Education
Law School: University of California - Hastings College of the Law
College: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Major Cases
Swan represents victims of discrimination, harassment, and wage theft, and whistleblowers. In 2013, Swan and Gruenberg Law associate Irina Doliner tried a sexual harassment case against a restaurant and its manager, and won on every single cause of action, plus attorneys fees. Among other notable settlements, Swan represented a plaintiff terminated due to her pregnancy, receiving a six-figure settlement. She manages and mentors several other attorneys at Gruenberg Law. Her guiding philosophy is that as a plaintiffs’ lawyer, she has to be both tenacious and agile to counter the unlimited resources defendants often have to contest just claims.
Professional Background
Swan started her legal career representing grocery store workers, bus drivers, teachers, and their unions at Schwartz Steinsapir Dohrmann & Sommers. She represented the victims of Ralphs’ criminal conduct during the 2003 to 2004 strike and lockout. Ralphs pleaded guilty to five felonies and agreed to pay $50 million in restitution and $20 million in fines. Swan argued before the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. As a Deputy District Attorney in Ventura County, she tried 19 jury trials and many, many motions to suppress, restitution hearings, and other hearings and motions.
Professional Affiliations
Swan was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Lawyers Club of San Diego. She co-chairs Lawyers Club’s Networking Events Committee. She has served as Transportation Co-Chair for the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program’s Women’s Resource Fair since 2012. On the mentor committee for California Employment Lawyers Association, she matches new attorneys with veteran attorneys. Swan is a Consumer Attorneys of California Women’s Caucus Liaison to Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. She frequently travels to Sacramento to lobby for consumer and employee rights.
Personal Affiliations
Swan is a grassroots political volunteer. Every election cycle, she spends many Saturday mornings knocking on doors and talking to voters about candidates. She was a Voter Protection attorney for Obama for America, ensuring that local and state election laws were followed. She is a weekly lector at Mass at the San Diego Mission. She is a devotee of Iyengar yoga, and a season subscriber to the Old Globe.
Personal Background
Swan is a fifth-generation California native, and a proud graduate of San Dieguito High School. She has lived in Wisconsin; Barcelona, Spain; Detroit and Washington, D.C., but is thrilled to have returned home to San Diego. She is a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the equivalent of Eagle Scout, for creating and organizing a library of children’s books for Encinitas Head Start. Swan camps at Lake Tahoe every summer, and rides her bike around the West Shore. She loves to swim at her favorite Encinitas beaches, in Lake Tahoe and in pools.