Austin City Attorney's Office

Gavel with person completing paperwork in the background.

Open Government / Ethics and Compliance Division

The Open Government / Ethics and Compliance Division provides legal advice related to ethics, open meetings, and public information  to elected officials, City employees, and boards and commissions.

The Division does not conduct investigations nor give advice to members of the public. Depending on the matter, the Austin City Auditor's Office or Austin Human Resources handles investigations and disciplinary action.

Zach Brown, Division Chief

Zach Brown is currentlyis Division Chief of the Open Government, Ethics, and Compliance Division and has worked for the City Attorney’s Office since 2017. Zach earned a B.A. in Sociology and City and Regional Planning from the Ohio State University, and received his law degree from Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law. After law school Zach moved to Austin, Texas to begin his legal career and has worked for the City for over 9 years. His legal practice focuses on compliance with open government laws, elections, and ethics.