Ms. Koo currently serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Gateway Cities Counsel of Governments. She also serves as Deputy City Attorney for the cities of Gardena, West Covina, Placentia, Costa Mesa, Encinitas, La Verne, Westminster, and Fullerton. Before joining Jones Mayer, Ms. Koo served as a Senior Deputy City Attorney City of Riverside City Attorney’s Office and Deputy City Attorney at the City of Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Before working in-house with local government, she was service the publiv as an Associate at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith LLP defending local government and public agencies in a wide variety of matters, including litigation, writs, and appeals.
Her primary practice areas are municipal law and transactional matters. Ms. Koo works closely with elected and appointed officials and staff to advise in all areas of municipal law including procurement, contracting, police and fire department matters (including WIC 5150 & 8102 weapons forfeiture matters, bloodborne pathogens, asset fordeiture proceedings), prosecuting municipal code violations and code enforcement matters, regulatory programs (including cannabis and short term rentals), cybersecurity, breach response, service mark registrations, license agreements, First Amendment and social media and campaign issues. She provides advice and training on the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and conflicts of interest. Ms. Koo has advised on and drafted numerous departmental policies and forms (including Police, Fire, IT, HR, and records retention policies), notices of publication, has drafted numerous resolutions and ordinances (including fee resolutions, appropriations limit (Gann) resolutions, and budget resolutions) and assisted in bond issuances
and TEFRA hearings.
Ms. Koo has advised City Council Subcommittees (Public Safety, Finance, and Community and Economic Development) over the years. She has also advised the HR department on hiring CalPERS retired annuitants for part time work. In addition to City Council and their subcommittees, Ms. Koo has also worked with numerous boards and commissions, (including Planning Commissions, Community Police Review Commission, Budget Engagement Comission, Human Resources Review Board, Library Board of Trustees, and the Museum Board).
Ms. Koo has assisted multiple cities in drafting and reviewing affordable housing and development agreements and related documents for grant-funded Housing Authority projects, Office of Homeless Solutions, the Community and Economic Development Departments on CDBG, HUD and HOPWA matters.
Ms. Koo has dedicated her entire legal career to the representation of counties, cities, districts, public universities, and other public entities in a wide variety of municipal law, transactional matters, and litigation.
Ms. Koo has expertise in technology licenses, cybersecurity and breach response, service mark registrations and license agreements, First Amendment and social media issues, drafting and reviewing contracts, public safety and law enforcement matters, business tax, short-term rentals, and TOT, community facilities districts, business improvement districts, TEFRA hearings, weapons forfeiture matters, government claims review, and DUI cost recovery. She is experienced in drafting a variety of ordinances and resolutions, and provides advice and training on the Brown Act, the Public Records Act (including digitization of documents and streamlining records production), and conflicts of interest. Ms. Koo also has prior experience in parking appeals, code enforcement and livability issues, receiverships, massage parlor regulation, noise ordinances, and unlawful detainers. She currently has a growing passion for land use, CEQA, and planning law.
Ms. Koo brings a collaborative approach and has worked closely with City Managers, City Council Members, Mayors, City Clerks, as well as many directors and staff of the Police, Fire, IT, Finance (including Business Tax, TOT, Debt, Risk), Parks, Recreation & Community Services, Public Works (including Parking Division), Human Resources, Community and Economic (including Code Enforcement Division), and General Services Departments, Communications (including marketing and broadcasting), the Library, and Museum departments, and the Housing Authority. In addition to municipal advisory and transactional matters, she has handled criminal and administrative matters on behalf of local government entities. Ms. Koo has also advised the City Council Subcommittees (Public Safety, Finance, and Community and Economic Development), as well as advisory boards and commissions, such as the Community Police Review Commission, Human Resources Board, the Library Board of Trustees, and the Museum Board, to name a few.
Prior to joining Jones Mayer, Ms. Koo has worked at the City of Riverside City Attorney’s Office where she gained her municipal expertise, the City of Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP where she represented several public agencies in all phases of litigation, including several appeals, in civil rights actions and general liability litigation before state and federal courts.
Ms. Koo is a member of the California State Bar and is admitted to practice before all State of California courts, the United States District Court in the Central and Southern Districts of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Koo served as President of the Asian Pacific American Lawyers of the Inland Empire from 2016-2017 after being a charter member for several years. She has also been a member of several local bar associations throughout her legal career.
Ms. Koo received her JD on a full scholarship from the University of La Verne College of Law. While in law school, she received the Student Bar Association’s Appellate Advocacy Award for best oral argument, as well as the Am. Jur. and Cali Excellence Award in Appellate Advocacy. Ms. Koo also received the Delta Theta Phi Leadership and Community Service Award and the Pro Bono Award for community service. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University upon completing triple majors in biology, psychology, and communications.
As she has throughout her life, she continues to mentor K-12 students and shares her experience to help disadvantaged students find opportunities for higher education and scholarships.
