Neha Shah

Senior Of Counsel

(510) 721-3210

neha.shah@redwoodpubliclaw.com

Neha Shah is a trusted strategic advisor to employers navigating complex and high-stakes workplace challenges.  She partners closely with executives, HR leaders and in-house counsel to assess risk, anticipate labor and employment issues before they escalate, and develop practical business-aligned strategies to support organizational goals. Known for her judgment and calm leadership in sensitive matters, Neha helps organizations resolve disputes efficiently and implement preventative frameworks to that reduce liability.

Neha handles a broad range of labor and employment matters with an emphasis on traditional labor relations, advice and counsel, and workplace investigations. She has a particular fluency in guiding employers to minimize risk through proactive compliance, policy development, and tailored training. She has experience across a wide range of industries, including government, non-profit, education, technology, sports, and entertainment.

Neha has significant first chair experience representing California employers in arbitration, mediation, administrative proceedings, collective bargaining, and negotiations. She has conducted numerous investigations involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, Title IX violations, hostile work environment, collective bargaining agreement violations, and health and safety matters. A frequent presenter and trainer, Neha regularly speaks at conference and seminars on public sector labor law, practice before PERB, harassment prevention, equity and inclusion, and human resources best practices.

Prior to joining Redwood Public Law, Neha was a Senior Labor Relations Manager & Public Employment Relations Board Lead at the California State University, Office of the Chancellor where she served as the lead for unfair practice charge proceedings for a university system comprised of 23 campuses, more than 60,000 employees and 13 bargaining units with a then collective annual compensation cost in excess of $4.2 billion. She served as a law clerk for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California Criminal Division, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, and for eBay France’s intellectual property litigation team.

Neha is deeply committed to public service and community leadership. She served as the inaugural director for the Ms. JD Global Education Fund, advancing access to legal education for marginalized women in Uganda. Most recently she served as the Chair of the South Asian Bar Association of North America’s National Racial Justice Task Force and on the leadership committee for the International Rescue Committee, Los Angeles GenR Chapter. She currently serves on the Executive Committee for the South Asian Bar Association of North America.

  • Confidential Media and Radio Network: Provided strategic collective bargaining support to national radio network between individual member stations and unions, including SAG-AFTRA and CWA.
  • Confidential Non-Profit Organization. Provide full-service in-house labor and employment counsel services for major Bay Area non-profit organization.
  • Confidential Municipal Client. First chaired, and successfully defended, a City Police Department’s decision to terminate a police officer for excessive use of force against an unhoused individual experiencing a mental health crisis. The labor arbitration was a four-day hearing, including extensive review of body worn camera footage along with expert testimony on police officer use of force.*
  • Bear Valley Community Service District. Served as the Lead Negotiator, successfully securing two agreements: a three-year first-time agreement with a new Staff Union and a five-year successor agreement with the Police Union for the Bear Valley Community Services District in Kern County. Also served as Chief Negotiator for meet and confers regarding terms and conditions of employment.*
  • Santa Clara Valley Water District. Investigated allegations of misconduct by elected officials and District executives, including abusive conduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and improper direction to staff. The investigation resulted in dozens of claims and counter claims, which were highly political and subject to intense media coverage.*
  • California State University (CSU). Defended the nation’s largest university system (CSU) against a request for injunctive relief by a staff union regarding COVID-19 related restrictions. Also served as Chief Negotiator for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) CBA with the CSU, and for countless statutorily mandated meet and confer sessions. Served as first chair in labor arbitrations for grievance proceedings on behalf of several CSU campuses.*
  • Confidential Media and Entertainment Client. Investigated claims of sexual harassment at a major Bay Area radio station against radio station executives by celebrity disc jockey.*
  • Confidential Public Utilities Client. First chaired a labor arbitration in which the Union filed a systemwide grievance attempting to change the interpretation of the Employer's Civil Service Rules to create additional rights for employees with respect to hiring processes. The Arbitrator ruled in favor of the Employer noting that the Employer's introduction of evidence of the Union's proposals passed during a parallel collective bargaining process had diminished the Union's credibility with respect to their represented interpretation of both the Civil Service Rules and the CBA.*
  • Confidential Hospital Client. Successfully settled an unfair practice charge against a hospital by a staff union alleging direct dealing and unilateral change regarding a service worker's position, of which had been impacted due to the COVID19 pandemic. Despite the matter being highly contentious, the parties achieved a favorable settlement resulting in a significant cost savings to the client.
  • Serves as a lead independent investigator for multiple public agencies and private employers, including for higher education, entertainment, non-profit, and government agencies.
  • California State University Employees Union, Charging Party, v. Trustees of the California State University (San Marcos) (2020), PERB No. 2738-H
  • Presenter, “DEI Past, Present, and Future: How to Navigate Today's Landscape,” California Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Orange County Conference, September 6, 2025
  • Presenter, “A Comprehensive Discussion on Caste Based Discrimination,” South Asian Bar Association of North America Annual Conference, June 20, 2025
  • Presenter, “Exchange on Equity Roundtable,” San Diego County Bar Association, September 16, 2024
  • Presenter, “The Fight for DEI, Preserving Our Voice,” South Asian Bar Association of North America Conference, July 12, 2024
  • Presenter, “Employment Law Update – Private/Non-Profit Employers,” Meyers Nave webinar, January 12, 2023
  • Presenter, “Employment Law Update – Public Entity Employers,” Meyers Nave webinar, January 11, 2023
  • Quoted, “New Law Brings Calif. Public Sector ULPs Closer to Litigation,” Law 360, November 2, 2022
  • Presenter, “Exploring Employee Rights: The Right to Representation & Protection from Retaliation,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Conference, July 27, 2022
  • Presenter, “What the Heck is An Unfair Practice Charge and Why Should You Care?,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Conference, July 26, 2022
  • Presenter, “Interacting with Staff Councils & Employee Organizations,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Training, February 15, 2022
  • Co-Presenter, “Legal and Legislative Updates,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Conference, July 22, 2021
  • Presenter, “Unfair Practice Charges in the California State University,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Conference, July 2020
  • Co-Presenter, “Unfair Practice Charges and You,” California State University Systemwide Labor Relations Conference, July 2019
  • Co-Presenter, “Performance Management in a Unionized Environment”, San Francisco State University, Executive Training, September 2015


Offices:
300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 430
Oakland, CA 94612

555 Capital Mall, Suite 450
Sacramento, CA  95814

Contact:
(510) 721-3210
info@redwoodpubliclaw.com

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