Internal Affairs Training

Mike Rains has a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in English Literature from the California State University at Long Beach. Mike, while serving as a police officer in the City of Santa Monica, received a scholarship to attend law school. He earned his Juris Doctorate summa cum laude at Golden West University School of Law. After graduating from law school, he entered the private practice of law, leaving police work in 1980.

Mike worked for 18 years at the San Francisco based law firm of Carroll, Burdick & McDonough and founded Rains Lucia Stern, PC in May, 1999. The firm emphasizes the representation of public safety personnel in administrative, disciplinary, civil, criminal and labor-related issues. Mike has over 30 years representing police officers and other high profile clients in civil and criminal litigation.

Jeff Profio is a lieutenant with the West Valley Mission Community College Police Department.  He retired from the San Jose Police Department after 25 years of service. Jeff is also a certified POST Master Instructor. In addition to Internal Affairs, Jeff has been assigned to the SJPD MERGE Team (SWAT), the Robbery Investigations Unit, the Vice Unit, the Covert Response Unit, and as a Field Training Officer.

Maureen U. Okwuosa is a senior associate with the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Maureen defends public sector employees in administrative investigations, critical incident investigations, and disciplinary appeals. She also represents public sector employees in grievances and in restraining order matters. Prior to joining RLS, Maureen worked as staff attorney for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, wherein she advised and counseled executive staff on all matters pertaining to labor and employment law, investigations, public employee discipline, the Public Safety Officers’ Procedural Bill of Rights Act, and labor relations. Following her time with the Department of Corrections, Maureen transitioned to the private sector where she worked at a labor law firm exclusively defending peace officers.

Julia D. Fox is a partner in the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Julia represents peace officers in administrative investigations and disciplinary matters. Julia has significant legal experience, including almost eight years at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office as a Deputy District Attorney, spending much of her time there in a felony trial unit. Julia is a very experienced trial lawyer and comes from a police family: her father, brother and husband are all cops. Julia graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a degree in Government and earned her law degree from John F. Kennedy School of Law.

Nicole Pifari is a senior associate with the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Group. She represents officers in criminal investigations and prosecutions, administrative investigations, disciplinary appeals, and Brady list appeals. She also responds to critical incidents. Nicole has successfully defended criminal cases in both state and federal court. Most recently she achieved a significant victory at trial when the court exercised a rarely-used power to dismiss the case and enter a judgment of acquittal prior to sending the jury to deliberate. Her client in that case, a San Francisco deputy sheriff, was accused of excessive force. Nicole is a graduate of UC Hastings School of Law. Prior to law school, she was a police officer for the City of Missoula, Montana. During her time at Missoula PD, she was a canine officer and a member of the POA Board of Directors.

Andrew M. Ganz is an associate in the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Andrew defends public sector employees in criminal matters, administrative investigations, critical incident investigations, and disciplinary appeals. He also represents public sector employees in disciplinary actions and related litigation. Prior to joining RLS, Andrew worked as a prosecutor for over 13 years, during which time he handled virtually every type of criminal matter. Andrew has the distinction of being named Solano County’s first ever “Prosecutor of the Year.” In San Francisco, Andrew spent most of his time in the homicide unit, handling several complex cases. Andrew has extensive trial experience, having individually conducted well over 100 jury trials in his career. He has also written and argued countless motions, conducted many hundreds of preliminary hearings, presented cases to grand juries, handled writs and appeals, represented the State in parole hearings, and presented several trainings to lawyers, law enforcement and criminalists.

Lieutenant Nqui Scherry began his law enforcement career with the San Jose Police Department in 2002.  As an officer he was assigned to Patrol, the Field Training Program and he served as an Investigator in the Traffic Investigations Unit. As a Sergeant Nqui served as an investigator for the Internal Affairs unit and he supervised the Traffic Investigations Unit and the Auto Theft Unit. Nqui is currently assigned to the bureau of field operations. He is a certified Post instructor and has been teaching various classes at the SJPD Academy since 2008. Nqui holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

William Griffin retired from the Oakland Police Department after 19 years of service. He spent over 10 years working Internal Affairs. During this time, he coordinated investigations with The Civilian Police Review Agency. In addition, all investigations were monitored under a Negotiated Settlement Agreement by a Federally Appointed Monitor. He spent 9 years working as the Lethal Force and In Custody Death Investigator. William also worked as a patrol officer, Patrol Sergeant, Watch Commander, Field Training officer, and Instructor for the department.