Andrew Shen

ABOUT

Andrew Shen joined RPLG as Senior Counsel in September 2022, after 15 years of experience in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. At the City Attorney’s Office, he provided a wide 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, ethics and conflicts of interest, election law, public meeting and records compliance and constitutional law. He also served as a member of the 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 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 city 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.

Before joining the City Attorney’s Office, Andrew was a litigation associate at Keker & Van Nest LLP and a law clerk to the Hon. William J. Rea, Senior District Court Judge for the Central District of California.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

City of Belvedere, City Attorney
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

“Who Does What and Why: Establishing Good Governance,” – California Special Districts Association Annual Conference, 2024
“Getting Started with CEQA,” – California Special Districts Association Annual Conference, 2024
“AB 1234 Ethics Training,” – League of California Cities Annual Meeting, 2024
“Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws (AB 1234 Training),” New Mayors and Council Members Academy, Institute for Local Government, 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))