NOVEMBER 5, 2025

Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal. ©2025 Daily Journal Corporation. All rights reserved.

 Up until 2017, Jennifer B. Shaw’s legal career had long been centered on civil litigation defense. Then came a major transformation, as she rebooted her small boutique into the newly named Shaw Law Group PC, a nine-attorney woman-owned practice with herself as president that specializes exclusively in guiding business clients through the management of workplace advice, training, and investigations.

“I didn’t want to fight any more,” said Shaw, a summa cum laude graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law. She describes her revised approach as a bold mission: to help employers build compliant, engaged and drama-free workplaces. “We work hard to keep people out of trouble and out of court.”

After law school, Shaw worked for big firms. “But I didn’t want to be a cog in anyone’s wheel,” she said. She and D. Gregory Valenza opened their own litigation firm together in 2006, establishing a strong reputation that brought Shaw a prominent major client when she opened Shaw Law Group — the state Assembly, which hired her to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct claims by women in the Capitol.

The assignment brought her new firm to public attention when some questioned her impartiality, and she went on the record explaining Shaw Law Group’s guidelines to avoid conflicts. “We’ve never done litigation for any of the entities for which we have done investigations,” she said at an Assembly committee hearing on harassment. “We have never represented the Senate or Assembly in any litigation.”

Shaw further explained that her work often involves delivering bad news to employers, such as notifying those who hired her that allegations against a manager are likely true.

Her reputation for impartiality and fairness led to much further work. From public agencies to private corporations, organizations of all sizes have relied on Shaw Law Group’s advice to navigate the full spectrum of workplace issues — whether it’s managing accommodations, wage-hour compliance, leave policies, discipline or layoffs, the firm’s practical, pro-active counsel has helped clients avoid costly legal missteps and preserve workplace harmony, Shaw said.

Her website displays the logos of scores of clients, from law firms, county governments, the State Bar, and the state Public Utilities Commission to restaurants, construction companies, hotels, and fitness centers.

“We’re not your typical law firm. We’re relationship-driven, business-savvy and relentlessly practical,” Shaw said.

Shaw Law Group’s investigations practice is today led by Brooke A. Kozak, who formerly worked as a human resources planner for a major medical association and as an administrator and manager at the Judicial Council.

“I’ve been a career shifter,” Kozak said. At a previous HR job, she hired Shaw to do some training and advising for her workforce. “Then I saw that Jen was hiring, and I decided I’d like to come aboard.”

Among the firm’s major investigations was an assignment from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which retained Shaw Law Group in 2020 when several employees made harassment claims. The big utility’s general manager said he hoped Shaw’s 67-page review would be “the beginning of the healing process.”

Today, “our investigations practice hasn’t tapered off,” Shaw said. She estimates her firm devotes about 40% of its time to investigations, 40% to advice and counseling, and 20% to training.

“Now, we’re developing a mediation practice to resolve conflicts after we conclude an investigation,” Shaw said.