"It always seems impossible until it's done." - Nelson Mandela

Admitted

1979, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California; 

1981, U.S. District Court, Southern District of California; 

1989, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

 

Education

University of California, Irvine

Western State University, B.S.L, J.D.

 

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of California; 

Orange County Bar Association (President, 1993; Treasurer, 1991;  Secretary 1990;

Member, Board of Directors, 1984-1989; Chairman, Business Litigation Section, 1989); 

Los Angeles County Bar Association; 

Consumer Attorneys of Los Angles; 

Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (Member 1987-Present, Board of Directors, 1987-1989); 

Volunteers in Parole (Chair, Advisory Committee, 1990-1991); 

ABOTA, O.C. Chapter, 1997;

International Academy of Mediators (Distinguished Fellow);

Southern California Mediation Association; 

California Employment Lawyers Association (“CELA”), Board Member, 1998-2009, Chair 2005-07; 

College of Labor & Employment Lawyers (a Fellow); 

American Board of Trial Advocates, Orange County Chapter (1997-Present);

Federal Bar Association, Orange County Chapter (member for over 20 years);

Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County Chapter (Member over 20 years, former Board Member);

Judicial Council’s Committee on Access and Fairness;

Federal Court Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee;

Federal Court Magistrate Judge Evaluation Committee, Committee Member and Chair;

California Association of Large Local Bar (CALB), Past President and Chair of Bench Bar Coalition;

9th Circuit Judicial Conference, C.D. Cal., Past Lawyer Representative (2 terms) and Chair (1994-1995).

 

Biography

 

Awards

 

  • Inducted into the Western State University College of Law Hall of Fame, 1993;

  • OCTLA, Business Trial Lawyer of Year, 1995; 

  • OCWL, Lawyer of Year, 1996; 

  • ADL Jurisprudence Award, 1997;

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, since 2001;

  • Named by The Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Lawyers in California," 2001, "Top Female Litigators," 2002-2005, 2009, as well as one of the “Top Labor & Employment Lawyers”, 2009-2010;

  • OCTLA, Employment Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2004; 

  • American Association of University Women "Women of Achievement Award," 2005;

  • Inducted as a Fellow in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 2006; 

  • Named by Los Angeles Magazine as one of California's "Super Lawyers," 2004-2014, including one of the top 100 lawyers of Southern California, top 50 women lawyers, and top 50 Orange County Lawyers;

  • Named by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top 50 Neutrals, 2012, 2013;

  • Honored by WISEPlace Women’s Shelter with the Lukens Legacy Award, 2017;

  • Named by Best Lawyers as the Southern California Employment Law - Individuals “Lawyer of the Year”, in 2012, 2016, and 2018;

  • Named by Best Lawyers as the Southern California Arbitration “Lawyer of the Year” in 2019.

 

Speaking

 

  • AAUW’s Annual Legal Advocacy Fund Luncheon: Speaker, January 19, 2019;

  • USDC Advanced Mediation Training: Speaker, September 26, 2018;

  • CASA Annual Conference: Speaker, September 5, 2018;

  • Orange County Bar Association, Banking & Lending Section: Speaker, June 2018;

  • Orange County Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section: Speaker, April 2018;

  • Celtic Bar Association of Orange County Travel Seminar in Reykjavik, Iceland: Speaker, September 2017;

  • Daily Journal Law Forum: Speaker, July 2017;

  • Orange County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Symposium: Speaker, June 2017;

  • Orange County Bar Association, ADR Section Meeting: Panelist, November 2016;

  • Celtic Bar Association of Orange County Travel Seminar in Ashford, Ireland: Speaker, October 2016;

  • Italian American Lawyers of Orange County’s Annual Travel Seminar in Verona, Italy: Speaker, June 2016;

  • International Academy of Mediators Spring Conference in Queenstown, New Zealand: Speaker, March 2016;

  • Orange County Bar Association, ADR Section Meeting: Speaker, November 2015;

  • Orange County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section Meeting: Speaker, May 2015;

  • ADR Recent Developments Seminar: Mediator, May 7, 2014;

  • Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast: Ambassador, April 29, 2014;

  • San Diego County Bar Association - Labor & Employment Law Section: Speaker, April 28, 2014;

  • ABTL Lunch Program: Speaker, January 21, 2014;

  • US District Court - ADR Recent Developments Seminar: Mediator, November 11, 2013;

  • OCBA Labor & Employment and Alternative Dispute Resolution Joint Section Meeting: Moderator, November 11, 2013;

  • Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles: Speaker, August 29 - September 1, 2013;

  • Orange County Bar Association, ADR recent Development Seminar: Speaker, May 1, 2013;

  • Orange County Bar Association, Real Estate Section January Meeting: Speaker, January 22, 2013;

  • The Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of  California:  Moderator, 30th Annual Meeting, November 2, 2012;

  • OCBA Labor and Employment Section Annual Seminar: Moderator, May 19, 2012;

  • OCBA Labor & Employment Law Section Meeting: Speaker, March 12, 2012;

  • A Celebration Martin Luther King, Jr’s Legacy: Speaker, Jan. 18, 2012;

  • OCBA Labor & Employment Law Section Meeting: Speaker, Nov. 14, 2011;

  • CAOC 50th Annual Convention: Speaker, Nov. 11, 2011;

  • SCMA 23rd Annual Fall Conference: Co-Panelist, Nov. 5, 2011;

  • Presenter and Speaker: Bridging the Gap, Law and Motion, 1987-1993; 

  • Oral Advocacy Workshops, 1988, 1990 and Evidence for Business Lawyers, 1990;

  • College of Trial and Advocacy, 1989-1991; 1989-1992, 1995; 

  • Orange County Bar Association. Advisor, Action Guide on Establishing Good Client Relations, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1990; 

  • Lecturer, Law and Motion Seminar, California State Bar Convention, 1990-1991;

  • Surviving Attorneys Fees Disputes, 1993-1994; 

  • Chairman and Delegate, Central District Delegation to 9th Circuit. Judicial Conference, 1993-1995, 2002-2004; 

  • California Continuing Education of the Bar; 

  • Rutter Group/CJA Tort Litigation Program, "Wrongful Termination, Employment Discrimination," January 1995; 

  • Rutter Group/ CJA Litigation Program, "Employment Law," 1996-2001; 

  • Rutter Group, Civil Procedure Before Trial, 1998-2007; 

  • ABA, Employment Discrimination, 2004; 

  • CEB, Mediation & Arbitration Practice, 2005;

  • OCBA, Mediations & Arbitrations, 2005; 

  • Ventura County Trial Lawyers Case Updates, 2005-2006; 

  • CAOC, Trials, 2006; 

  • CEB, "Sexual Harassment Prevailing & Dealing With," 2006; 

  • LACBA Labor & Employment Law Symposium: "Objection! Recurring Evidentiary Issues in Employment Litigation"; 2006; 

  • CAALA, "Hot Topics in Employment", 2007; 

  • CAALA, Arbitrations, 2007; 

  • CAOC, Women's Caucus, 2008; 

  • CAOC, Gender Bias, 2008; 

  • OCBA, Solo, Small Practices, 2008; 

  • SCMA, Cross-Cultural Mediations, 2008; 

  • League of Women's Voters, Independence of Judiciary, 2008.

 

Publications

 

Author

  • "Sexual Harassment - The Evolution & The Revolution," Women in the Workplace, Nov. 1993;

  • "You're Served, What to do When Served with Subpoena", O.C. Psychological Association, July 1994;

  • CAOC, Attorneys Fees, 1999; 

  • OCBA Labor and Employment Section, "Arbitration after Circuit City and Armendariz," 2001; 

  • CAOC, Arbitrations, 2001;

  • CAALA, "To Arbitrate or Litigate, 2001"; 

  • The Advocate Magazine, "Depositions and Discovery Quicksand," 2002; 

  • Bi-monthly column on employment law, trial advocacy, and related topics for the Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2001-2006; 

  • ABTL, "Removal & Remand: Real or Sham Defendants?," January 2006; 

  • CAALA, "Navigating Arbitration in Employment Cases," 2007; 

  • LACBA, Senior Lawyer Guide article "Mandatory Retirement: Greener Pastures?";

  • "Navigating Arbitration in Employment Cases", CAALA Advocate Magazine, 2007;

  • "Mediation Confidentiality", CAALA, 2007;

  • "Presenting Your Client at Trial in an Employment Case", CAOC Forum Magazine, 2008;

  • "What the NFL Teaches Us About Mediation", CAALA Advocate Magazine, 2011;

  • "A Lesson About Settlements", Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2011.

C0-Author

  • Rutter Group/CJA, Wrongful Termination and Employment Discrimination Program Update, January, 1995;

  • Rutter Group, California Practice Guide, Employment Litigation, Chapter on Sexual Harassment, Published 2001 and updates.

  • "Mediating Your Employment Case - Sooner or Later?", CAALA Advocate Magazine, 2011.

Advisor

  • Action Guide on Establishing Good Client Relations, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1990; 

  • Serves on Editorial Advisory Board and writes articles for Matthew Bender's Labor and Employment Bulletin.

 

Languages

  • Spanish

  • French

 

Reported Cases

  • Nelson v. Carlson City Dana Point, 17 Cal. App. 4th 732 (1993); 

  • Corin v. Pomona College, 45 Cal. App. 4th 1716 (1996);

  • James Haluck, Michael Litton v. Ricoh Electronics, Inc., et al, 151 Cal. App. 4th 994 (2007); 

  • David A. Vazquez, Jose R. Armas, and Samuel Moreno v. Cargill, Inc., 509 F. Supp. 2d 903, (2007).