Andrew Shen

ABOUT

Andrew Shen joined RPLG in September 2022, after 15 years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. At RPLG, Andrew focuses on providing cost-effective and efficient legal advice in response to his clients’ needs.

Andrew’s current clients include cities and special districts located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As the City Attorney, General Counsel, or Legal Counsel for these agencies, Andrew addresses the wide range of questions and issues facing local agencies in California. Andrew also advises non-profit organizations that work closely with local governments.

At the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, he provided a range of general government advice, with special expertise in ethics and elections. When he departed the City Attorney’s Office, Andrew served as the Team Leader for the City Attorney’s Office’s Ethics and Elections Team.

Andrew’s practice includes general government advice, land use and housing, ethics and conflicts of interest, election law, public meeting and records compliance, and constitutional law. He previously served as a member of the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office’s Land Use Team, with a background in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Subdivision Map Act. In the land use arena, Andrew worked with the San Francisco Planning Department and the Department of Public Works on project approvals and public infrastructure.

Andrew also provides expertise on legal ethics and served as a member of the California State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct in 2011-13.

At the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Andrew routinely advised the Mayor’s Office, Board of Supervisors, commissioners, department heads and other City staff on legislation, conflicts of interest, election law, and ethics compliance. He staffed public meetings of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Board of Supervisors committees, and commissions, working closely with clerks and commission secretaries. During his time in the City Attorney’s Office, Andrew’s primary clients included the Ethics Commission, Department of Elections, Elections Commission, Ballot Simplification Committee, and Redistricting Task Force. Andrew also served on the City Attorney’s Office’s Racial Equity Task Force from 2020 to 2022.

After graduating from UC Berkeley Law, Andrew served as a law clerk to the Hon. William J. Rea, Senior District Court Judge for the Central District of California. Upon completing his clerkship, Andrew was a litigation associate at Keker & Van Nest LLP before joining the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

City of Belvedere, City Attorney
City of Tracy, Interim City Attorney (January – July 2025)
Greater Vallejo Recreation District, District Counsel
Cities Association of Santa Clara County, Co-General Counsel
Livermore Area Recreation & Park District, District Counsel

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

“The Latest in Legal Ethics for Municipal Lawyers,” League of California Cities, City Attorneys Spring Conference, May 2025
“Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws (AB 1234 Training),” New Mayors and Council Members Academy, Institute for Local Government, January 2025
“New Law and Election Update,” League of California Cities, City Clerks Conference, December 2024
“AB 1234 Ethics Training,” League of California Cities Annual Meeting, October 2024
“Who Does What and Why: Establishing Good Governance,” California Special Districts Association Annual Conference, September 2024
“Getting Started with CEQA,” California Special Districts Association Annual Conference, September 2024“Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws (AB 1234 Training),” New Mayors and Council Members Academy, Institute for Local Government, January 2023

PRESS & AWARDS

International Municipal Lawyers Association, Amicus Service Award (for amicus brief filed in Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett, 564 U.S. 721 (2011))