| UCOP

Benefits

The University of California offers a wide array of high quality employee benefit plans, including health and welfare insurance plans, a pension plan, and retirement savings programs. The Benefits group provides support to Human Resources and the Office of the Chief Investment Officer on legal issues affecting UC’s retirement and health and welfare benefits.

Allison Woodall, Deputy General Counsel

Robert Gaumer, Principal Counsel

Luis Blanco, Principal Counsel

Business Transactions

The Business Transactions Group provides general corporate and business transactional advice and support to the Office of the President, including the Office of the Chief Investment Officer, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and the campuses, medical centers, and national laboratories. The group advises on: business and corporate structures; commercial contracts; complex business, finance and investment transactions, including early stage and venture capital; energy projects; public debt issuances and compliance; innovation and commercialization efforts, including acceptance of equity; and international initiatives.

Mark Wilson, Principal Counsel

Nima Katz, Principal Counsel

Rafael Pacquing, Principal Counsel

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Nick Edwards, Senior Counsel - Corporate Transactions

Construction

The Construction Group provides construction-related legal services to UC's multi-billion dollar annual construction program on the campuses and medical centers. The group's transactional work includes working with clients to develop strategic policies, contracts, and procedures (including competitive bidding) for the university's numerous construction projects. Much of the group's work involves analyzing and resolving disputes with architects, contractors, and surety bond companies. The group also provides legal support in proposing and opposing legislation affecting the university's construction program.

Mark Meredith, Principal Counsel

Matthew Hawk, Principal Counsel

Brooke Anderson, Principal Counsel

Liana Epperson, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Back to top

Education Affairs

The Education Affairs Group advises and counsels campuses and the Office of the President on a wide variety of issues involving students, faculty, and academic life, such as admissions, fees, financial aid, housing, student conduct, research compliance, conflicts of interest, governance, faculty, and Academic Senate matters.

Attorneys in the group serve as the general legal advisers for the Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources, and for Privilege and Tenure Committees throughout the system.

Allison Woodall, Deputy General Counsel

Joshua Meltzer, Managing Counsel, Education Affairs and Governance

Sonya Sanchez, Senior Principal Counsel

Elizabeth Yap, Senior Principal Counsel

Ellen Auriti, Senior Principal Counsel

Trevor Finneman, Principal Counsel

Tammi Wong, Principal Counsel

Environment Health & Safety

The Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) group works with the Office of the President, the ten campuses, five medical centers, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Natural Reserve System, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to provide legal advice on compliance with and enforcement actions related to federal and state environmental laws (including laws that govern water quality, air quality, hazardous materials and waste, and contaminated site remediation) and workplace health and safety laws, principally the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) regulations. The EH&S group also advises clients on environmental provisions in leases and other agreements.

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Sarah Quiter, Principal Counsel

Finance

The Finance Group provides advice and supports the Office of the President, including the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and the campuses and medical centers regarding the University’s debt program and other related matters.

Yakeen Qawasmeh, Principal Counsel

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Governance

The Governance Group's primary practice areas are public accountability laws (Public Records Act and conflict of interest laws); governance (Open Meeting laws, delegation of authority, parliamentary issues, and review and interpretation of Regents items); and privacy (FERPA and the Information Practices Act). The group provides primary support to the Regents, as well as the Office of the President and the campuses.

Allison Woodall, Deputy General Counsel

Joshua Meltzer, Managing Counsel, Education Affairs and Governance

Mark Morodomi, Principal Counsel

David Zonana, Principal Counsel

Michelle Kim, Counsel

Health Affairs

The Health Affairs Group supports the medical centers, medical schools and faculty practice plans operated by the University of California as well as its student health and counseling centers. The group also supports units of the Office of the President including: UC Health; Research Policy, Analysis, and Coordination; and Information Technology Services. The Group also supports Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services, Risk Services, and Federal and State Government Relations personnel with respect to health care and biomedical research matters.

Attorneys in the group handle complex health care transactions, represent the University in connection with government investigations, and provide regulatory advice on a complex array of federal and state laws governing the operation of hospitals, health systems, faculty practice plans, the furnishing of health care services, health professions education, and biomedical research.

Susan Stayn, Deputy General Counsel - Health Affairs, Privacy and Data Protection

Hillary Kalay, Senior Principal Counsel

Dan Gerber, Contractor

Valerie Shelton, Senior Principal Counsel

Sajjad Matin, Principal Counsel

Kelsey Bagheri, Principal Counsel

Jessica Jung, Principal Counsel

Intellectual Property & Innovation

The Intellectual Property & Innovation Group advises the university on a full range of patent, copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property matters, including intellectual property-related commercialization, collaborations, transactions, enforcement, policy, consultations, and dispute resolution.

Rita Hao, Senior Principal Counsel, Patents

Randi Jenkins, Principal Counsel, Patents

Angus MacDonald, Managing Counsel, Copyright and Trademark

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

International Transactions

The International Group provides general advice and supports the Office of the President, including the Division of Academic Affairs on a broad range of areas related to University international activities.

Mark Wilson, Principal Counsel, Business Transactions

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Investments

BTI provides legal services and support to UC Investments on a variety of highly complex corporate transactional, finance, investment and back-office/operational matters. UC Investments oversees the provision of all investment services to the University, including the prudent management of University retirement, endowment, working capital, and cash assets under the policies, guidelines, and performance benchmarks established by the University’s Board of Regents.

Larry Adkison, Senior Principal Counsel

Nima Katz, Principal Counsel

William Lin, Principal Counsel, Investments

Rafael Pacquing, Principal Counsel, Equity Transactions

Angus MacDonald, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Labor and Employment

The Labor and Employment Group advises the 10 campuses, the Office of the President, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on a full range of employment, labor and benefits matters affecting the university's 190,000 person workforce.

Allison Woodall, Deputy General Counsel

Jennifer Chin, Managing Counsel

Jennifer Achtert, Principal Counsel

Tess Elconin, Principal Counsel

Tim Hoppe, Principal Counsel

Andy Huntington, Senior Principal Counsel

Trina Mastro, Senior Principal Counsel

Marta Novoa, Principal Counsel

William Teeling, Principal Counsel

Jessica Kim, Principal Counsel

Land Use

The Land Use group works with the Office of the President, the ten campuses, five medical centers, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Natural Reserve System, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to provide legal advice on the development of UC property, including California Environmental Quality Act compliance and other entitlement-related issues, as well as related agreements with local jurisdictions and litigation that may arise from development projects.

Alison Krumbein, Principal Counsel

Chris Cheleden, Principal Counsel

Liana Epperson, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Litigation

Comprised of both Core Litigation and Risk Litigation, the Litigation Group directly represents the University and/or oversees outside counsel in a broad range of adversarial proceedings, including affirmative and defensive litigation, writs, internal administrative hearings, depositions, and trials. The Core Litigation Group also works in cooperation with the Intellectual Property, Business Transactions, and Land Use Groups on patent, construction, and environmental cases, among others.

Rhonda Goldstein, Deputy General Counsel, Litigation

Katharine Essick, Managing Counsel, Core Litigation

Michael Goldstein, Senior Principal Counsel, Core Litigation

John Gherini, Principal Counsel, Core Litigation

Kimberly Robinson, Principal Counsel, Core Litigation

Carol Lynn Thompson, Principal Counsel, Core Litigation

Norman Hamill, Managing Counsel, Risk Litigation

Harpreet Chahal, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Callan Franklin, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Jerome Mayer-Cantu, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Ben Minkow, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Veronica Philipp, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Suzanne Rode, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

Ed Washington, Principal Counsel, Risk Litigation

National Laboratories

The university is responsible for the management of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under a management and operations contract with the Department of Energy. The university also participates as a major partner in the limited liability companies established for the management of the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories under contracts with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. The Office of the General Counsel provides support in coordination with laboratory counsel for the national laboratories.

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Nonprofit Organizations & Charitable Giving

The Nonprofit Organizations & Charitable Giving Group provides advice and support to the Office of the President, campuses, medical centers, national laboratories and various auxiliary and affiliated organizations on federal tax-exempt organization and nonprofit corporation issues, including working with the Business Transactions Group to advise on complex business transactions, innovation activities and corporate governance. The Group also supports Institutional Advancement at the Office of the President and development efforts of all ten campuses, medical centers, campus foundations and affiliated entities by providing advice on significant charitable gifts and charitable trust law issues.

Karen Meckstroth, Principal Counsel

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Procurement

The Procurement Group supports the Office of the President and campus procurement teams to standardize policies, practices and agreements to facilitate doing business with the University. Advice and counsel the Group provides supports the procurement teams in delivering savings and efficient procurement services across the University of California system which contribute to expanded opportunities for teaching, research and public service.

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Hillary Noll Kalay, Senior Principal Counsel

Gigi Capuyan, Principal Procurement Counsel

Emily Berger, Principal Procurement Counsel

Real Estate

The Real Estate group provides legal advice and assistance to campuses and the Office of the President on a wide variety of real estate transactions. The group negotiates and drafts major commercial leases, acquisition agreements, and ground leases. On many transactions, the group does not retain outside counsel but instead uses in-house legal expertise to provide cost-efficient service to the university's clients.

Scott Abrams, Senior Principal Counsel

Christine Shen, Principal Counsel

Monica Sloboda, Principal Counsel

Liana Epperson, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

Technology & Research

The Research & Technology Group handles complex transactions and investigations and provides regulatory advice in connection with basic, animal, and human subjects research and the funding of that research; major technology transactions; and cybersecurity matters, including counsel in connection with complex security incidents and related regulatory actions. The group supports UC Health, the Office of Research & Graduate Studies including its Research Policy, Analysis & Coordination unit and its Research Grants Program Office, and the University’s Information Technology Services organization.

Sajjad Matin, Principal Counsel

Hillary Kalay, Senior Principal Counsel

Trusts and Estates

The Trusts and Estates Group works with the ten campuses, medical centers, and the Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources to facilitate and accelerate the timely distribution of gifts from trusts and estates in support of the University’s mission. The Group centrally administers all trust and estates matters and litigation in which a deceased donor has named the UC Regents, its campuses, departments, or medical centers as a beneficiary under the donor’s estate planning documents or retirement assets. The Group also advises the campus foundations in trusts and estates matters and supports the University’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Financial Accounting department with fulfilling the University’s accounting compliance and financial reporting requirements involving split interest gifts.

Fatima Evans, Senior Principal Counsel and Practice Area Lead

Thu Nguyen, Senior Counsel

Barton Lounsbury, Managing Counsel

Darnele Wright, Deputy General Counsel

UC Legal - Office of the General Counsel

Staff