PHONE: 510-594-5348

FAX: 510-594-7988

Partner

Ms. McWilliams is licensed in both Texas and California. During her career, she has focused on education, employment, business, and real estate/land use law and has represented both public and private sector entities and quasi-public entities, including numerous financial institutions, multimedia and film companies, technology companies, transportation providers, medical and other service providers, counties, cities, colleges, numerous K-12 school districts, as well as private schools. Ms. McWilliams provides advice, counseling and training to clients to help minimize risks associated with litigation claims. When such claims arise, however, she is an energetic and skilled litigator in pursuing and defending claims through all phases of administrative processes and litigation.

Ms. McWilliams regularly advises clients and negotiates on their behalf on a variety of issues including, contracts, real estate/land use, facilities, affirmative action, employment, public records requests, public meeting (Brown Act) requirements, rights to privacy, student records, student discipline, desegregation, and other education law issues. She has completed extensive analysis and policy review in the complex and ever-changing areas of religious and free speech issues in public schools as well as in post-Proposition 209 diversification efforts by public entities.

In addition, Ms. McWilliams has provided advice and training to human resource departments, managers, and employers on a broad range of issues including, for example, discipline and discharge, employment contracts, wage and hour, trade secrets, employee benefit plans, affirmative action plans, injury prevention programs, violence in the workplace, leave laws, employment handbooks, and discrimination and harassment laws.

Ms. McWilliams recently successfully represented a community college district in a disability discrimination case. The plaintiff was a former dean alleging more than a million dollars in damages in her claims that the college district failed to accommodate her disability and failed to interact with her in good faith in determining potential accommodations. After a month long trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the college district and against the plaintiff on both claims.

After years of complex litigation in both state court and federal bankruptcy court, Ms. McWilliams also successfully resolved a multi-million dollar real property dispute between a school district and a nonprofit entity which resulted in the school district recovering possession and title to the property.

In other recent matters, Ms. McWilliams has been successful in advantageously resolving disability discrimination claims asserted by administrative agencies such as the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH).

Ms. McWilliams received several awards for academic excellence and taught legal research and writing to first-year law students, while in law school.