Human-Centered Law for Healthy Organizations

Advice &
Counsel

Helping you use the law to your benefit and avoid legal pitfalls.

Mediation &
Conflict Resolution

Pre-litigation services for organizations and private clients.

Independent
Investigations

Impartial investigations in the workplace and school settings.

Explore Our Approach

  • We offer a suite of highly tailored and dynamic concierge legal, investigative, and expert services to educational institutions, public entities, non-profits, corporations, and other organizations. We also provide mediation and conflict resolution services to private parties.

  • We take a human-centered approach to legal advice; getting a grasp on the personal and commercial interests of our client is as important as mastery of the relevant law. We believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that empathy and an understanding of interpersonal dynamics play a central role in serving as a legal advisor.

    Ultimately, instead of just asking what went wrong, we look at what’s happening now and focus on creating healthy systems together for the future.

  • We serve organizational leaders in need of advice on discrete issues as well as on fundamental systems and practices. We also serve private and public organizations who want an impartial investigator to look into complaints or concerns, with particular expertise in local government agencies and authorities. And we serve organizations and individuals as a mediator or facilitator of interpersonal conflict resolution.

  • Our vision is to foster workplaces and school places with strong, legally compliant operational practices, and a culture of open, empathic communication. We strive to co-create these safe, supportive, and high-performing environments through legal advice, investigations, and conflict resolution.

Meet Ilana Parmer Mandelbaum

Background

After a decade of practicing law in both the private and public sectors, Ilana identified her true passion: developing an intensive understanding of the personality and business of a client and helping them establish and maintain workplace practices that are both legally smart and empathic. She has developed particular expertise advising Human Resources departments, where she aims to identify and analyze potential problems before they develop. Ilana has extensive experience in the public sector. Most recently, she spent several years as a Deputy County Attorney for the San Mateo County Attorney’s Office, where she served as general counsel for seven of the County’s school districts. In that role, she advised governing boards and district leadership across all organizational departments, including on personnel matters, student services matters, organized labor, business and contracting, construction, the Brown Act, and the California Public Records Act, among other topics. Ilana also represented County departments in state and federal litigation and served as regulatory counsel for a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program focused on clean energy.

Prior to joining County government, Ilana was a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she made recommendations to Ninth Circuit judges on the disposition of substantive legal motions spanning all areas of the law. She also served as a Special Deputy Attorney General with then California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ Executive Office, where she helped develop an inter-governmental data-sharing program to inform criminal justice policy-making.  

Ilana began her legal career in the private sector. She developed sharp contracting, negotiation, and deal-making skills working on complex financing transactions, mergers & acquisitions, and general corporate transactions at two of the top law firms in the country.

Certifications and Memberships

A natural peacemaker, Ilana is certified as a mediation practitioner by the UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings). She is also an active member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI). Ilana serves on the board of the Women Lawyers’ Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association.

Education and License

Ilana holds a JD from New York University and a BA in Psychology & Community Health from Tufts University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She is admitted to both the California and New York State Bars.

  • My trust and confidence in Ilana knows no bounds. She offers counsel that not only reflects a deep understanding of the law, but that sees the law through the core values and culture of our organization.

    Erik Burmeister, former Superintendent
    Menlo Park City School District

  • Ilana is a trustworthy thought partner. She is very approachable and helps navigate through thorny issues with tact and grace... leaving all parties feeling heard and with a common understanding. She understands that human dynamics and personalities play into the larger picture.

    Julie Eastburn, Director, HR & Administrative Services
    Belmont-Redwood Shores School District