Catherine J. Groves

Catherine serves as outside general counsel to numerous local government agencies and advises on a wide variety of legal issues. Her clients include transit districts, water districts, fire district, cities, counties, and other special districts. Catherine has particular enthusiasm for, and expertise in, the evolving legal landscape of data security and privacy laws.

Catherine's areas of expertise within the public agency realm are expansive. She advises clients on government ethics, governance laws, legislation, and constitutional issues. She also drafts, reviews, negotiates, and analyzes a wide variety of contracts in a team effort with procurement staff, project managers, and upper management, including agreements for technology, inbound licensing, software as a service (SaaS), professional services, goods, real estate, public works/construction, design-build and alternative project delivery, intergovernmental collaboration, and funding/grants. In addition, Catherine counsels clients regarding privacy policies, end-user license agreements, website terms and conditions, data breach response, and privacy issues in technology agreements. Catherine frequently advises and trains clients on compliance with the Brown Act, Public Records Act, election laws, and conflict of interest laws and regulations.

Catherine is passionate about providing pro bono assistance to various organizations and serves as a member of the firm's Pro Bono Committee.