CLAUDIA LEED

Claudia Leed has been a practicing trial attorney for 20 years. Born in New York City, she attended the University of Massachusetts- Boston and obtained a degree in Community Legal Education Services with honors in 1980. In 1983 Claudia graduated from Northeastern University School of Law and moved out to the Bay Area despite being an avid Red Sox fan.

Claudia represents public entities in police misconduct, civil rights, ADA, dangerous condition of public property, personal injury, construction and employment matters.

Prior to entering private practice, Claudia was a Deputy City Attorney in the Oakland City Attorneys office for more than 12 years. In 2000 she was appointed the General Counsel to the Oakland Police Department and managed the City’s defense of the Riders police misconduct litigation, a consolidated complex civil rights action involving over 130 plaintiffs. Claudia supervised, researched, drafted and negotiated the federally supervised consent decree mandating departmental wide reforms. In 2003 Claudia negotiated the multi-million dollar settlement and secured significant insurance contribution to the settlement. In 2004, Claudia co-presented a well received seminar at the PARMA Annual Statewide Conference, 2004, Topic: “Lessons Learned from the Riders Litigation”

Claudia has tried 10 state and federal trials. These trials include civil rights violations, excess force by police officers, false arrest and personal injury claims. In addition, Claudia has handled 6 state and federal appellate court actions.

Claudia is a member of the State Bar of California; Federal Bar Association; Alameda County Bar Association; Bay Area City Attorneys; PARMA, Los Angeles County Bar Association and is admitted to the United States District Courts, Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Claudia lives in Oakland with her partner and their son Eli. As the mother of a very young child, Claudia looks forward to the day she can once again pull the golf clubs out of the trunk of her car and hit the links.