City of Oakland

NEWS from

City Attorney's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Karen Boyd, Communications Director

August 1, 2001 (510) 238-3148

CITY ATTORNEY RUSSO BOLSTERS IN-HOUSE LITIGATION TEAM

Oakland, CA – Furthering his commitment to enhance existing capacity in the City Attorney’s Office, City Attorney John Russo announced the addition of two top-notch attorneys to the Office’s exceptional litigation team: Ms. Arlene Rosen and Mr. James Hodgkins.

Arlene Rosen brings 20 years’ experience in handling complex civil litigation cases, including toxic tort and medical malpractice defense. She comes to the Oakland City Attorney’s Office from Hassard Bonnington LLP, where she was a senior associate for the last nine years. Ms. Rosen obtained her law degree from University of San Francisco. She has taught trial and deposition skills for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the USF Intensive Advocacy program since 1996. “I have long wanted to work in the public sector, “ Ms. Rosen said, “and I am especially excited about working in and for the city I call home. The level of professionalism here is a great asset to the City of Oakland.”

James Hodgkins has over 12 years of experience in employment litigation, with substantial expertise in governmental entity litigation, especially civil rights cases. Mr. Hodgkins has practiced law for two Oakland law firms: Burnham & Brown and Rankin, Sproat, Mires & Trapani. He obtained his law degree from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Mr. Hodgkins commented that “Joining the Oakland City Attorney’s Office affords me the unique opportunity to blend two passions of mine: government and the law. As outside counsel, I have worked on behalf of the City of Oakland for many years. I enjoy working with the people in this office and look forward to a rewarding experience joining this fine litigation team.”

City Attorney John Russo announced, “I am delighted that Arlene Rosen and James Hodgkins will add their skill and expertise to our litigation team. They have both proven themselves in the courtroom as aggressive, highly competent, ethical and winning defense attorneys with experience in complex litigation matters. Hiring Arlene and James allows us to reduce reliance on outside legal counsel and strengthen our in-house capabilities.”

Ms. Rosen and Mr. Hodgkins join Ms. Rachel Wagner as the newest additions to the litigation team. Ms. Wagner has 15 years’ experience on complex civil litigation and commercial disputes. She was a litigation partner at Sideman & Bancroft LLP in San Francisco before joining the City Attorney’s Office. She obtained her law degree from Columbia University in New York, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar, and subsequently served as a law clerk to The Honorable Thomas Penfield Jackson in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She said, “I joined the City Attorney’s Office as a senior litigator because the opportunity represented an unusual merge of public service values with the quality of private practice, and the timely opportunity of joining the enhanced in-house litigation team being assembled by John Russo.”

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