Jenica D. Maldonado 

Jenica D. Maldonado focuses her practice on representing public employers in employment and traditional labor matters and on advising clients on related government law issues.

Last month, after about nine years representing local governments and agencies in San Francisco, including with Renne Public Law Group and nearly seven years in the San Francisco City Attorney's office, Maldonado joined Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo. She said the firm already has a robust public employment practice in Southern California, so she is excited to help build up that practice in Northern California.

Many of her pending matters involve more than legal considerations. They are protracted employment situations that are "public facing" or have drawn substantial public interest. "They're sensitive and need to be handled particularly diplomatically," she said.

In a difficult employee dispute, Maldonado said, she stays aware of the political environment and the reaction of other employees, in addition to the practical aspects of the case.

Those concerns were always present last year when the Santa Clara Valley Water District hired her to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and bullying of staff by the district's then-board chair. The board wanted a wide-ranging investigation of any violations he might have committed, so she and her team of six attorneys conducted 50 interviews.

They came up with no complaints about sexual harassment, but they did find incidents of staff bullying and mistreatment. "A lot of the conduct happened in open session meetings, so it was fairly easy to corroborate," she said.

Her report was published in late October, just a couple of weeks before the official lost reelection to his board seat. Maldonado said her team was mindful that the election was looming during their investigation and knew that the public was interested in their findings.

Maldonado also represents her public entity clients in collective bargaining with unions. Last year, she supported Mendocino County in its labor negotiations and reached new agreements with the deputy sheriffs and probation employees' bargaining units.

As with many of her matters, negotiations with public employee unions also present nonlegal issues. "They are the most important financial agreements that a public entity enters into," she said. "I have an appreciation for what the board of supervisors or the city council is grappling with on a larger public-facing scale."

She also appreciates the sacrifices the employees made during the pandemic and understands why they seek better pay and other considerations now.

Maldonado regularly serves as outside special counsel for cities and counties throughout Northern California to provide advice on employment- and labor-related issues.

-- Don DeBenedictis