The Bakersfield offices of Sacramento-based law firm Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard are negotiating to add attorneys to its team of five, company executives said Monday.

The firm, which provides legal counsel to a variety of public and private entities in Kern, would not identify the attorneys or firms it hopes to acquire.

A merger with an existing small firm is a possibility, said Chairman Bruce Scheidt.

"The firm's plan is to grow at a controlled rate to meet the needs of our clients," said Brett Price, managing attorney in Bakersfield.

Clients include the Kern County Water Agency, the city of Bakersfield and Kern County.

The firm runs a broad practice, including water law, tax law, real estate development and land use law.

The company also works with public agencies and education districts.

The Bakersfield offices opened in 2000 to serve a growing clientele in the Central Valley, a company news release said.

Much of the firm's increased business stems from the public agency, real estate development and land use portions of the practices, Price said.

"The outlook for Bakersfield is for, hopefully, ongoing growth -- particularly in the commercial real estate area," he said.

The company also opened a San Luis Obispo office on Aug. 1 to work cooperatively with the Bakersfield attorneys.

"We find that a lot of the clients we have -- as well as prospective clients -- have interests both in the San Joaquin Valley and on the Central Coast," Price said.

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