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LCW

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore is California’s premier labor, education, and employment law firm. We provide training, education, and legal representation to hundreds of public agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations across the state of California.
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Kelly Tuffo

Senior Counsel

415.512.3000 | ktuffo@lcwlegal.com

Kelly Tuffo has represented public agencies for over seventeen years. Her areas of expertise are labor negotiations, labor relations, contract administration, public education, and employment law, including employment discrimination, harassment, discipline and investigations. Kelly advises cities, counties and other public sector and public education employers on all aspects of employment relations, including labor negotiations, retirement law, and employment benefits and compensation, conducts workplace investigations, and represents clients in fact-finding proceedings, disciplinary proceedings and mediation and arbitration of grievances. Kelly provides training on all areas related to her practice.

As chief labor negotiator, Kelly has negotiated hundreds of labor contracts between public agencies and their employee organizations representing numerous types of employees, including nurses, doctors, police officers, deputy sheriffs, firefighters, mid-managers, probation officers, dispatchers, attorneys, engineers, community college faculty, and other miscellaneous job classifications. She is experienced in conducting collective bargaining agreement audits, mediation, fact-finding, arbitration and PERB proceedings. Kelly has represented clients in matters involving union grievances, arbitrations, unfair labor practices, labor strikes, unilateral implementation and other labor issues. She has negotiated impacts of several police service transfer agreements between public agencies.

Kelly is an experienced workplace investigator. She conducts management training programs on a variety of employment law issues, including discipline, performance evaluation, leaves of absence, and harassment and discrimination prevention.

Prior to law school and joining our San Francisco office, Kelly was a labor relations representative for a private sector company. In that role, she coordinated contract negotiations, represented the company in arbitrations, negotiated and handled grievances and conducted investigations. She also has experience in community mediation for a public sector entity.

Recognitions

Kelly has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star, and as one of the top female attorneys in Northern California by San Francisco Magazine.

Expertise

Public Education

Labor Relations

Public Employers

Education

JD, UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings)

MA, University of British Columbia

BA, University of California, Berkeley

Did You Know

Kelly is a second generation, amateur woodworker.

Representative Matters
Publications
Presentations

Negotiations

Cities:

City of Ceres – Police, Fire and General Units

City of Cotati – Police Officers Association and Police Management Units, General Unit

City of Half Moon Bay – Police and General Units, Police Services Transfer Agreement

City of Los Banos – Police, Fire, Dispatchers, and General Local One Units.

City of Millbrae – Police, Teamsters and General Units, Police Services Transfer Agreement

City of Redwood City – Police, Police Management, IAFF, Chief Officers, Mid-Managers and SEIU.

City of San Pablo – Operating Engineers, Mid-Manager, and Police Units.

City of San Rafael – SEIU, Local One, Western Council of Engineers

City of San Ramon – SEIU

Counties:

County of Contra Costa County – California Nurses Association, Attorney Associations

County of San Mateo – AFSCME, SEIU, California Nurses Association, BCTC/Operating Engineers, Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Sheriff’s Sergeants, Probation and Detention Association, Engineers and Physician and Dentists Units.

County of Sonoma – SEIU, Engineers and Scientists, and Attorney Units.

Special Districts:

Broadmoor Police Protection District – Police Officers Association/Teamsters.

Marin Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District – General and Mid-Manager Western Council of Engineers Units.

Port of Stockton – Police and Warehouse Worker Units.

San Benito County Water District – SEIU.

Sonoma Library District – SEIU.

Administrative Hearings

IAFF v. City (2022) – Represented City in interest arbitration proceeding. The parties settled before a decision was issued.

Physicians Union v. County (2019) – Represented county in complex factfinding hearing involving 40 issues in dispute. The parties settled before a decision was issued.

Carpenters Union v. City (2011) – Arbitrator denied union grievance regarding City’s use of temporary employees.

AB 2561 Puts a Spotlight on Public Sector Vacancy Rates

11/07/2024

LCW Special Bulletin

Assembly Bill (“AB”) 2561 adds Government Code Section 3502.3 to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (“MMBA”), imposing new obligations on public agencies related to tracking and presenting information on job vacancies. The new law and the legal obligations thereunder take effect January 1, 2025.
Note: On...

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