Chesley D. Quaide

Chesley (“Chet”) Quaide is the managing partner of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo's Pleasanton office.  He focuses his practice on education law, labor relations, and employment/labor law.

Mr. Quaide served as General Counsel of the Merced County Office of Education from 1991 - 2004, and currently serves as General Counsel of the Stanislaus County Office of Education (since 1996) and the San Joaquin County Office of Education (since 2006). Before joining the firm in 1990, Mr. Quaide represented unions and individuals while working as an associate for a San Francisco union labor law firm.

Reported Cases

Mr. Quaide has served as lead counsel in two cases that have led to published California Court of Appeal decisions establishing important precedential rights for school districts.

• In California Teachers Association v. Governing Board of the Hilmar Unified School District, 95 Cal.App.4th 183, 115 Cal.Rptr.2d 323 (2002), the court upheld a school district’s right to negotiate with a certificated union regarding salary compensation based on factors other than years of training and years of experience.  In this case the school district had negotiated with its certificated union to allow a one-time bonus be paid to returning unit members, but the union and some non-returning teachers subsequently sued the school district alleging that this agreement violated Education Code 45028 (the uniform salary schedule statute).

• In Ripon Unified School District v. Messick (2009) 177 Cal. App. 4th 1379, the court upheld the right of school districts to discipline and terminate tenured teachers for failing to obtain EL (“CLAD”) certification. 

Practice Areas