The city of Hartford, Conn., has retained the law firm of Greenberg Traurig LLP as restructuring counsel as it weighs whether to file for bankruptcy, officials said Thursday.

Hartford has a deficit approaching $50 million and has asked the state for help managing its fiscal crisis. But the state has its own budget troubles and failed to pass a spending plan to close a two-year hole of $5.1 billion before the fiscal year ended on June 30.

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