Deven Desai, JD
I’ve sat in the chair your team is about to sit in.
I’m a licensed Texas attorney who has spent more than two decades inside public-sector legal, labor, HR, ethics, and oversight roles. Before leading labor relations for the City of Austin, I tried more than 20 first-chair jury trials in state and federal court.
For over a decade, I served as Austin’s Chief Labor Relations Officer, negotiating and administering public-safety agreements while also serving as Ethics and Compliance Officer, Interim Police Monitor, Assistant HR Director, and Assistant City Attorney.
Recent work includes negotiation with the Austin Firefighters Association in 2025 and assisting the City of San Antonio in their 2026 Police Negotiations. I also recently concluded an executive review of the Austin Animal Center. My training includes the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, the Harvard Business School’s Negotiation Mastery certificate, the Cornell Collective Bargaining certificate, and a JD from the University of Houston Law Center.
Texas attorney since 2001
Harvard-trained negotiator
Cornell collective bargaining