Barrington Public Schools will split with its long-time legal counsel, Whelan Corrente & Flanders LLP. 

At its meeting on March 27, the Barrington School Committee voted 5-0 to sign a contract with the law firm Henneous Carroll Lombardo LLC. 

At its Dec. 6, 2022 meeting, Barrington School Committee member TJ Peck requested that officials add an item to a future meeting agenda — Peck said he wanted to conduct interviews for new legal counsel. 

The district issued an RFQ (request for qualifications), and four firms responded, including Whelan Corrente & Flanders LLP. 

The School Committee interviewed representatives from the four firms during a meeting on March 27. Immediately following the interviews, a motion was made to instruct the district to enter into negotiations to sign a contract with Henneous Carroll Lombardo.

Committee members voted unanimously in favor of the motion. 

“The selection of HCL concludes the District’s long-time partnership with current counsel, Whelan Corrente & Flanders LLP,” stated a press release from the district. “Barrington Public Schools is grateful for the support of Whelan Corrente & Flanders and their professional staff who have served Barrington Public Schools in various capacities for more than a decade.

“During the process of transitioning Barrington Public Schools to its new counsel, there will be a period of overlap between the two firms to ensure that ongoing work is not disrupted."