by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Rick Mullaney’s office is adorned with everything from plaques to mini-stadiums to trinkets to framed degrees. However, without doubt, the dominant theme is family. From his screen saver to many framed pictures, for the City’s General Counsel family is at the top of every list.
Mullaney officially became General Counsel Dec. 1, 1997 and Friday will mark two milestones — Mullaney’s ninth year as General Counsel (the longest tenure in consolidated Jacksonville history) and the nine-year anniversary of City Hall moving from the Annex into the St. James Building. As General Counsel, Mullaney isn’t just the City’s top attorney, he’s also the top lawyer in a 40-attorney “firm” dedicated solely to public service. In fact, during Mullaney’s 28-year legal career, only two years were spent in the private sector.
“I worked for two years in Tampa for the law firm of Carleton Fields. The firm was 100 years old and was the biggest firm in the state,” said Mullaney, who’s career has also included two years as Chief of Staff for former Mayor John Delaney, five years previously with the Office of General Counsel as head of the tort group and 10 years with the State Attorney’s Office.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way, though.
“The plan after the State Attorney’s Office was not to stay in the public sector,” he said. “I planned to do that for a few years, try cases and start my own firm. Fortunately, I fell in with a great group. (Former State Attorney and Mayor) Ed Austin was a great mentor. We all greatly respected him. Ed gave us a lot of discretion and a lot of freedom. With John Delaney, Audrey Moran (former Chief of Staff under Delaney) and John Jolly, we formed a core group that allowed us to help do great things on behalf of the public.”
Over the years, Mullaney and his staff have crafted legislation that includes the Better Jacksonville Plan, multiple Jaguars contracts and many of the legal issues that pertain to the City’s public buildings and resources. The recent Cecil Field referendum, though, may rank at or near the top of his personal accomplishments. What some perceived as the City’s opposition to the military, Mullaney and Mayor John Peyton worked to make sure the defeat of the referendum was positive reinforcement for those that work and live near Cecil Commerce Center. It’s work like the Cecil effort that keeps Mullaney at City Hall.
“This is a great opportunity to be involved in the most important legal issues facing the city and public policy issues,” said Mullaney. “Cecil Field, the NFL, the Super Bowl, environmental issues — they are all big issues that find their way to the General Counsel’s office. The greatest opportunity to shape the future of the city is at City Hall.
“I love what I do here, but this was never part of the plan. I absolutely have no regrets. This 40-lawyer public law office is intimately involved in the issues facing Jacksonville. I enjoy that.”