Department Staff

Patrick Whitnell, General Counsel, (916) 658-8281
 
Patrick Whitnell joined the League in 2005 as Assistant General Counsel, and was named General Counsel in 2007. Prior to joining the League, Patrick was an associate with the law firm of Meyers Nave, working in its Oakland office. He served as City Attorney for the City of San Juan Bautista, and Assistant City Attorney for several cities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Patrick graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in Psychology and Linguistics and received his JD from San Francisco Law School. He also holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
 
Koreen Kelleher, Deputy General Counsel, (916) 658-8266
 
Koreen Kelleher joined the League in 2011. She served as an Assistant and Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Palo Alto early in her career, and later worked as General Counsel for Special Olympics Northern California & Nevada. Koreen earned her JD at UC Hastings College of the Law, having graduated from UC Santa Barbara in Political Science. She staffs the League’s Legal Advocacy Program and provides general assistance to the City Attorneys’ Department and its substantive committees.
 
Janet Leonard, Legal Assistant, (916) 658-8276
 
Janet Leonard joined the League in 2009. She studied Communications at Santa Rosa Junior College and received her Paralegal Studies Certificate from the University of California, Berkeley Extension. She has extensive experience as a Legal Assistant in the practice areas of civil appeals, civil litigation, employment and labor law, bankruptcy, estate planning and family law. She has also served as an executive assistant, office manager and event planner for a large real estate development company.
 
For general information, please email legal@cacities.org.