Overview

Manuel F. Martinez is a Partner in Lozano Smith's Walnut Creek Office. His practice focuses on governance, labor and employment, charter school, student, technology and facilities and business issues.

Experience

Mr. Martinez has served as both an in-house General Counsel at a large urban school district and county office of education, and as General Counsel to several clients advising on a wide-range of issues. Mr. Martinez has also served as a Board member for his local school district, and understands the importance effective leadership has on student learning.

He is well-versed in all areas of civil litigation, trial practice and appellate work. He has advised clients on cutting edge issues such as cloud computing, electronic records, and public private partnerships regarding web-based applications. He is also skilled in various aspects of employment law, including dismissals, discipline, investigations and employee/employer relations and negotiations. He also advises clients regarding the Brown Act, Public Records Act, Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and elections. Mr. Martinez has also previoulsy served as the Co-Chair of Lozano Smith’s Governance Practice Group.

Mr. Martinez is experienced in all aspects of charter schools, including drafting and negotiating MOUs, charter reviews, assisting clients with Prop. 39 facility requests, charter oversight, facility issues, petition review and revocation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Martinez served as Associate County Counsel for the County of Alameda. He successfully negotiated the settlement of several cases through formal mediation and informal discussions. As a Deputy City Attorney in Los Angeles, he conducted jury trials, researched and briefed appeals before the Los Angeles Superior Court, and regularly assisted and advised attorneys with pretrial, trial, and post-conviction matters.

Presenter Experience

Mr. Martinez has been a speaker for the California School Boards Association (CSBA), co-presented at the California Latino School Board Associations Unity Conference (CLSBA), and at the Association of Superintendents with Innovative Charter Schools.

Education

Mr. Martinez received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University, where he was a member of the Scott Moot Court Honors Board. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he majored in Political Science.