GHS - Key Persons
Garcia, Hernandez, Sawhney & Bermudez, LLP is proud to announce Eran Bermudez' promotion to Partner. Ms. Bermudez has been working in the firm's San Diego office since she joined as an associate in 2011. She has worked with the firm's school district clients on a variety of complex matters.
"Eran is one of the finest people I know and an outstanding attorney. Promoting her was an easy decision" said GHSB Managing Partner Bonny Garcia.
Eran Bermudez practices general education law, public agency law and labor and employment law, with a focus on advising various school districts and other public agencies on personnel administration, labor and management, and grievance and arbitration procedures. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law.
Garcia Hernández Sawhney is available to help our clients navigate these new provisions as they apply to charter petition approvals, renewals, and oversight in the coming year. Please contact a GHS attorney if you have any questions about how these changes may affect your district.
Janet Ly joined the firm's Los Angeles area office in July 2016. Janet is an experienced litigator who provides general counsel services to both public and private sector employers. Her practice focuses on workplace investigations, complex employment and business litigation matters for the firm's education, municipal and business clients.
Janet received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from University of California, Los Angeles followed by a Juris Doctor from Boston College School of Law. Upon graduation from law school Janet served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Raymond J. Brassard of the Massachusetts Superior Court. She then became a Law Fellow to all the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court, assisting the Justices in all phases of civil and criminal litigation.
Janet is admitted to practice in the courts of California and Massachusetts and worked at Lee and Li, Attorneys-at-Law, the largest international law firm in Taiwan.
Janet is currently out on maternity leave after welcoming her second son! We congratulate Janet and her family and are very much looking forward to welcoming her back in April in her new role as GHS Law Equity Partner.
Ms. Riggs is a long-time resident of the San Francisco Bay area and is a graduate of Harvard University and Berkeley School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Member of Our Education Law
We believe that, thanks to the skills, knowledge and experience she has acquired so far in her career, Laura is poised to embrace and embody our commitment to making a meaningful difference in our clients' businesses, communities and lives. Laura will be based at our San Francisco Bay area office.
Lawrence S. Joe, a graduate of UCLA School of Law and School of Public Affairs, has joined Garcia, Hernandez, Sawhney & Bermudez, LLP as an associate in the Los Angeles office. Mr. Joe will bring his experience and specialties in pubic law, redistricting law, and voting law to serve the firm's public agency and school district clients.
He most recently served as the Project Director for the California Participation Project, a project of Community Partners, where he collaborated with nonprofit organizations and public agencies throughout Los Angeles County to mobilize non-profit organizations to promote voter engagement in Los Angeles County.
Mr. Joe has worked as a Law Clerk for the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (now called Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles), the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Public Counsel.
"We are very excited to bring Lawrence onto the team, and we are impressed with his dedication to serving his community as well as his legal skills" said Managing Partner Bonny Garcia "He is the embodiment of our motto: ‘First Rate Minds and First Rate Hearts'."
Mr. Joe has also been a volunteer leader with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development, an all-volunteer organization based in Los Angeles Chinatown which seeks to build grassroots power among low-income and immigrant communities.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Associate in the Oakland Office of Garcia
- Education Attorney
City manager Maribel Reyna had assigned Mr. Garcia, who serves as City Attorney of Delano, the task of designing and executing a strategy to renegotiate and cut the amount the City had been paying for fire protection services. Among other things, Mr. Garcia demonstrated that the City of Delano had been paying for Kern County Fire Department services at double the rate charged to other cities in Kern County. After what Council Member Joe Aguirre described as "bruising negotiations" which included a recommendation by City Manager Reyna and vote by the City Council to establish the City's own fire department, a new deal at an acceptable price was offered by KCFD at the last minute by County Fire Chief Brian Marshal. Mr. Garcia stated "this was a team effort. City Manager Reyna spotted the problem and set expectations, the City Council defined the mission, the City Manager and I came up with a game plan and the City Council backed our ‘play' to the hilt."
City Manager Reyna and Mr. Garcia received public praise from the City Council members and Mayor Grace Vallejo exclaimed that she was "elated" with the new deal.
Job Titles:
- Equity Partner
- Equity Partner Founder
- Founding Partner of Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP
- Garcia Hernández Sawhney Founder
- GHSB Proudly Supports Research on First Latinas Licensed to Practice Law
- HNBA 's Corporate Counsel Conference
- Moderator at National School
Mary Hernández is a founding partner of Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP and heads the San Francisco Bay Area office. Hernandez serves as legal counsel to school, county and community college districts as well as nonprofit organizations and charter schools throughout California.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR COUNSEL
- Senior Counsel in Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP
Alex practice focuses on complex litigation matters and representing the firm's education and municipal clients. He has extensive experience with arbitration, mediation, settlement negotiations and handling commercial litigation disputes, including contract, real estate, ADA accessibility issues, trademarks, copyrights, consumer lending, antitrust, employment and environmental and other complex litigation matters. Alex has significant courtroom and general litigation practice experience, including law and motion practice and appellate briefing and argument.
Alex received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Science from the University of California at San Diego. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, where he was editor in chief for the Communications & Entertainment Law Journal, and was elected to the Order of the Coif and Thurston Society.
Alex is admitted to practice in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California.
Job Titles:
- FOUNDER
- MANAGING PARTNER
- GHSB Managing Partner
Leah Smith, a cum laude graduate of William & Mary School of Law, has joined Garcia, Hernández, Sawhney & Bermudez, LLP as an associate in the San Francisco Bay Area office.
Smith will become part of the firm's education law practice and serving its many school district and public agency clients. She brings her strong passion for child advocacy and special education law to the firm.
"Working in education law means you can serve a large population of students by helping to influence and shape school policies," said Smith. "I am looking forward to working with clients whose goal it is to provide students with a fulfilling education."
Managing Partner Bonifacio Bonny Garcia is excited about Smith's addition to the firm's special education group, "Leah is gracious, smart, and has a true interest in special education," said Garcia. "She is also passionate about working for kids. What more could you ask for in an education law attorney?"
During her time at William & Mary, Smith was already sharpening her lawyering skills working as a Teaching Assistant at the School's Legal Skills Program. She taught case development, trial and appellate advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution to first and second year law students. Smith also volunteers at Camp Okizu in northern California where she serves children and families affected by childhood cancer.
GHSB Managing Partner Bonifacio Bonny Garcia helped the City of Delano save $1.2 million per year for the next five years by restructuring the City's contract with the Kern County Fire Department (KCFD). Delano had been paying the KCFD $3.2 million per year for fire protection. Under the new agreement, approved by the City Council on a 5-0 vote, Delano will be paying just over $2 million per year, with 3% annual increases in each of the next five years.
Bonny Garcia is a 2013 Top Lawyer
We all know Bonny Garcia has been a distinguished lawyer for years. In 1998 he received the highest "AV" rating for ethics and competence from Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent attorney directory in America.
Now GHSB's Managing Partner, Bonny Garcia, has been named Top Lawyer for 2013 by America's premier legal publications: Corporate Counsel Magazine, American Lawyer Magazine, and the National Law Journal!
This is the latest honor for Bonny who was named Top Municipal & Government Attorney in 2010 by the San Diego Daily Transcript.
GHSB Managing Partner Bonifacio Bonny Garcia participated in Marymount California University's Excellence in Leadership Speakers' Series. The Speaker Series brings prominent California leaders to Marymount's Ocean View campus in Palos Verdes to discuss leadership challenges, styles and opportunities. The ninth event in the Speaker Series focused on Latino Leadership. The panel focused on the problem of and potential solutions for overcoming the significant under-representation of Latinos in leadership positions within industry, academia and government. Bonny was joined by Dr. Jorge Carreon, President of International Health Consultants and Dr. Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Education and Workforce Development for the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Ted Martinez Jr., Former Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Education and former Superintendent of the Santa Ana and Pomona Unified School Districts. Bonny was invited on account of his role as General Counsel for the California League of Cities Latino Caucus, General Counsel for the California Latino Community College Trustees and Administrators and his service on the Boards of the Advancement Project, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. and Marymount California University.
Mr. Bonifacio Bonny Garcia is the managing partner and a founder of Garcia Hernandez Sawhney, LLP. Although he also heads the firm's Glendale office, Bonny has extensive experience representing school districts, community college districts, special districts, cities, and other governmental entities throughout the state of California.
Bonny began his legal career as a commercial litigator and much of his career in complex litigation and real estate matters. He currently serves as outside General Counsel of the Palmdale School District and special counsel to Oxnard School District, and the Ventura County Community College District, among others. Bonny also serves as a chief labor negotiator for school districts throughout California.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Partner at Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP, Opera
While Conor is based in our San Francisco Bay Area office, where he focuses on special education and employment law, he serves GHS's school district clients up and down the entire state of California - from the Oxnard Plain to the Napa Valley. Conor advises on the full gamut of compliance and litigation issues encountered by school district leadership teams, department heads, and governing boards. Since joining the GHS team, Conor has focused much of his practice on Brown Act compliance, both for school districts and for special districts. An experienced litigator, Conor routinely advocates for GHS school district clients in federal court, both up here in the Northern District of California in San Francisco, as well as the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
Mr. Conor Kennedy is a Partner at Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP, operating out of the San Francisco Bay Area office, where he serves the firm's educational and municipal clients across the State of California. Conor's clients range from K-12 schools and Community College Districts to public safety entities specialized in fire protection and civilian police oversight. Conor's expertise encompasses the broad range of compliance requirements that apply to the firm's public sector clients, from H.R. to public ethics and transparency laws, such as the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Political Reform Act of 1974, and the Public Records Act.
Before joining Garcia Hernández Sawhney, Conor helped to lead a public telecommunications project development team under two different Mayoral administrations with the City and County of San Francisco. His prior work experience includes serving as an Appellate Fellow for a legal non-profit in Washington D.C., where he staffed a major Administrative Procedures Act case before the D.C. Circuit of Appeals, drafted amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, and filed regulatory comments with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education. After moving to California in 2012, Conor worked for Kronenberger, Rosenfeld, LLP in San Francisco, where he advised small and medium sized technology companies on the complexities of state and federal regulatory privacy and online disclosure requirements. He built on that experience at the firm of Phillips, Erlewine, Given, & Carlin, LLP staffing a major technology law case against several blue chip Silicon Valley companies.
Conor's academic achievements are equally impressive. He graduated from Harvard Law School and received his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, from Brown University. Conor is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of California, and he is formally recognized as a privacy technologist by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
With his extensive legal knowledge and experience, Conor Kennedy is a valuable asset to Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP, and his clients. His dedication to achieving favorable outcomes for his clients has earned him an excellent reputation in the legal community.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP
Mr. Erik Rodriguez is a member of Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP's Litigation, Education, and Municipal practice groups and is primarily based at the Firm's Los Angeles area office. Prior to law school, Erik spent 5 years working as a litigation legal assistant and worked as a judicial extern for a federal judge. His work experience includes advocacy for immigrant and workers' rights.
Erik is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish fluently and holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Communication Studies, in addition to his Juris Doctor degree.
Ms. Aerobel Banuelos is COO and Equity Partner in the San Diego office of Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP. Her practice covers most aspects of transactional work relating to public agency and special district representation, including water law issues, public works and purchasing issues, and real property issues. Aerobel frequently represents Oxnard School District and other firm clients in finance and transactional matters.
Ms. Ana Gallegos is a highly skilled Attorney at Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP's Los Angeles office. Her practice areas include public law, education law, special education, workplace investigation, and litigation. With a wealth of experience in labor relations, Ana provides guidance to clients on public sector labor laws and state labor regulations. She is also highly experienced in litigating labor law, employment law, and contract issues in both administrative proceedings and private sector arbitrations.
Ana also has extensive experience advising clients on special education compliance and public education law. She has worked with numerous clients in this area and provided them with the advice they need to navigate complex legal issues.
Ana obtained her LLM degree from the prestigious University of Southern California Law School, where she also participated in the law school's mediation clinic, mediating for FEHA and the EEOC. Additionally, Ana has served as a mediator for Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ana earned her JD from Tulane University Law School and completed her undergraduate studies at Stanford University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree.
With her extensive legal knowledge, Ana is a highly sought-after attorney in the Los Angeles area. Her clients benefit from her excellent communication skills and her ability to provide practical, effective solutions to their legal problems.
Job Titles:
- of COUNSEL
- Counsel With Garcia Hernández Sawhney
Ms. Charisma T. Lam serves as Of Counsel with Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP's Education Law practice group. Charisma has over 15 years of experience serving as general counsel and special counsel to school districts, counties, and other public entities.
Prior to joining GHS, she served as General Attorney with the Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and as Assistant Attorney General with the Office of the Attorney General in Massachusetts. She also served as Senior Assistant State's Attorney with the Civil Division of the Champaign County State's Attorney's Office in Illinois. In those capacities, she has handled labor and employment negotiations, employee discipline, tort claim defense, and civil enforcement actions. She has litigated numerous cases before state and federal courts, arbitrators, and administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Job Titles:
- of COUNSEL
- Counsel With Garcia Hernandez Sawhney
Ms. Erika Anderson is Of Counsel with Garcia Hernandez Sawhney, LLP. Erika's practice focuses primarily on Labor and Employment and Education Law. She has experience in private business litigation matters involving international contract law and foreign jurisdiction. Erika has also worked closely with numerous school districts across the state to help mitigate ongoing cuts in state funding, including contract negotiations with labor unions, engaging in impasse proceedings and fact-finding, and advising school districts on matters of employment law and grievance processing.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Partner in Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP
Ms. Yelitza Dunham is a Partner in Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP's San Francisco Bay Area Office. Yelitza specializes in complex commercial litigation matters and insurance law having served as legal counsel for over 20 years to a diverse range of clients that include Fortune 100 companies, government entities, and non-profits. Her expertise includes advising and representing clients with high stakes claims under all lines of insurance including employment practices liability, errors and omissions, directors and officers, commercial general liability, first-party property, cybersecurity, and fidelity/crime. Yelitza also has significant experience with litigating environmental and mass tort claims.
Yelitza is a prolific author whose article, "Pay it Forward: Allocating Defense and Indemnity Costs in Environmental Liability Cases in California," 24 Ins. Litig. Rptr. 43, was quoted as supporting authority by the Supreme Courts of California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, by appellate courts in Indiana and Connecticut, as well as by various treatises on insurance law. Yelitza has also frequently spoken on insurance law matters including recently at the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Conference (2022), the International Intellectual Property Law Association Annual Meeting (2019), and the Advisen Cyber Risks Insights Conference (2018).
Yelitza is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and Harvard University. Prior to joining Garcia Hernández Sawhney, LLP, Yelitza worked for over a decade as a litigation partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. She is a native Spanish speaker, grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the Bay Area with her family and an assortment of pets.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of La Raza Lawyers Association of California
Job Titles:
- Vice President of La Raza Lawyers Association of California
Nitasha Sawhney - CEO, Chief Legal Officer, Founder
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Legal Counsel
- Managing Partner
- Equity Partner
Nitasha Kaur Sawhney specializes in education, labor and employment law. Nitasha serves as legal counsel to public school districts, community college districts, charter schools and other educational institutions.
Job Titles:
- Organizes San Diego District Attorney Forum