Since earning a law degree at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Doug has spent his entire career practicing law in a municipal setting. His career began in New York City, where he served in the City’s Corporation Counsel office, generally representing public safety agencies and personnel in federal litigation.  In 2011, Doug joined the City of Boston as Assistant Corporation Counsel. A broadened range of responsibilities beyond litigation that came in Boston’s Law Department reinforced Doug’s interest in municipal government.

Doug describes his role in Andover as a convergence of his personal and professional life.  Last year, when looking to relocate with his family after living in Boston for more than a decade, his wife’s roots in the Merrimack Valley drew them to the region. They eventually purchased a home in Andover, deciding to live in the community in part due to the exceptional services provided by its government.

Doug was selected through a competitive hiring process led by the Town Manager’s Office. Every Town department was represented in interviews for the position, which entailed three panel discussions intended to assess candidates in the areas of general government and Town meeting, permitting and land use, and public contracts and municipal projects.