San Leandro City Attorney Jayne Williams has been named to the 2012 “Women Leaders in Law” list by The Recorder, a legal publication based in San Francisco.
Williams heads the Crisis Management Practice Group for Oakland's Meyers Nave law firm in addition to her role as legal advisor to the City Council.
The Recorder selected 40 female lawyers who have been innovative and active in networking in order to create opportunities for their firms and for others.
Williams began her legal career in 1974 in the City Attorney’s Department for the City of Oakland. She eventually headed the department and served as Oakland’s City Attorney for 14 years.
In 2000, Ms. Williams joined Meyers Nave and served as the firm’s Managing Principal for six years.
During her tenure in the firm’s chief position, Meyers Nave experienced significant growth: opening regional offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa; growing the attorney staff to over 80 attorneys; and taking on high-profile matters, notably the confidential internal investigation on behalf of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in the officer-involved shooting death on New Year’s Day in 2008, which attracted attention nationwide and sparked numerous protests. She led the Meyers Nave team in the investigation.
Williams has also been president of the City Attorney’s Division of the League of California Cities and chair of the State Bar’s Public Law Section.
Meyers Nave was founded in 1986 and provides legal services to cities, counties, special districts, school districts, and other public bodies.
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