SACRAMENTO, Calif. – January 4, 2021 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Karen Tynan, shareholder in the firm’s Sacramento office, has been appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun (the BOPC).
The BOPC is the oversight body that licenses and regulates maritime pilots who make up the San Francisco Bar Pilots. As a member of the board, Karen’s responsibilities include training, licensing, incident investigation, and determining rates. The BOPC has been in continuous existence since 1850, making it the oldest Commission in California. Karen was appointed to a four-year term that began on January 1, 2021.
Karen possesses a depth of maritime experience, which allows her to bring a “real world” approach to working with management in her practice at Ogletree Deakins. Earlier in her career, Karen graduated with honors from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. She then worked for Chevron Shipping Company for 10 years–sailing as a ship’s officer on oil tankers and rising to the rank of Chief Officer with her Unlimited Master’s License as well as San Francisco Bay pilotage endorsement. She was the highest ranking woman in the Chevron fleet when she departed for law school.
As shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, Karen focuses her practice on defending employers in the workplace safety arena (Cal/OSHA) and defending sexual harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits for California employers including construction companies, transportation companies, wineries, and media companies. Karen’s practice also includes blood-borne pathogen regulatory compliance related to the Cal/OSHA standard for hospitals, nursing homes, and general industry.
Karen is an active community leader in Northern California, taking leadership positions in a number of school boards and community organizations, including libraries and professional organizations. She is the founding counsel for the Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing, which brought equality to women’s surfing by working closely with the leading big-wave women athletes and the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission from 2016 through 2018. Karen earned her J.D., cum laude, Empire College School of Law.
About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 10 consecutive years. In 2021, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor & Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 900 attorneys located in 53 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletree.com