Law Firm News

Fresno, CA (April 1, 2021) – Lozano Smith, LLP is pleased to announce that eight attorneys have been promoted to Partner, effective April 1, 2021.

"We are thrilled to recognize our newest partners,” said Karen Rezendes, Managing Partner of Lozano Smith. “These talented attorneys have served as thought leaders and champions for our colleagues and clients. They represent Lozano Smith's commitment to a collaborative culture where people can grow and thrive, while delivering meaningful work that contributes to the success of our clients and the students and communities that our clients serve."

The group's diverse range of expertise continues to bring cutting-edge, sound counsel to public agency clients throughout California.

Meet the Newest Partners:

Los Angeles

• Desiree Serrano joined the firm’s Los Angeles office in 2014. She has extensive experience as general legal counsel for school districts. She provides legal advice to administrators on personnel matters such as discipline, layoffs, discrimination complaints, disability accommodations, and leaves, in addition to preparing responses to DFEH and EEOC complaints and negotiating settlement agreements. She also has substantial experience with student issues including records, discipline, searches, and constitutional issues.

Sacramento

• Erin Hamor, co-chair of Lozano Smith’s Charter Schools Practice Group, joined the firm’s Sacramento office in 2016. She advises clients on certificated and classified discipline and terminations, grievance processing, contract interpretation, and employee leaves. She also advises clients on all aspects of the Charter Schools Act, including charter oversight, location, petition review and revocation. Additionally, she advises on governance matters including the Brown Act and the Public Records Act.


• Roman Munoz joined Lozano Smith's Sacramento office in 2020. His areas of practice include labor and employment, litigation, and governance. He regularly advises governing boards and public agencies on a variety of legal matters, including labor relations, employee discipline and dismissal, employment litigation, contract administration, employee benefits, reductions in force, grievance arbitration, unfair labor practice proceedings, and board policies.


• Travis Lindsey rejoined Lozano Smith and the firm’s Sacramento office in 2019. He primarily provides advice and representation in labor and employment matters to school districts, community colleges, county offices of education and other public agencies. He regularly represents clients during labor negotiations, arbitration of grievances and other personnel matters. Prior to Lozano Smith, Mr. Lindsey served as an executive HR leader at University of California, Davis, where he primarily supported the Health campus.

Walnut Creek

• Jennifer Baldassari has practiced out of Lozano Smith’s Walnut Creek office since 2015. She represents school districts in civil rights litigation before California administrative courts in issues regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. She also regularly represents her clients at IEP meetings, resolution sessions, mediation, due process hearings, and OCR investigations.


• Ryan Tung, co-chair of the firm’s Governance Practice Group, practices primarily out of the Lozano Smith’s Walnut Creek office. He joined Lozano Smith in 2014. Ryan is experienced in all aspects of charter school law, and he assists clients with a wide variety of special education and student-related issues. He also advises clients on school district reorganization issues including school district unifications and territory transfers. Additionally, he also assists clients in a broad range of school board election issues.
  

Fresno

• Wiley Driskill joined Lozano Smith’s Fresno office in 2016. He has more than a decade of litigation experience focused in the areas of civil litigation, business litigation, public agency and entity law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, defending public entities, and defending employment discrimination and FEHA claims. In addition to numerous administrative hearings and arbitrations, Mr. Driskill has successfully tried court and jury trials to decision and verdict in state and Federal court.

San Luis Obispo

• Chelsea Olson Murphy joined Lozano Smith’s San Luis Obispo office in 2020. Olson Murphy advises school districts and county offices of education on a variety of legal matters including employee discipline and dismissal, benefits, leaves of absence and the interactive process, contract administration, conflicts of interest, the Brown Act, and the California Public Records Act. Ms. Olson Murphy is an experienced workplace investigator who is skilled in investigating complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environment.

About Lozano Smith
Lozano Smith is a full-service education and public agency law firm serving hundreds of California's K-12 and community college districts, and numerous cities, counties, and special districts. Lozano Smith has offices in eight California locations: Sacramento, Walnut Creek, Fresno, Monterey, Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, and San Diego. For more information, visit www.LozanoSmith.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also subscribe to our podcast or download the Lozano Smith App.