Diana Maier

foundING PARTNER AND CO-OWNER

In 2022, Diana was named as a Northern California “Super Lawyer,” for employment law and mediation, an honor reserved for only 5% of attorneys in Northern California who exhibit excellence in practice.

Diana is a skilled mediator and a recognized expert in employment law, investigations (which she conducts in both Spanish and English), and executive coaching and training. Diana’s investigation practice includes both workplace and educational institution (Title IX) investigations. She holds a certificate from the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI-CH), meaning that Diana has completed AWI’s comprehensive training in workplace investigations and passed an oral and written test that AWI administers at the end of its course.

Diana has received mediation training from The Center for Understanding In Conflict, and was also trained by, and serves as an empaneled mediator for, The Northern District Court of California. In addition, she mediates privately and as a member of the Contra Costa County Superior Court, the San Mateo County Bar Association, the County of Alameda Day of Court Program, the Central District Court of California, and the Riverside Superior Court.

Diana completed over 100 hours of coursework in coaching fundamentals at the Coaches Training Institute, the most rigorous professional coach training and certification program in the industry. She currently coaches executives in how to improve their professional image (particularly after being accused of harassment or discrimination), efficacy as a leader, and overall workplace success.

Diana enjoys an outstanding reputation in both the legal and non-legal communities as an effective advocate and strategist due to her unique background. Before attending Stanford Law School, Diana worked as a lobbyist and foreign policy adviser on Capitol Hill. There, Diana learned about the legal process at its inception, the legislation drafting stage. As a foreign policy aide to Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), and as a legislative aide and lobbyist at a policy lobbying organization, Diana learned the value of great customer service and the art of speaking about the law to constituents in plain terms instead of legalese.
 
After law school, Diana became a public defender. She was lauded for her trial successes, which were exceptionally above county acquittal rates in both felony and misdemeanor court. To this day, Diana’s ease in the courtroom when stakes are high allows her to feel confident about trying a case when an effective compromise can’t be reached. Diana is also recognized for her ability to achieve great results with a limited budget.  
 
Diana’s passion is helping other lawyers find meaning in their work by practicing mindful lawyering and carrying their deeply held personal values to their professional life. To this end, she, her staff, and an incredible team of volunteer lawyers created the hugely successful Joy in the Law® conferences in September 2016 and September 2018.

Listen to Diana speak on Hustle & Flow, The Happy Lawyer Project, and The Wealthy Woman Lawyer podcasts about nurturing joy in the legal profession. Read her Profile of Joy here. See her speak to NBC news about AB 5, a law codifying the distinction between contractors and employees.

Diana was named Solo & Small Firm Attorney of the Month by the California Lawyers Association in September 2021. Diana is involved in her community: she serves on the Strategy Council for OneJustice, a groundbreaking legal non-profit, is an active member of Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention group, and most recently worked with buildOn to raise the money for and build a school in a very remote part of Nicaragua. In her spare time, Diana teaches spinning classes, and enjoys running around Marin with her son and daughter and incredibly tolerant husband, Ethan.