Grace is a highly experienced education and employment attorney with a distinguished practice focused on private schools and nonprofit organizations throughout California. With deep expertise in education law, employment law, risk management, and nonprofit governance, Grace is widely recognized as a trusted legal and strategic advisor to boards of trustees, heads of school, business officers, and human resources leaders. She is known for her ability to balance legal compliance with practical solutions that advance each client’s mission and operational goals.
Grace has guided schools and nonprofits through the full spectrum of employment law matters. Her practice includes guiding organizations through high-stakes and complex issues such as harassment, discrimination, retaliation, disability accommodations, wage and hour compliance, and employee discipline matters, as well as drafting and negotiating executive and employment agreements, and developing employee handbooks and workplace policies. Her proactive, preventive approach helps clients mitigate risk while fostering positive and legally compliant workplace cultures.
Grace is also a trusted advisor on all aspects of student and parent issues facing California independent and private schools. She regularly advises on enrollment agreements and student handbooks, student discipline, harassment and bullying concerns, disability accommodations, tuition disputes, privacy obligations, mandated reporting, and other sensitive matters that carry both legal and reputational risk. She brings particular expertise in guiding schools on legal considerations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and helping clients pursue meaningful progress while reducing exposure.
In addition, Grace has extensive experience in nonprofit governance. She advises boards and leadership teams on governance structures, fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, and board operations, and she regularly prepares foundational governance documents, including bylaws, articles of incorporation, and board policies. Her nuanced understanding of governance allows her to support boards in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities effectively and ethically.
A sought-after speaker and trainer, Grace frequently presents at local, regional, and national conferences on cutting-edge topics in education, employment, and nonprofit law. Her presentations, spanning areas such as crisis management, internal investigations, professional boundaries, harassment prevention, DEI initiatives, wage and hour compliance, and disability and leave issues, are valued for their clarity, practical application, and depth of expertise. She is widely regarded for her ability to distill complex legal requirements into practical and actionable guidance that resonates with school leaders and boards.
