Palo Alto has appointed Berkeley’s assistant city attorney to be its new city attorney, the city announced.
Chris Jensen’s appointment will still have to be formally considered by the Palo Alto City Council on March 16, the city said. His first day on the job would be March 30, and he will receive a salary of $380,000.
Before working for Berkeley, Jensen was the city attorney for Cupertino and worked in private practice for 14 years, the city of Palo Alto said.
“Chris is an outstanding attorney who brings a breadth and depth of legal experience serving public agencies, including as City Attorney,” said Vicki Veenker, mayor of Palo Alto, in a release sent out by the city.
According to the city, Jensen resolved a long-standing dispute in Cupertino with a local developer, saving the city $75 million. In Berkeley, he handled land issues and environmental matters.
Jensen graduated from Stanford Law School and holds a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego.