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Zaneta
Seidel

Partner

T. 510.255.1207

Growing up as the daughter of immigrants in the Bay Area, a mecca of multiculturalism, Zaneta learned early on how to navigate and appreciate the differences in people’s backgrounds, identities and experiences. She brings this conscientiousness to her work, to help others resolve conflict and bridge gaps in their interactions with and understanding of each other.

Zaneta believes we cannot fix what we do not face. She takes pride in doing investigations and conflict resolution trainings. She sees this work as an integral part in helping people have hard conversations, reach uncomfortable self-realizations, show empathy and take accountability for their impact on others — work we should all do individually and as a society to bring about change.

Experience

Zaneta has conducted more than 100 investigations involving allegations of discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation and religion as well as allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, retaliation, bullying and other misconduct. More than 40 of her investigations have included allegations reported against high-level executives and elected officials.

Zaneta has also conducted climate assessments and served as an ombudsman to help organizations understand and address workplace concerns of their employees. Zaneta also provides conflict resolution services, such as mediation, post-investigation strategies and recommendations, as well as Conflict Resolution and Effective Communication trainings, to help repair working relationships and enhance workplace culture. Finally, Zaneta also speaks about race and cultural competency in workplace investigations, to promote equitable and conscientious investigative practices.

In law school, Zaneta served on the Columbia Human Rights Law Review and interned with UNHCR in Geneva, Switzerland. Before becoming an attorney investigator, she practiced business litigation for eight years, first with Baker & McKenzie’s New York Office and then with Bartko Zankel Bunzel & Miller after she returned to the Bay Area.

Outside the Office

To relax and recenter, Zaneta enjoys road trips along the California coast with her husband, daughter and dog, exploring beaches, eating fresh seafood and catching golden sunsets. Zaneta and her husband love traveling to crystal clear blue waters, from Big Sur to June Lake, El Nido, Philippines to Kefalonia, Greece. Zaneta hopes their daughter develops a similar love for travel, at home and abroad.

 

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin

 

Related Events

Cultural Competence in Investigations | AWI 2023 Annual Conference - October 5-6, 2023
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Internal Investigations of Employee Complaints and Misconduct: Mitigating Risks of Expanded Whistleblower Laws | Strafford - January 12, 2022
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CALPELRA’s 2021 Annual Training Conference | CALPELRA - November 16 - 19, 2021
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Chicagoland Title IX Consortium | Chicagoland Title IX Consortium - February 12, 2021
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CALPELRA 2020 Virtual Conference | CALPELRA - November 16 - 20, 2020
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Association of Workplace Investigators 2020 Virtual Conference | Association of Workplace Investigators - November 5 - 6, 2020
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Mediating Across Differences | Association of for California Governmental Human Resources Professionals (CalGovHR) - March 8, 2023
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Supporting Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) and the Fight for Women’s Equality | Equal Rights Advocates - June 14, 2017
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Beyond Investigations: Repairing and Enhancing Workplace Culture With Conflict Resolution Tools | CALPELRA - November 14 - 17, 2023
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Archived Events

  • “Addressing the Elephant in the Room: The Impact of Race in Investigations,” AWI, co-presenter, September 26, 2019 & September 24, 2020
  • “Mitigating Implicit Racial Bias during Internal Investigations,” AFL-CIO Lawyers’ Coordinating Committee, co-presenter, August 27, 2020
  • “Bias and Conflict Resolution,” Health and Wellness Conference, co-presenter, August 8, 2020
  • “Investigator Training,” Amazon Logistics, September 24 and 25, 2019
  • “Resolving Workplace Conflict through Respectful & Effective Communication,” John & Marcia Goldman Foundation, trainer, August 21, 2019 (also provided to EPACENTER ARTS, September 18, 2019)
  • “Investigating Harassment,” Nevro, January 15 and 16, 2019
  • “Effective Communication, Respect, and Mediation in the Workplace,” City of Daly City, trainer, January 10, 2019 (also provided at Montezuma Fire Department, February 26, 2019)
  • “Investigating Harassment: The Investigation and Report Writing,” State of California, trainer, Summer 2018
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, member (2013 – present)
  • AWI, sustaining member (2017 – present)
  • California Lawyers Association, member (2018 – present)
  • Zaneta Seidel Named Co-Chair of Association of Workplace Investigators’ Diversity & Inclusion Committee
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  • Oppenheimer Investigations Group Launches
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Education

Columbia University School of Law, J.D.

University of California, Los Angeles; B.A., English

Areas of Expertise

Investigations

Title IX

Trainings

Mediation and Conflict Resolution

Climate Surveys and Assessments

Admission

State Bar of California

State Bar of New York

Credentials

AWI-CH