Jacquelyn D. Ruffin

Jacquelyn Ruffin concentrates her practice in the areas of education law, real estate matters and business transactions. She serves as general counsel to two local school districts and special counsel to other public entities, such as joint powers agencies and healthcare districts. She regularly authors requests for proposals/bids for transportation services, grocery bids, construction and other business matters; assists in the negotiation, drafting, and execution of contracts, including purchase and sale agreements, leases, consultant contracts and development agreements; and prepares requisite statutory notices. Ms. Ruffin also advises public entity clients in matters related to the Brown Act, Public Records Act, the Political Reform Act and other laws pertaining to conflicts of interest, and statements of investment policy.​

She has also represented school districts in numerous real estate transactions (both acquisition and disposition) varying in value from approximately $500,000 to $14 million. In this capacity, Ms. Ruffin assists the districts in complying with surplus property laws, public bidding processes, and state and local land use laws. Previously, she helped with the oversight of expenditures from a $38,500,000.00 general obligation bond, including projects related to the acquisition of real property, construction of new buildings, and renovation of existing buildings.

Ms. Ruffin advises private clients, including nonprofit and for-profit businesses, in numerous transactional matters. Representative matters include forming, merging and dissolving corporations, partnerships and LLCs; guiding nonprofit clients through the tax-exempt application process; drafting bylaws, operating agreements, shareholder agreements and other governing documents; educating board members about their responsibilities; negotiating and writing third-party contracts; preparing deeds, easements and other real estate documents; and assisting clients with land use matters.

Prior to law school, she gained over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, including working with schools and youth programs in the Bay Area; serving with the AmeriCorps national service program in the Bay Area; working with the United Nations Development Fund for Women in West Africa and The Hague, Netherlands; and serving as a regional board member with Just Communities Central Coast, where received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her community service work.​

Ms. Ruffin became a Partner in 2018.