Kathryn Tanner is a Senior Counsel in Conn Maciel Carey LLP’s California Practice. She is based in the firm’s San Francisco office.
Kathryn has nearly 20 years of experience with occupational safety and health legal and regulatory matters and litigation of complex administrative appeals. During her nearly decade‑long tenure as Division Counsel with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), Kathryn managed a substantial docket of administrative appeals and Superior Court matters. She handled every stage of litigation — from discovery and depositions to witness preparation, mediations, negotiated settlements, and hearings — and collaborated closely with enforcement staff across the state. She also drafted regulations with the Research and Standards Unit, authored detailed analyses of proposed legislation, and in 2023 served as interim Assistant Chief Counsel, overseeing attorneys and supporting leadership within the Legal Unit.
Kathryn’s litigation experience spans the full spectrum of Cal/OSHA enforcement, including matters involving lockout/tagout violations, foot protection in warehousing, scaffold safety, trenching and excavation, tree‑trimming accidents, heat illness prevention, workplace violence in correctional institutions, machine guarding violations, and aerosol transmissible disease standard cases. She also advises on key compliance issues, such as California’s indoor heat regulation, worker classification under the ABC test, and jurisdictional determinations.
A skilled communicator and trainer, Kathryn has developed and delivered programs on topics including employee classification, interpretation of California’s indoor and outdoor heat standards, and defenses to Cal/OSHA citations.
Before her government service, Kathryn practiced at a San Francisco litigation firm, where she represented plaintiffs in employment law and personal injury matters, and gained extensive experience managing cases from intake through resolution.
Outside the Office
Kathryn enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and listening to live music. She lives in San Francisco, California, with her family.
- J.D., U.C. College of the Law, (formerly U.C. Hastings), 2007
- B.A., University of Nevada, with High Distinction, 2000
