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Top Attorneys 2009
University of San Diego School of Law
University of San Diego School of Law Career Services
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
USD Law School
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
The California Western School of Law Community Law Project
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
University of San Diego School of Law
University of San Diego School of Law
California and Hawaii Innocence Projects
California Western School of Law
Center for Center for Law, Technology and Communications
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
The Gomez Law Firm
Cooley LLP
DLA Piper
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Fisher & Phillips LLP
Gordon & Rees LLP
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Latham & Watkins LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Davis Law Associates
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Law Offices of Steven A. Elia, A Professional Corporation
Cooley Godward Kronish
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC
Evans Hotels
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
San Diego Convention Center Corp.
Websense Inc.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
Law Offices of Ezekiel E. Cortez
Peter J. Hughes, A Professional Corporation
Law Office of Knut S. Johnson
Law Offices of John C. Lemon APC
La Bella & McNamara LLP
Baker & McKenzie LLP
Law Offices of Michael Pancer
John G. Phillips APC
Law Offices of James F. Pokorny
Law Office of Charles Sevilla
Law Office of Bernard G. Skomal
Law Offices of Carol S. Battaglia, APC
Copeland & Tierman LLP
Dostart Clapp Gordon & Coveney LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Brierton, Jones & Jones LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Law Office of Nancy A. Spector
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
DLA Piper LLP
Wiggins & Ebert, APC
Law Offices of Beatrice L. Snider, APC
Law Office of Kim W. Cheatum
Gordon D. Cruse, APLC
Basie & Fritz
Ashworth, Blanchet, Christenson & Kalemkiarian
Hargreaves & Taylor LLP
Lowenstein Brown, A Professional Corporation
Brave, Weber & Mack APLC
Moore, Lewis, Schulman & Moore APC
Moore, Lewis Schulman & Moore, APC
Moore, Lewis Schulman & Moore, APC
Berman & Riedel LLP
The Dunk Law Firm
The Gomez Law Firm
Hilding Law Firm
Neil Dymott Frank McFall & Trexler
Levine, Steinberg, Miller & Huver
Law Offices of Levine, Steinberg, Miller & Huver
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith
Osborne & Nesbitt LLP
Klinedinst PC
Perkins Coie LLP
Covington & Burling LLP
Fish & Richardson
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Chapin Fitzgerald Sullivan LLP
Fish & Richardson
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Gordon & Rees
Jones Day
Jones Day
Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Perkins Coie LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP
Life Technologies Corp.
Branfman Law Group PC
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear LLP
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo PC
Complete Genomics Inc.
Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear LLP
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP
The Law Office of Joshua D. Gruenberg
Jones Day
Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP
Sandler Lasry Laube Byer & Valdez LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Anthony F. Pantoni APC
Littler Mendelson PC
Schor & Freeland LLP
Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP
Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP
ACLU Foundation of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Christensen & Spath LLP
California Office of the Attorney General
Best Best & Krieger LLP
San Diego City Councilmember Tony Young
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Larrabee | Mehlman | Albi | Coker LLP
U.S. Courthouse, 940 Front St., Room 414
California Department of Justice
Office of County Counsel, County of San Diego
Christensen & Spath LLP
Asher Mediation
Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire
Berman & Riedel LLP
Casey, Gerry, Schenk, Francavilla, Blatt & Penfield LLP
Law Office of James Matthew Brown, APLC
The Dunk Law Firm
The Gomez Law Firm
Casey, Gerry, Schenk, Francavilla, Blatt & Penfield LLP
Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire
Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire
The Law Offices of J. Michael Vallee
Law Office of Steven C. Vosseller
Best Best & Krieger LLP
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Klinedinst PC
Courtney Ann Coyle, Attorney at Law
Gordon & Rees LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire
Gordon & Rees LLP
Wertz, McDade, Wallace, Moot & Brower
Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith
Silldorf & Levine LLP
Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP
Kolodny & Pressman LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
Duane Morris LLP
The Law Office of Michael G. Ramsey
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP
Wertz, McDade, Wallace, Moot & Brower
Gordon & Rees LLP
Casey Gerry Schenk Francavilla Blatt & Penfield LLP
Ashworth, Blanchet, Christenson & Kalemkiarian
Coughlan, Semmer & Lipman LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
City of San Diego
Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Law Offices of Virginia C. Nelson
Kirby Noonan Lance & Hoge
2009 Winner
Jennifer Sarkozy Branch
Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP
Education
Law School/Year: University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1997
College/Year: University of California, Santa Barbara, 1993
Bar Admissions
California, Massachusetts
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation, Discrimination & Civil Rights, Labor & Employment
Major Cases
I have been lead counsel defending employers and supervisors in many single and multi-plaintiff actions, as well as class actions, in both state and federal courts, and before administrative agencies on issues ranging from wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, and trade secret/unfair competition claims. I also devote a majority of my practice to consulting with employers on all types of personnel matter to help avoid litigation. I routinely prepare employee handbooks and employment-related contracts and policies, and offer proactive training programs on unlawful harassment and best management practices.
Professional Background
I spent the first three years of my career at Burnham & Brown in Oakland. I joined the San Diego office of Gordon & Rees in 2000 in its employment practice group and became a partner in 2004. In 2007, I left with three of my partners and founded Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP, a 100 percent female- and minority-owned firm. In the last year and a half, our firm has more than doubled in size. Earlier this year, I was recognized by San Diego Super Lawyers in the area of labor and employment law.
Professional Affiliations
I am a member of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section. I also volunteer as a judge for the San Diego Teen Court Program, a diversion program that works in association with the Juvenile Court, and I am a member of the Mother Attorneys Mentoring Association. I regularly lecture on employment related topics, including speaking about leave laws for Lorman Education Services and teaching a personnel law course for the San Diego Employers Association.
Personal Background
Before becoming an attorney, I taught third grade in Mexico. I am now the proud mom of three beautiful children, ages 6 and under.
