Seat At The Table

Kelly Dermody is Managing Partner of the San Francisco office and chair of the employment practice group at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP.  Kelly represents employees and consumers in class, collective, and #metoo actions. Kelly is a leader in non-profit organizations devoted to serving the public interest, improving access to justice, and ensuring that the rights of historically disenfranchised persons are protected. In 2012, Kelly served as President of the Bar Association of San Francisco. She has been inducted as a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has served on the governing Council of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section.  In 2016, Kelly was named a “Giant Slayer” by The Recorder legal press. Kelly has been named as a 2019 recipient of the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award by the American Bar Association. Kelly is a graduate of Harvard College and Berkeley Law School. LISTEN HERE: Volume 14With Hosts:  Summer C. Selleck a

Anita Santos is a Judge of the Superior Court, Contra Costa County. She was appointed by Governor Brown in December 2014 and is currently assigned to felony criminal trials. Prior to her appointment, Judge Santos sat as a Commissioner hearing child support matters with the Department of Child Support Services.  Judge Santos began her career as a police dispatcher with the Concord Police Department and the University of California, Berkeley, Police Department, followed by becoming a police officer with the Concord Police Department for several years. She left the Concord Police Department to become prosecutor in Contra Costa County for eleven years. Judge Santos then opened her own practice as a family law practitioner for five years, before she returned to the courts as a Commissioner and then Judge of the Superior Court. Judge Santos attended Solano Community College, then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology

Neda A. Mansoorian is a co-founder of and the managing partner at Oleander Law Partners LLP. Located in Los Gatos, California, she provides crisis management services for her individual and corporate clients in Santa Clara County, Silicon Valley and other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Admitted to practice before all California state courts, Ms. Mansoorian is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of California.Ms. Mansoorian uses her extensive background and experience in litigation, business, mediation, and negotiations to provide advice and counsel to clients who are risking the loss of their reputation and standing when they are facing a crisis in their personal or business lives. The types of matters that she has handled in this regard have involved business disputes, embezzlement, wrongful termination, extortion, high-profile divorces and workplace harassment. She has counted among her clients chief executive officers, public companies and

The Walt Disney Company consists of much more than just “The Happiest Place on Earth,” and Marjorie Randolph’s 15 years there revolved around Walt Disney Studios, where she was senior vice president of human resources and administration. That’s a lot of happiness to manage: live action and animated movies (including much-loved Pixar and Miramax films), music associated with the movies, the home entertainment division, and live stage shows like Disney on Ice. Prior to her work at Disney, Randolph, who is now retired, served as senior vice president and general counsel of the department store chain Mervyn’s.Just like Disneyland on a hot day with long lines and tired children, human resources work isn’t always all smiles. But Randolph knows the value of one, even when the job gets tough. “During intense legal negotiations, I realized how important it is to read a room, understand how critically important nonverbal communication is, and understand how humor can help bridge an adversarial situation,” she explains.

Judge Douglas was appointed to the Contra Costa Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown in July 2014 and joined the bench that August after concluding her last murder trial as a San Francisco prosecutor. She had previously served as a deputy district attorney in the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office from 2000 to 2013.Judge Douglas grew up in Redwood City, went to undergraduate school in Missouri. Judge Douglas landed a job at the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office right out of law school. She built a reputation as a diligent prosecutor, popular among her colleagues, opposing lawyers and judges. Serving as a member of her office's domestic violence unit, Judge Douglas tried her first murder charge when the victim of an assault later died. It was the first of many homicide victories for the young DA.Judge Douglas moved to San Francisco in 2013 because her mom lives there, and her brothers lives in Daly City. LISTEN HERE: VOLUME 11With Hosts: Summer C. SelleckAriel B. LeeSound Edi

Judge Victoria Kolakowski became the first and only openly transgender trial judge in the United States when she was elected to the Alameda County Superior Court in November 2010.  As a judge, she has served in both civil and criminal trial assignments. She recently completed a year as the Supervising Judge of the Collaborative Courts, with subject matter oversight over all of the treatment courts (drug, behavioral health, veterans’, etc.) in Alameda County.Judge Kolakowski is also passionate about ensuring and expanding access to justice, particularly for those with limited resources.  She serves on the Judicial Council of California’s Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness, and is the California Council of Churches' appointee to the California Commission on Access to Justice.She has been a leader in educating the judiciary on transgender issues.She is also a frequent speaker on LGBT issues, internationally, nationally and locally. For example, Judge Kolakowski conducted a series

Suzette Z. Torres is Vice President/Regional Counsel of North American Title Company, Inc.’s (“North American Title”). She provides legal and escrow advisory support to North American Title’s branches throughout the Western Region which includes California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Her duties include handling compliance and employment issues, providing underwriting guidance, and advising on commercial transactions. Prior to joining North American, Ms. Torres worked for another national underwriter, first as VP/Trial Counsel, and later transitioned to VP/Underwriting Counsel. When she was in private practice, she rose up to partnership at her firm (Bardellini, Straw, Cavin & Bupp LLP) and became the only minority, female, equity partner. Her practice included resolving title and escrow claims, negotiating business disputes, managing contract negotiations, trials and handling several adversary proceedings in bankruptcy. Suzette served as the District 4 Governor of the California Women's Law

Judge Tara Flanagan serves as a Judge of the Superior Court of California in the County of Alameda. Judge Flanagan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Northridge and earned her law degree from Southwestern Law School in 1998. Before going to law school, Judge Flanagan lived in England pursuing her rugby career. She was selected to the US Women's Rugby National Team. She and her teammates went on to win the Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. The USA Eagles followed their impressive 1991 victory with a second-place finish in the 1994 World Cup. Judge Flanagan is a member of the USA Rugby Hall of Fame. As her rugby career came to a close, Judge Flanagan enrolled in Law School. Attending law school at night while working full time, she distinguished herself at Southwestern, becoming class president and named to the Moot Court Honors Program, where she later served on the Honors Board of Directors.After graduation, Judge Flanagan’s law career start

Louise Renne is a lawyer, former Supervisor and one-time City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, California. She is a graduate of both Michigan State University and Columbia Law School (1961).Ms. Renne was appointed Supervisor by Mayor Dianne Feinstein in 1978. She acted as member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for 8 years from 1978 to 1986, where she was chair of the Finance Committee.She was then appointed by Feinstein as City Attorney in 1986 and became the first female City Attorney in San Francisco history. She served in the position until 2001. In this role, she argued on behalf of the state before the California and United States Supreme Courts.She had her own private practice for 2 years and was a staff attorney in the general counsel’s office at the Federal Communications Commission for 3 years.Ms. Renne served as General Counsel for the San Francisco Unified School District where she led the effort to combat corruption existing

Dru Ramey is the former executive director of the National Association of Women Judges, former tenured member of the GGU School of Law Faculty, and former executive director and general counsel of the Bar Association of San Francisco. While serving with the Bar Association, Dru transformed the organization into one of the nation’s leaders in diversifying the profession and in the provision of legal services to the poor. For more than 30 years, Dru has been devoted to diversity, equal opportunity and access in the justice system. She has chaired the ACLU of Northern California and the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women and served as a co-founder and board leader of California Women Lawyers.Dru has received numerous honors and awards in recognition of the contributions she has made to the legal profession, including the prestigious Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award – the American Bar Association’s highest honor for women in the profession, the Amer

Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley is a nationally recognized expert in human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence. She is known for her many innovative programs, including those to fight real estate fraud, elder and child abuse, prescription drug fraud, chronic absenteeism, sexual assault, domestic violence, ID Theft and environmental violations, as well as creating a project to eliminate the backlog of rape kits in Alameda County and beyond.DA O’Malley has led the charge for stronger legislative protections and increased rights for victims through her legislative work in Sacramento. Over the last ten years, her Office has obtained restitution orders of over $126 million for victims of crime in Alameda County. DA O’Malley created the Family Justice Center, pioneered an electronic notification system for victims, as well as developed H.E.A.T. Watch – an anti-human-trafficking initiative that has become a national model.Recently, she was the first District Attorney