Attorneys

Shirley A. Lee

Shirley A. Lee established the law firm with Tamra Smith in 2018. Prior to establishing the law firm, Ms. Lee served as Assistant General Counsel at SEIU Local 721 and worked in various labor and employment law offices in Northern and Southern California representing unions and employees.

Ms. Lee has extensive experience representing labor unions and employees in the public and private sectors. Ms. Lee’s practice also includes litigation in federal and state courts, advocacy in arbitrations and before administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Public Employee Relations Board. In addition, Ms. Lee negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of unions, and provides counsel and advice regarding a variety of federal and state workplace issues, including sexual harassment, pay equity, FMLA, and discrimination laws.

Ms. Lee graduated cum laude with a political science degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1994, and received her juris doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1999.

Tamra M. Smith

Before founding Egality Law in 2018, Tamra M. Smith practiced for 15 years with labor law firm Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers LLP, where she was a partner. Ms. Smith has extensive experience representing employees, particularly public employees and teachers, in employment disputes and licensing matters.  

Before going into private practice, Ms. Smith clerked for Judge Robert Boochever of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Napoleon A. Jones of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of California, Berkeley.