Elizabeth A. Mitchell

Elizabeth A. Mitchell

Elizabeth Mitchell handles all legal issues confronted by local agencies and special districts from advice regarding board and legislative actions, administrative policy implementation, open meetings, election laws and effective government to claims avoidance, mitigation and processing, negotiations, advisory and transactional law, labor and employment law, water law, public contracts, insurance, liability issues, real estate, leases, easements and development agreements, low income housing projects, civil rights, regulatory compliance, code enforcement, public works, infrastructure and rate setting.  Admitted to the California State Bar in 1999, Elizabeth utilizes her extensive background as a trial attorney in civil litigation and business transactions to help public agencies, municipalities, special districts, joint power authorities, non-profits and businesses avoid potential future legal problems before they arise. She has been focusing on public interest law since 2015, but also has a corporate and transactional practice.

Before joining the firm, Elizabeth was a partner in the litigation department of one of San Diego’s premiere mid-size business defense firms. Her sophisticated trial practice included international and multi-district civil litigation in state and federal court, unfair competition and trade secret cases, intellectual property, creditors’ rights, environmental causes, large corporate bankruptcies and American with Disabilities Act claims, among others. She also has experience with all aspects of transactional and corporate advice, contracts, negotiations, compliance and strategic planning, leases, franchises, acquisitions and other complex corporate work.  Elizabeth also spent time at a boutique plaintiff’s class action firm pursuing high profile public interest cases including privacy and constitutional rights, labor and employment law, health care and technology, false advertising and the Lanham Act. Before law school, she served as a legislative intern for the majority chairman of the House of Representative’s Education Committee.

Elizabeth is now the City Attorney for the City of San Clemente, General Counsel for Vista Irrigation District, the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Solana Beach, the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Coronado, Assistant General Counsel for Clean Energy Alliance, and the Assistant General Counsel for SBCS Corporation, putting her diverse background to work for local government, special districts, non-profits and businesses throughout California.

  • J.D., magna cum laude, University of San Diego School of Law, 1999
  • B.A., summa cum laude, Boston University, 1996
  • State Bar of California
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • City Attorneys Association of San Diego
  • California Special Districts Association
  • San Diego County Bar Association
  • Lawyers Club of San Diego