Speaker Biographies

361 Notes:______

362 Toussaint S. Bailey Toussaint Bailey specializes in high-stakes, complex civil litigation on behalf of municipalities and public agencies. His cases span a wide range of public law issues, including all aspects of land use and planning, constitutional law, fair housing, construction, environmental law, and telecommunications. Before joining Richards, Watson & Gershon as a first-year associate in 2007, Mr. Bailey attended UCLA School of Law and worked in the City Attorney's office. He is based in the firm's San Francisco office.

363 Jeffrey S. Ballinger Jeffrey S. Ballinger is a partner with Best Best & Krieger LLP and leader of the firm's Municipal Law practice group. Mr. Ballinger’s practice areas include municipal law, planning and zoning, environmental and natural resources law. He currently serves as city attorney for the cities of Fontana and San Jacinto, and assistant city attorney for the City of Big Bear Lake. In addition to his city attorney work, Mr. Ballinger also serves as general counsel to the Chino Valley Independent Fire Protection District as well as the Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District. Mr. Ballinger has represented both cities and special districts in court, at public meetings and in the course of complex transactions. He frequently advises cities and other local governmental agencies on the Brown Act, the Political Reform Act and the Public Records Act. Mr. Ballinger also has experience in housing and development-related areas of the law, including the Planning and Zoning Law, the Subdivision Map Act and state and federal housing laws. In addition, he has successfully defended land use and CEQA challenges to his public agency clients, both at the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Ballinger currently serves on the League of California Cities Environmental Quality Committee and Legal Advocacy Committee. Mr. Ballinger received his undergraduate degree in Sociology/Law & Society from the University of California, Riverside. He received his Juris Doctorate degree at the USC School of Law. While there, he participated in the Post-Conviction Justice Project and was a staff member and article editor for the Southern California Law Review.

364 Steven M. Berliner Steven is partner with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore in its Los Angeles Office. He is Chair of the firm's Retirement Practice Group. His specializes in PERS law, the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 and labor relations. Steve acts as chief negotiator for many public agencies. Steve earned his law degree from UCLA.

365 James “Jeb” E. Brown James E. "Jeb" Brown is a Riverside native who graduated from Cal State University, San Bernardino with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 1989. He obtained his Juris Doctor from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific in 1992. He is licensed to practice law before all of the Courts of the State of California as well as the United States District Court, Central District of California, Southern District of California, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. In August 2002, he became the Supervising Deputy City Attorney at the Riverside City Attorney’s Office. Jeb currently supervises five attorneys, one legal assistant and two legal secretaries. In addition to supervising the Litigation Services Section, Jeb also serves as the Legal Advisor to Public Safety (Police and Fire), provides advice on employment issues and represents the City and its employees in both state and federal court. Jeb regularly provides training on various legal issues to the Riverside Police Department. He has also provided training to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and the League of California Cities. Jeb was a member of the 2005 Leadership Riverside class. He has chaired Law and Justice Day since 2007 and has served on the Steering Committee for Leadership Riverside since 2008. Jeb is a Past President and board member of the Leo A. Deegan Inn of Court and current President of the Federal Bar Association . He is an adjunct professor at the University of Laverne School of Law (Civil Rights, Federal Courts and Conflict of Laws). Jeb was a former Lawyer Representative to the Central District of California and is currently serves the Federal Court as an Attorney Settlement Officer and as a member of the Local Rules Advisory Committee. Finally, Jeb is a mentor to at-risk youth at North High School.

366 Allison E. Burns Represented City in Challenge to Wal-Mart Store Represented the City of Rialto in California Environmental Quality Act challenge to proposed Wal-Mart store. Represented City in Challenges to City's Housing Element Represented city, redevelopment agency, and housing authority in challenge brought by former occupants of property acquired for economic development to the city’s Housing Element, Relocation Plan, and Replacement Housing Plan. Represented Community Services District in CEQA Challenge Represented community services district in California Environmental Quality Act challenge to proposed signal and community entrance improvements on Pacific Coast Highway. Defended School Districts in Contract Litigation Represented two school districts in litigation against former redevelopment agency for failure to make payments pursuant to tax increment pass-through agreement. Defended City in Constitutional Challenge to Legislative Invocation Policy Defended city in a challenge filed in federal district court and appealed to the 9th Circuit alleging that the city’s policy of allowing all denominations to provide an invocation consistent with their beliefs at the beginning of city council meetings violated the United States and California Constitutions. Defended City in Federal Civil Rights Litigation Defended city in connection with a federal civil rights lawsuit, an investigation and administrative complaint by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) related to claims of racial discrimination in connection with the enforcement of the federal rules governing the Section 8 program within city. Defended Redevelopment Agency and City in Foreclosure Litigation Defended redevelopment agency in state and federal litigation relating to foreclosure of real property owned by nonprofit corporation, claims of interference by city and redevelopment agency and various tort and fraud claims.

367 Shahiedah S. Coates Shahiedah Coates is an Associate with Jenkins & Hogin, LLP, where she advises many of the firm’s clients on matters related to land use, election law, assessments, and other legal issues associated with municipal law practice. She recently conducted research in support of The Decline of the Community Care Model: the Rise of the Rehab Riviera(s) by Christi Hogin, presented at the May 2014 California Contract Cities Conference. Additionally, Ms. Coates represents many of the firm’s clients in litigation and employment claims, and she advises the firm’s nonprofit clients, which include such the Harbor Community Benefit Foundation and Lomita Railroad Museum Foundation. Prior to joining Jenkins & Hogin, Ms. Coates was a Deputy County Counsel in Los Angeles County, where she gained significant experience in redevelopment dissolution, municipal finance, and property tax law. In this role, Ms. Coates occasionally provided advice on the Brown Act, Public Records Act, and religious practices. Her efforts were recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2013. Before joining County Counsel, Ms. Coates provided legislative advocacy and community development assistance as a consultant to a Southern California city and school district, and completed an internship with the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office. Ms. Coates received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, her Master’s in Business Administration from Woodbury University, and her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

368 Barbara Cook Barbara J. Cook, P.E., is the Division Chief for the Department of Toxic Substances Control's Brownfields and Environmental Restoration Program (Cleanup Program). In this position, Ms. Cook provides guidance for the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites throughout California. Ms. Cook is a registered civil engineer in the state of California with extensive experience in the state and federal Superfund cleanup programs and in Brownfields redevelopment. She has worked for DTSC for 28 years.

369 Andrew L. Faber Andy Faber is a partner at Berliner Cohen in San Jose, and has been practicing land use and municipal law for 40 years. He is Acting City Attorney for Gilroy and has served as special counsel to many public entities, as well as representing private developers. He is currently representing the City of San Jose in CBIA v. City of San Jose, a California Supreme Court Case challenging the validity of San Jose's inclusionary housing ordinance. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School.

370 Michael N. Feuer Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer has long been one of California's leading lawyers and lawmakers. He has brought a collaborative, problem-solving focus to the City Attorney's office, emphasizing quality of life improvements in L.A.'s neighborhoods. Already Feuer is expanding the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program, leading efforts to prevent gun violence, developing innovative approaches to gang violence, domestic abuse and school safety, and aggressively pursuing environmental justice and other efforts to protect vulnerable Angelenos. Feuer previously served as the Majority Policy Leader of the California Assembly and Chair of the Assembly's Judiciary Committee, writing many of California's most important public safety, children's health, transportation, consumer protection and environmental laws. Feuer jointly-authored the Homeowners' Bill of Rights and the Iran Contracting Act. He wrote the Crime Gun Identification Act and the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act, as well as the nation's most comprehensive law to remove cancer-causing chemicals from consumer products, the law requiring insurance companies to insure children with pre-existing conditions, the law authorizing L.A. County's transformative transportation initiative, Measure R, and much more. As a member, Feuer chaired the Budget and Finance Committee, delivering on-time, balanced budgets, fighting successfully for anti-gang and after-school programs, jobs for disadvantaged youth and meals for indigent seniors. Feuer wrote some of America's toughest laws to curb gun violence, initiated L.A.'s 3-1-1 non-emergency services system and spearheaded ethics and business tax reforms. A champion for senior citizens, Feuer served as Executive Director of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, one of the nation's leading public interest law firms. Under Mike's leadership, Bet Tzedek helped more than 50,000 indigent, primarily elderly or disabled clients on crucial cases involving nursing home abuse, consumer fraud, access to health care, housing, Holocaust restitution and more. The Los Angeles Daily Journal wrote that Feuer turned Bet Tzedek into a "national success story." The recipient of dozens of awards for his achievements for seniors, children, environmental protection, gun violence prevention, access to justice, transportation improvements, civil rights, education reform and more, Feuer has taught at the UCLA School of Law and the UCLA School of Public Affairs. He practiced law at two prominent firms, Hufstedler, Miller, Carlson & Beardsley and Morrison & Foerster, and was a commentator on NPR member station KPCC. He began his career as a judicial clerk for California Supreme Court Justice Joseph Grodin. Feuer is a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College and a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Gail Ruderman Feuer, have been married for thirty years and have two children, Aaron and Danielle.

371 Leah S. Goldberg Leah Goldberg specializes in re-use and redevelopment of contaminated properties. She has worked with developers, responsible parties, cities and regulators to develop brownfields agreements and strategies. In addition, Leah practices general environmental and land use law with an emphasis on clean water, underground storage tanks, stormwater and wastewater permits, hazardous substances and wastes, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance, land use entitlements, Endangered Species Act issues, and Section 404 Wetlands permits. She currently serves as Senior Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Jose. Prior to joining San Jose's legal team, Leah was instrumental in helping to draft and pass AB 440. Leah is admitted to practice in California, Colorado and the District of Columbia.

372 Eugene P. Gordon Eugene P. Gordon is a Deputy City Attorney in the San Diego City Attorney's Office. Since February 2008 when he retired from the City, he has been working as a volunteer on a part-time basis in the City Attorney’s Office. He is assigned to the Trial Unit in the Civil Division where he specializes in the defense of personal injury cases brought against the City and its employees. Such litigation involves alleged dangerous conditions of public property, such as highway design and trip-and-fall cases, police K-9 bite cases, false arrest and excessive force cases, including section 1983 cases, and City vehicular accidents. From 1971 to 1978, Mr. Gordon was Legal Advisor to the San Diego Police Department where he was instrumental in providing legal in-service training programs, including the publication of legal training bulletins for police officers. He provided on-the-scene legal advice to police supervisors in the proper handling of civil demonstrations and disturbances, was available to supervisors and officers in the field for consultation on legal matters, and played an important role in drafting legal policies and procedures. While Police Legal Advisor, Mr. Gordon was a member of the Legal Officers Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and in 1976 he was General Chairman of the section. He was also a contributor to the “Chief's Counsel,” a legal column in the “Police Chief Magazine,” a monthly publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Mr. Gordon was a prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the City Attorney's Office from 1969 - 1971 where he prosecuted a variety of misdemeanor cases. He served as Assistant Chief Criminal Deputy for one year prior to becoming Police Legal Advisor in May 1971. Mr. Gordon has taught extensively at the San Diego Regional Public Safety Training Institute at Miramar College in San Diego on the subjects of civil and criminal liability of law enforcement officers, constitutional law, and use of force to police recruits, advanced officers and Field Training Officers. He was an instructor in the San Diego Sheriff's Department Academy at Southwestern College on the subject of civil and criminal liability of law enforcement officers, and he taught the sixteen-hour course on search and seizure at the San Diego Police Academy from 1972-1979. Mr. Gordon has lectured at numerous seminars for police administrators sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police on the subjects of police discipline, civil liability and discovery of police officers' personnel records. He has also lectured on municipal tort liability at NIMLO and League of California Cities conferences. Mr. Gordon has provided legal updates at numerous PRIMA and PARMA conferences. In 1992, Mr. Gordon served on the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Committee on “Police Use of Force,” Executive Report, July 1992. In 1996, he assisted POST in revising the Police Supervisory Course curricula. Admitted to the California State Bar in 1968, Mr. Gordon received his legal education at Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. He received his B.A. degree from the University of California, Riverside.

373 Rick W. Jarvis A founding partner of the Jarvis Fay law firm, Rick Jarvis is one of California's leading CEQA, land use, and municipal law litigators, having handled over 100 cases in his over 20 years of practice. Rick primarily represents cities and other local public agencies in state and federal courts, at both the trial and appellate levels. Rick also advises cities on development and other land use matters, including bullet-proofing CEQA documentation. Rick graduated from U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law in 1991.

374 Shawn M. Mason Shawn Mason has served as the City Attorney for the City of San Mateo since January 2003. Shawn previously served as the City Attorney for the City of Rancho Mirage and the City of Benicia, and as the Deputy and Assistant City Attorney for the City of Thousand Oaks. Shawn presently serves on the Legal Advocacy Committee and as Chair of the FPPC Committee. He has previously served on the Municipal Law Handbook Committee. In his spare time, Shawn enjoys running, playing softball and reading. He is also an enthusiastic fantasy baseball team owner and enjoys annually competing with fellow city attorneys, Fred Soley and John Pomidor.

375 Michael H. Roush Michael was the City Attorney for the City of Pleasanton where he served for 21 years, "retiring" in 2009. He now serves as an interim Assistant City Attorney for the City of Stockton and does some contract work for other public agencies.

376 Danielle G. Sakai Danielle Sakai is a partner in the Environmental Law & Natural Resources and Litigation practice groups of Best Best & Krieger LLP. Ms. Sakai’s practice focuses on environmental contamination, land use and real property matters. She has significant litigation experience and is involved in one of the State’s most contentious superfund sites involving the Rialto/Colton Groundwater Basin. Ms. Sakai represents both public and private entities in State and Federal Courts. Ms. Sakai also has experience representing public and private clients before State and Local regulatory agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, the Regional Water Quality Control Boards, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Air Resources Board and the Department of Public Health, regarding environmental issues including the remediation of hazardous substances, leaking underground storage tanks, and air and water quality regulations and compliance. Ms. Sakai advises both public and private clients regarding the Environmental Due Diligence process and works closesly with environmental consultants, lenders and where appropriate, regulators to ensure a successful acquisition. Ms. Sakai authored featured articles for the California Land Use Law & Policy Reporter, the Climate Change Law & Policy Reporter and is an Editorial Board member of the Environmental Liability, Enforcement & Penalties Reporter. Ms. Sakai earned a Bachelor of Art degree in History and Law & Society from the University of California at Riverside in 1997. She received her Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 2000. Ms. Sakai is a member of the State Bar of California and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Central and Northern Districts of California and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

377 Kevin D. Siegel Kevin represents cities and other local agencies regarding a wide range of public law matters, including taxes and assessments, land use and planning, CEQA and environmental law, eminent domain, public records, elections, tort claims, and constitutional law. Kevin provides both litigation and advice services. Kevin joined Burke, Williams & Sorensen in August 2012. Prior to joining Burke, Kevin was a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Oakland, where he specialized in writs and appeals. Previously, Kevin was a shareholder at McDonough Holland & Allen, where he litigated cases for public agencies across the State, and a Legal Research Attorney for the San Francisco Superior Court, where he advised judges regarding complex litigation

378 Bruce A. Soublet Mr. Soublet began his legal career in 1978, in private practice in Oakland, California, practicing in the areas of personal, injury, contracts and family law. In 1980 he took a part time job with the Berkeley City Attorneys office to handdle some long dormant personal injury cases. The psition was slaed to last for 6 months, it ultimately led to a twenty year stay in Berkeley. During that time he had the pleasure to work for Natalie West and to share an office and ultimately work for Manuale Albuquerque. He was the City's claims adjuster and managed he tort litigation. In 2001 he left Berkeley to take a position with the City of Richmond. At Richmond he was initially asked to take over code enforcement aciviies but was soon back in the litigation arena, doing many of thethings he did while in Berkkeley. In early 2003, he was assigned to the City's Human Resources Department to assist them on all of their legal maters. He currently serves as the City's in house labor and employment attorney. During that time he has worked through a 35 milliion dollar budget deficit whic resulted in massive layoffs and negotiates with bargaining units to pay the EPMC of their CALPERS pensions starting in 2004. Recently helped negotiate contracts with public safety paying their addiional share by 2016, two years before the PEPRA Requirements kick in. In 2009, he was appointed to the assignment of ADA Coordinator for the City. He was responsible for overseeing the completion of the City's ADA ttransition Plaan and to ensure continuing City compliance with the provisions of State and Federal Disability Law. In addition to these duties he conines to be involved in the tort litigation, serves as counselto the City's Personnel Board and the Revolving Loan Fund Board During his legal career Mr >soublet has served as a Board Member and President of the Board of the following organizations: East Bay Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation; East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC); Charles Houston Bar Association (CHBA); Wiley Manuel Law Foundation. He is currently on the Board of the Fred Finch Youth Cener and the Lake CHabot Jr. Golf Academy. He has served as a volunteer Settlement Commissiner for the Alameda County Superior Court. He has achieved the Professinal Associate designation for he National Association of ADA Coordinators (NAADAC) and currently serves as president of the California Associationof ADA Professionals (CAADAP). Born and raised in Oakland California, the sixth of ten children. Gratuated Salesian Catholic high School, Richmond California in 1971. Received his BA in Political Science from UCLA in 1975. Recievd his JD from the University of Santa Clara School of Law, in 1978. Mr. Soublet resides in Oakland, Caalifornia, with his spouse of 18 years, Sylvia and their two children Amber age 17 and incomin Freshman at the University of Arizona and Vanneasha,13, and incoming Freshman at ST. Joseph Notre Dame High School Alameda, California

379 Scott Tiedemann Scott Tiedemann is the Managing Partner of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, California's largest public sector labor, employment and education law firm. Scott is a leading advocate for, and trusted advisor to public safety agencies across California. He is called upon in high profile cases to advise public safety executives regarding how to conduct complex investigations, including how to manage media relations and navigate the procedural complexities of the Public Safety Officers and Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights. He has earned a reputation for successfully prosecuting many difficult cases involving allegations ranging from excessive force to sexual abuse to fraud. Scott has prevailed in multiple published appellate cases that have helped public safety employers more effectively manage their employees. His published decisions on behalf of public safety employers include, among others: Upland Police Officers Association v. City of Upland (2003) 111 Cal.App.4th 1294, Benach v. County of Los Angeles (2007) 149 Cal.4th 836 and Thompson v. City of Monrovia (2010) 186 Cal.App.4th 860, and Ferguson v. City of Cathedral City (2011) 197 Cal.App.4th 1161. Scott represents a wide variety of other government agencies and schools in labor and employment matters as well. He is a skilled litigator in federal and state courts and a successful appellate attorney, who has handled a variety of litigation matters, including trials and administrative hearings. Scott is also experienced in labor, including relations serving as lead negotiator in collective bargaining with safety and general employee bargaining units. Scott's practice also includes investigations, counseling and management training. He frequently speaks at national and statewide conferences on subjects such as disciplinary investigations, workplace harassment, employment discrimination, free speech, privacy and ethics.

380 Richard Whitmore Richard (Dick) Whitmore began representing management in public sector employment matters in 1970 as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Sunnyvale. He was the founding partner of Whitmore, Kay & Stevens (1976) and Whitmore, Johnson & Bolanos (1991). Following the merger of Whitmore, Johnson & Bolanos with Liebert Cassidy, Dick became a name partner in Liebert Cassidy Whitmore. Although partially retired, Dick continues to advise and consult with public agencies on negotiations, factfinding, arbitration, mediation and related labor relations matters. He is providing training for public agencies like the League of California Cities and CALPELRA. He is also serving as a mediator, factfinder, and arbitrator, both as a neutral and as a management representative on tripartite panels.

381 Patrick Whitnell Patrick Whitnell joined the League in 2005 as Assistant General Counsel, and was named General Counsel in 2007. Prior to joining the League, Patrick was an associate with the law firm of Meyers Nave, working in its Oakland office. He served as City Attorney for the City of San Juan Bautista, and Assistant City Attorney for several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Patrick graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in Psychology and Linguistics and received his JD from San Francisco Law School. He also holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

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