Darren C. Kameya

Partner | Los Angeles, San Diego, Bakersfield

dkameya@lozanosmith.com
Tel: 213.929.1066
Fax: 213.929.1077
Vcard   | Bio

Overview

Darren C. Kameya is the Assistant Office Managing Partner of Lozano Smith's Los Angeles office. For many years, Mr. Kameya has advised school district clients in both the northern and southern California regions.

Mr. Kameya's legal experience includes labor and employment matters and extends to issues of board governance, public meetings laws, charter schools, facilities use agreements, student rights and discipline, tort liability, insurance coverage issues, public records and privacy rights. Mr. Kameya's background covers other public agencies as well, including cities and special districts. As a litigator, Mr. Kameya has represented clients in federal and state courts, including representation of the City of Carson during trial and on appeal in a published case involving public financing issues. City of Carson v. City of La Mirada (2004) 125 Cal.App.4th 532.

Experience

Mr. Kameya's day-to-day expertise lies in providing counsel to school districts on labor and employment issues. He advises superintendents and their cabinet members regarding individual employee discipline and dismissals, leaves and benefits, compensation, reductions in force and privacy rights. He has represented districts before hearing officers in classified discipline hearings, before commissions on professional competence in teacher discipline hearings, and before arbitrators in contract disputes. Human resource administrators frequently seek Mr. Kameya's assistance when defending against a DFEH Complaint or an EEOC Charge of Discrimination, responding to a contract grievance, or complying with the district's public complaint procedures. Mr. Kameya has negotiated superintendent and cabinet position multi-year contracts and buyouts on behalf of school boards.

Mr. Kameya is also an expert in public sector labor relations. He advises school administrators on handling contract grievances from the Level I response to the Level IV arbitration. Mr. Kameya is called upon to advise districts regarding the EERA and alleged unfair labor practice charges, and has successfully defended against union charges before PERB. Mr. Kameya sits at the negotiating table as the chief negotiator for some clients and provides advice during collective bargaining for other districts. Mr. Kameya has also served as lead attorney regarding management, certificated and classified employee layoffs.

Presenter Experience

Mr. Kameya has lectured at educational conferences and other gatherings, including California School Boards Association (CSBA), Community College League of California (CCLC), Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California Latino School Board Members Association (CLSBA), School Employers Association of California (SEAC), Leadership Association for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) and the Center for Collaborative Solutions (CCS).

Education

Mr. Kameya earned a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA and his J.D. from Fordham Law School. During a visiting year, Mr. Kameya served as a Senior Articles Editor for the UC Davis Journal of International Law and Policy.

Professional Affiliations

Mr. Kameya serves as a pro bono arbitrator and mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and volunteers for UCLA in various capacities. Mr. Kameya is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, is a licensed California Real Estate Broker, and is a member of the California Association of Workplace Investigators.

Life with Janus

By: Louis LozanoDarren Kameya-

Labor and employment specialists Lou Lozano and Darren Kameya join Devon Lincoln for a discussion of the unique challenges arising at the public employee union bargaining table in 2019. The conversation covers the fallout from the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, the implications of the LAUSD strike and other labor actions, and how public agencies can attempt to navigate in these complicated times.

Lozano Smith is pleased to provide public agencies with an in-depth Janus Toolkit including important background information, answers to frequently asked questions, an implementation checklist, templates for communication, and more. Download the toolkit at: www.lozanosmith.com/janustoolkit.