Celesq® Presenters

Shannon Smyth-Mendoza has been practicing law in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties for almost 24 years.  She joined the Office of the General Counsel for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) as Senior Assistant Counsel in March 2019 and handles transactional and litigation matters. Shannon worked in the Office of the Santa Clara County Counsel, building their Code Enforcement Section for almost 3 years, and spent the majority of her career in the City Attorney’s Office for the City of San Jose.  She handled affirmative litigation and defended personal injury, dangerous condition of public property, labor and employment, civil rights, and other constitutional law cases against the City for 15 years in federal and state court.  As lead counsel, she tried dozens of jury, court, and administrative matters.  Early in her career, Shannon spent four years with the Office of the San Mateo County District Attorney, Family Support Division, where she prosecuted child-support and paternity actions.  Shannon has briefed and argued before both the Ninth Circuit and Sixth District Court of Appeal.  Since 2020, Professor Smyth-Mendoza has taught torts to first year law students.