People

Emily Prescott

Senior Labor Counsel

t: 415.678.3815
f: 415.678.3838
eprescott@publiclawgroup.com

Experience

Ms. Prescott practices labor and employment law on behalf of public sector employers. Her practice focuses on traditional labor relations, including collective bargaining, preventative counseling, and unfair labor practice charges. Ms. Prescott assists senior policy makers and elected officials in developing collective bargaining strategies and has successfully negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements on behalf of cities, counties, and a community college district in both traditional and interest-based negotiating environments.

Related Experience

Ms. Prescott is a former labor arbitrator, hearing officer, and panel member of the California State Mediation and Conciliation Services. She also previously served as a chief negotiator and labor relations representative for the City and County of San Francisco and organized and facilitated a pre-bargaining management retreat to develop bargaining policies for negotiations with 50 labor unions. Her prior experience also includes being a litigator in private practice specializing in employment discrimination. She started her career as an attorney with the Oakland City Attorney’s office.

Community Activities

Pro Bono Arbitrator, San Francisco Homeless Shelter Arbitration Project

Speaking Engagements

• Accommodating Religion in the Workplace
• The Labor Code and Public Sector Employment: “That Doesn’t Apply to Us, Does it?”
• State Wage and Hour Law in the Public Sector
• Jerks at Work: Practical Tips for Dealing With Workplace Bullies
• Labor Relations Training
• How to Resolve Workplace Grievances

Publications

Mandatory Fact-Finding Under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, California Labor & Employment Law Review, Vol. 26, No. 1 (January 2012)

Co-author of a chapter on wage and hour law in the public sector for a new treatise published by LexisNexis, California Public Sector Employment Law (2011)

When Firmly Held Religious Beliefs Conflict With the Right to Wedded Bliss (co-author with Allyson Hauck and Dana Barton), California Public Employee Relations Journal, Issue 191 (August 2008)

How Those Jerks at Work Create Liability Problems for Employers (co-author with Genevieve Ng), California Labor & Employment Law Review, Vol. 22, No. 3 (May 2008)

Claremont Police Officers Association v. City of Claremont: The California Supreme Court Reaffirms the Existence of Management Rights (co-author with Charles Sakai), California Labor & Employment Law Review, Vol. 21, No. 2 (March 2007)

Other

State Bar of California, California Labor & Employment Law Review – Editorial Board Member; Co-editor-in-chief (2007-2009)

State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee – Advisor

• Member, Executive Committee (2006-2009)