Education

Law School/Year: J.D., University of San Diego School of Law, 1994, cum laude

College/Year: B.A. International Politics and Literature, University of Virginia, 1991

Bar Admissions

California, all California United States District Courts

Practice Areas

Labor

Major Cases

My team and I recently defended 22 California restaurants that were joined as defendants in a wage and hour class action. The class consisted of about 5,000 restaurant workers who alleged they had not been paid correctly, including a purported failure to pay overtime, meal and rest break premiums and similar wage claims. The case settled favorably for the restaurants, within about six months after we took over the matter.

We recently obtained a dismissal of a putative class action against a post-secondary school in Orange County, Calif. The dismissal with prejudice was approved by the court and the matter was resolved without a “class” settlement component, which the company was comfortable with due to statute of limitations issues that will effectively preclude another class action from being brought.

We recently received a summary judgment ruling in Los Angeles Superior Court on 7 counts related to plaintiff’s allegations of breach of contract, discrimination, retaliation, invasion of privacy and emotional distress for actions taken during the last year of his approximately 30 years of employment.

Professional Background

After I graduated from law school, I clerked for the Honorable William B. Enright in the Southern District of California. Fresh out of law school, I learned at the heels of a judge who maintained his integrity, intelligence and style both on and off the bench, every day of the week. Certainly I learned more about the law in that year than many first-year law graduates. But more significantly, I learned that the law can and always should be approached with integrity and dignity. No other professional experience has surpassed my first year out of law school with Judge Enright.

Professional Affiliations

I am an active member of Lawyers Club, California Women Lawyers, San Diego County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program; previous member of American Inns of Court, Enright Chapter; previous Adjunct Professor, San Diego State University, Human Resources and the Law.

Personal Background

Any personal background has been eclipsed by the arrivals of our three kids! I am raising our three kids using the Socratic and IRAC Methods I learned in law school. Of course, my husband and children think I’m a nut and they are probably right. We have one 6-year old and two 3-year olds. Whenever a situation arises that is sticky, and let’s be honest, that would be all the time, I respond by questioning them, like this: What is going on here? (Issue) Is there a rule in place about this? (Rule) Now isn’t there another way you could have approached this situation? Do you have any other suggestions for handling this situation next time? Is that a fair and reasonable way to handle it? What would a reasonable person do (just joking – I don’t really ask them this)? (Application). Now, you are going in a time-out for breaking this rule (Conclusion/Consequence).