Faculty Biographies

Ida Abbott is a retirement strategist who helps clients design creative, purposeful, and dignified retirements. She is an internationally recognized expert on talent and career development, especially mentoring, advancing women, and retirement. Ida has counseled lawyers and firms since 1995 and was a trial lawyer for 20 years before that. In recognition of her lifetime contributions to the legal profession, she was elected a Fellow of both the American Bar Foundation and the College of Law Practice Management. She is an advisor, coach, speaker, and author of several seminal books, including Retirement by Design, named one of the six best retirement books of 2020 by The Wall Street Journal. More information about Ida and her practice can be found on her website, www. IdaAbbott.com. Contact: ida@idaabbott.com; (510) 339-6883

Bernard Alexander prosecutes demanding private and public sector employment cases. He has tried over sixty cases to verdict with seven- and eight-figure judgments for claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on gender, race, age, sex, sexual orientation, and disability, among other things. His verdicts include: (1) $3 million for a security guard terminated for “job abandonment” after he took emergency leave from work to care for his school age daughter (February 2018); (2) $5.3 million for a 25-year FedEx employee fired after not having his disability accommodated (March 2019); (3) $1.3 million for CFRA retaliation, for a 29-year employee terminated before his return from leave (April 2019); and $100,000 in a Title IX retaliation case where a girls’ soccer coach complained of unequal treatment compared to boys sports (Sept 2019). Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association; Past Chair of the California Employment Law Association; 2016 CELA Joe Posner Award Recipient; 2019 Top 100 Attorneys in California; Top 75 California Labor and Employment Lawyer (2012 to present); Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers (2015 to present); American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA): Associate 2013. Contact: balexander@amfllp.com; (310) 394-0888

Clif Alexander is a South Texas native and co-founder of Anderson Alexander, PLLC, which is based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mr. Alexander’s practice focuses on pursuing wage and hour violations on behalf of employees across the United States in individual and large-scale collective/class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and related state wage and hour laws. Contact: clif@a2xlaw.com; (361) 947-2543

Rebekah L. Bailey is a partner at Nichols Kaster, PLLP, in Minneapolis where she represents employees, students, and consumers in class actions and relators in qui tam litigation. She is a founding member of the firm’s civil rights and impact team and consumer class action group, and she has served on the firm’s national wage and hour team. Rebekah chairs her firm’s eDiscovery committee, developing and implementing internal eDiscovery policies, procedures, and tools. Rebekah is a member of the steering committee for the Sedona Conference’s Working Group 1, the board for the Complex eDiscovery Litigation Forum (CLEF), the global advisory counsel for EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model), and the advisory board for the Advanced eDiscovery Institute at Georgetown. Rebekah has spoken at national conferences on various topics such as eDiscovery, arbitration, class actions, equal pay, and various wage and hour issues. Contact: bailey@nka.com; (612) 256-3287

A staunch advocate for employee rights on both the state and national level, Patricia A. Barasch has helped to build Schall & Barasch into one of the preeminent plaintiffs’ employment-rights law firms in the state. Throughout her nearly 30-year career, she has represented employees in cases involving all types of unfair and illegal employment practices including claims involving race, sex, age, and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, reasonable accommodation, the Family Medical Leave Act, wrongful termination, breach of contract, retaliation, and noncompete agreements. From June 2010 to June 2013, Ms. Barasch was honored to serve as President of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the largest organization of plaintiffs’ employment lawyers in the United States. Contact: pbarasch@schallandbarasch.com; (856) 914-9200

Dr. Robert A. Bardwell has over 30 years of experience consulting and providing expert witness testimony in statistics, probability modeling, demographics, econometrics, and computer algorithms. Dr. Bardwell has been retained by government agencies, corporations, and plaintiffs and defendants, and has testified as an expert in numerous United States District Courts and state and county courts. Dr. Bardwell has provided expert

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testimony in large class actions in employment and other litigation, including the computation of lost earnings. Entertaining examples of recent large class actions include testimony in a case against Apple that resulted in a $95M settlement (https://casetext.com/case/ maldonado-v-apple-inc-3), and novel cases contesting internet privacy, the first of which resulted in a $25M settlement (https://casetext.com/case/umg-recordingsinc-v-grande-commcns-networks-llc-9). Contact: andy@bardwellconsulting.com; (720) 219-3627

Hillary Benham-Baker is the Principal Attorney at Benham-Baker Legal. Hillary is proud to have dedicated her career to representing employees and civil rights litigants. Hillary is a frequent speaker on employment law topics and has recently spoken on California disability accommodation law, equal pay litigation, employee leave laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and prelitigation strategies. Super Lawyers magazine named Hillary a “Rising Star” among Northern California attorneys annually between 2011 and 2021 and a “Super Lawyer” for 2022. Contact: hillary@benhambaker.com; (415) 373-1828

Jennifer Bennett is a principal at Gupta Wessler PLLC, where she heads the firm’s San Francisco office and focuses on cutting-edge public interest and plaintiffs’side appellate litigation. Her practice covers a wide range of issues including civil rights, consumer protection, constitutional law, workers’ rights, and government transparency. Jennifer has been counsel in several significant cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including recently arguing and winning a landmark victory on behalf of transportation workers challenging forced arbitration in New Prime Inc. v. Oliveira (2019)—the first case in over a decade in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the party challenging arbitration. In addition to her U.S. Supreme Court litigation, Jennifer regularly handles appeals in both state and federal court on behalf of workers and consumers fighting forced arbitration and other barriers to access to justice. She frequently represents journalists, media organizations, and nonprofits challenging government secrecy, recently winning a groundbreaking case in the Ninth Circuit vindicating the public’s right to access court records. And she regularly represents plaintiffs in civil rights cases involving difficult or novel legal issues. Contact: jennifer@guptawessler.com; (203) 645-8983 Maria de las Nieves (Nieves) Bolaños was influenced from a young age by the work and activism of her single mother, who worked to provide health care and educational services in Central Washington’s Yakima Valley, including through work with migrant farmworkers and community organizations. It was this background that created Nieves’ interest in employment law and drew her to her first legal job with mentor and workers’ rights activist Robin Potter, who later became her law partner. Nieves represents workers in wage and hour, False Claims Act, and employment discrimination and retaliation litigation. She has significant litigation experience at the state and federal level, as well as with local administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Nieves’ experience includes representation of single plaintiffs, class and collective actions at all stages of litigation, and she has litigated False Claims Act cases and large class action cases with exceptional results. She serves on the Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and is VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on its Executive Committee. She also chairs NELA’s Low Wage Worker Practice Group and serves on its Legislative Action Committee and is a member of NELA’s Illinois affiliate, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the National Lawyers Guild’s Chicago Labor and Employment Committee. Nieves serves on the ARISE Chicago Legal Advisory Board and serves on the Board for In These Times Magazine. Contact: nbolanos@fishlawfirm.com; (312) 224-2423

Valerie Brender is a partner at Rukin Hyland & Riggin LLP. She litigates class and collective action employment law cases, including misclassification, wage and hour, and discrimination cases. She also advises executives on employment and severance agreements during job transitions and litigates individual civil rights, wrongful dismissal, and whistleblower cases. Prior to joining the firm, Valerie was a research fellow at Human Rights Watch. Valerie graduated from New York University School of Law where she worked on human rights litigation as a summer law clerk at Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP in Los Angeles, and at the ACLU’s Center for Democracy in New York. Prior to law school, Valerie was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama and a Fulbright Scholar in Spain. She earned her B.A. from Wake Forest University. Contact: vbrender@rukinhyland.com; (415) 421-1800

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Caroline E. Bressman is an associate attorney at Nichols Kaster, PLLP, where she practices wage theft and ERISA litigation. Caroline primarily represents workers in class and collective actions who have been denied proper wage and hour protections or whose retirement savings have been diminished because of excessive fees, imprudent investments, or employer self-dealing. In addition to her experience with group litigation in federal courts, Caroline has represented individual claimants with wage and hour claims who have been forced to arbitration. Caroline graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and served as the Symposium Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. Caroline’s pronouns are she/her/hers. Contact: cbressman@nka.com; (612) 256-3200

Daniel S. Brome fights for employees’ rights to hardearned wages as part of Nichols Kaster’s National Wage and Hour Litigation Team. Focusing on class and collective actions, Daniel represents workers seeking recovery of minimum wage, overtime, commission payments, and improper meal and break deductions. He has dedicated his legal career to representing workers and consumers, and ardently advocates for his clients and for their just claims to unpaid wages. Contact: dbrome@nka.com; (415) 277-7235

Renée Brooker is a Partner at the Washington, D.C. plaintiffs’ law firm of Tycko & Zavareei LLP representing whistleblowers throughout the United States. Renée is the former Assistant Director for Civil Frauds at the United States Department of Justice, the office that supervises False Claims Act cases in all 94 federal district courts. In her official capacity, Renée had oversight for hundreds of recoveries, with nearly $6 billion in False Claims Act recoveries. While at DOJ, Renée was the chief architect of the Big Lender Initiative under President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force; led trial teams to a successful False Claims Act jury verdict against a national health care provider and a civil RICO verdict against the tobacco industry after 3-month and 9-month trials; and litigated cases against Big Pharma in the “Average Wholesale Price” MDL. Her extensive fraud enforcement experience with whistleblowers cuts across all industries from health care to the government contracting space to the financial industry. Renée received numerous Justice Department awards for fraud prevention, including the Attorney General’s highest award for sizeable recoveries against the pharmaceutical industry. Contact: reneebrooker@tzlegal.com; (202) 288-1295 Carla D. Brown is admitted to practice in state and federal courts throughout Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. In 2014, MWELA recognized Ms. Brown as a “Lawyer of the Year—In recognition of outstanding dedication to Civil Rights, Equality, and Justice.” In 2015, 2017, and 2018 the Washingtonian rated Ms. Brown “Top Lawyer” in Plaintiff’s Employment Law. In 2018, Lawdragon selected Ms. Brown as a top 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer. In 2018, Ms. Brown was selected a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite. Ms. Brown was recognized as a rising star in Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine 2009–2012, a Super Lawyer 2013–2019 (one of the Top 50 Women in Virginia 2015 and 2019), a Washington, D.C. Rising Star in 2013, and a Super Lawyer 2014-2015 and 2017-2018. In 2013, Ms. Brown was invited to membership in The National Trial Lawyers Organization, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Civil Plaintiff Law. Contact: cbrown@charlsonbredehoft.com; (703) 318-6800

Darci E. Burell is a partner of Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP. Darci has practiced civil rights and public interest law since she graduated from UCLA Law School in 1995, beginning with a year serving as the Ruth Chance Law Fellow with Equal Rights Advocates. Darci then joined the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Los Angeles as a staff attorney. Darci returned to the Bay Area in 1998 to serve as a Civil Rights Attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, enforcing laws against discrimination in education on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, gender, and disability. Two years later, she joined Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian as a civil litigator involved in a variety of employment discrimination and wage and hour class action lawsuits. Prior to forming LVBH, she was a senior associate with the employment practice group of Boxer & Gerson LLP. Contact: darci@levyvinick.com; (510) 318-7700

Cristal L. Cabrera has dedicated her practice to employment litigation including wage and hour disputes and claims of wrongful termination, and family law matters including divorce, paternity, and restraining order cases. Originally from the State of Indiana, she graduated in 2009 from Indiana University-Bloomington where she double-majored in Chemistry and Spanish and obtained a minor in Biology. She graduated in 2012 from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. Since graduating law school, Cristal obtained her license to practice law in 2012 from the State of

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Indiana and in 2013 from the State of California, where she has been practicing ever since. Cristal has resolved countless cases for divorce, actions to establish paternity, and employment disputes regarding payment of wages and wrongful termination. Cristal is fluent in English and Spanish and serves a diverse client base throughout Southern California. Contact: ccabrera@cristallawoffices.com; (213) 325-3080

Kirby Fernando Cañon’s practice focuses on protecting wrongfully terminated workers and those experiencing harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or sexual abuse. He fights powerful individuals, private companies of all sizes, and public employers in pre-litigation matters, state or federal courts, and arbitrations. Mr. Cañon is bilingual in English and Spanish. He is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), the National Employers Lawyers Association (NELA) and the Fresno County Bar Association. In CELA, he is a Board Member, the Co-Chair of the Arbitration Committee, and a former chair of the Immigrant Employee Rights. Mr. Cañon received a Super Lawyer Rising Star every year since 2018. He also earned several awards for his work and contributions to CELA. Mr. Cañon is the proud son and brother of two amazing, dedicated mothers. He was born in the beautiful San Andres Islas in Colombia and immigrated to the United States in 1998. In his spare time, Mr. Cañon enjoys reading and spending time with his family. He is an avid soccer fan who enjoys cooking and eating food from around the world and keeping up with current events. Contact: kcanon@amglaw.com; (323) 653-6530, Ext. 314

*Chelsy Castro is CEO and Founder of Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting (CJPC), a firm specializing in lawyer well-being. An attorney turned psychotherapist and performance coach, Chelsy counsels individuals, small groups, and the organizations they work for on how to achieve their goals in healthy and productive ways. Chelsy’s publications and trainings focus on science-based skills and strategies for improving performance and increasing well-being in high-pressure professions. Her book, 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers, launches in May 2022. After practicing law as a multilingual attorney in the field of international regulatory compliance, Chelsy later earned her clinical degree at the University of Chicago and shifted her focus to lawyer well-being. Prior to launching CJPC, Chelsy designed, developed, and managed clinical programs for the legal profession, and provided evidence-based psychotherapy and training for lawyers, judges, and law students. Contact: ccastro@castrojacobs.com; (312) 766-4612

Ed Chapin is a Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and Chair of the firm’s Trial Practice Group. Since joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Ed has continued to be recognized in the legal community as a premier trial attorney. At Sanford Heisler Sharp, Ed’s practice has involved representing individuals and classes in employment and consumer protection matters, as well as individuals in commercial and personal injury cases. Ed received his law degree from the University of Missouri School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Missouri State University. Between college and law school, Ed served as an Infantry officer for four years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Captain, including a tour of duty during the Vietnam War where he was decorated for valor twice. A member of the California bar, Ed has served as a panelist at many professional seminars on topics pertinent to his areas of practice and in leadership roles in multiple local, state, and national organizations. Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Ed was a named equity partner in three San Diego firms where he gained substantial experience in civil trials and served as a leader in multiple professional organizations. When Ed is not lawyering, he enjoys reading, music, and his family of two adult sons and his teenage granddaughter, spending time at the Missouri farm where he was born and raised, and communicating with some members of the unit he led in combat in Vietnam. Contact: echapin@sanfordheisler.com; 619-577-4251

Christina Cheung is a Partner with Allred, Maroko & Goldberg and actively practices in California and New York. Ms. Cheung specializes in the areas of sexual harassment, sexual assault, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination on behalf of employees. Ms. Cheung also specializes in representing minors who are victims of sexual abuse by teachers, coaches, police officers, etc. Ms. Cheung joined Allred, Maroko & Goldberg in September of 2011. She also has worked for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division—Employment Litigation Section. Ms. Cheung has successfully recovered millions of dollars on behalf of her clients across the United States. She cares deeply about her clients and will fight vigorously to protect her client’s privacy rights in litigation. Ms. Cheung graduated from Georgetown University where she

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

received her Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service. Ms. Cheung then graduated near the top of her class from the UCLA School of Law. While at UCLA Law, Ms. Cheung was mentored by Vicki Schultz, a renowned scholar in employment discrimination and sexual harassment law. Ms. Cheung has been named a Super Lawyer Rising Star every year since 2017. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. An avid yogini, Ms. Cheung is a certified 200-hour yoga instructor. She incorporates her yoga training and legal experience representing hundreds of sexual harassment/sexual assault victims over the years to approach her clients with a trauma-informed practice. Contact: ccheung@amglaw.com; (323) 556-3446

Denise M. Clark is the founder of Clark Law Group, PLLC in Washington, DC, where she practices employee benefits and employment law. Ms. Clark’s practice focuses on litigation in disability discrimination, retaliation under several employment statutes, wage payment violations, and ERISA pension and disability claims. Ms. Clark is a fellow of the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel and a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She currently serves on the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. She has served on the Council of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. She has contributed to several legal treatises, including Bloomberg BNA’s Employee Benefits Law, ERISA Litigation, The Fair Labor Standards Act, and The Family Medical Leave Act. Ms. Clark earned her LL.M. in taxation and labor, specializing in employee benefits law, at Georgetown University Law Center. She earned her J.D. at North Carolina Central University School of Law. She was a senior editor of the North Carolina Central University Law Review and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Marquette University. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Indiana, and Illinois and numerous federal district courts and circuit courts. Contact: dmclark@benefitcounsel.com; (202) 293-0015

Linda M. Correia is a civil rights attorney who has represented employees in employment discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower cases for 29 years. A founding member of Correia & Puth, PLLC, Ms. Correia has focused her practice on cases involving sex discrimination, sexual harassment, race discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation, and Title IX, under state and federal civil rights statutes. She also counsels employees on executive compensation agreements and in severance negotiations. Super Lawyers ranks Ms. Correia as one of the top 50 women lawyers in Washington, DC Best Lawyers has recognized Ms. Correia as among the highest peer-rated plaintiff employment lawyers in the Washington, D.C. area since 2009 and as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2020 among Civil Rights lawyers. Washingtonian Magazine also selected Ms. Correia among its “Top Lawyers” for more than a decade. Ms. Correia also is ranked among the Lawdragon 500 for her work in employment law. Ms. Correia currently serves as President of the National Employment Lawyers Association and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 2014. She served as President of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association from 2004 to 2007, where she continues to serve on the Board of Directors. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Justice Foundation, and the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC. Contact: lcorreia@correiaputh.com; (202) 602-6500

Cornelia Dai is a partner at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP, a private plaintiff-side law firm in Southern California. She specializes in employment, wage and hour, and civil rights law, with a focus on class actions and complex litigation. Ms. Dai has successfully litigated a wide range of matters on behalf of workers, involving wage and hour violations, workplace harassment and discrimination, whistleblowing/retaliation, and wrongful termination. For the years 2017, 2019, and 2022, Ms. Dai was selected as Lawyer of the Year in Southern California by Best Lawyers for Litigation – Labor and Employment (Pasadena). In 2018, she was selected as Lawyer of the Year in Southern California by Best Lawyers for Employment Law – Individuals (Pasadena). In addition, she was again selected for the year 2021 as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers and one of The National Trial Lawyer’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Ms. Dai has been named to the Southern California Super Lawyers® list as a Rising Star or Super Lawyer each year since 2005, and she has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2012. She serves on the Board of the California Employment Lawyers Association, the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, and the Board of the Foundation for Advocacy, Inclusion and Resources. Contact: cdai@hadsellstormer.com; (626) 585-9600

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Jacklyn N. DeMar is the Director of Legal Education at Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, where she began as the staff attorney in August of 2014. In her capacity as Director of Legal Education, Jacklyn works with whistleblowers, their counsel, and government attorneys on various False Claims Act matters, as well as matters involving other whistleblower programs. She files amicus curiae briefs in courts across the country – including the U.S. Supreme Court – and serves as editorin-chief of TAFEF’s legal periodical, the False Claims Act & Qui Tam Quarterly Review. She is also responsible for coordinating the TAFEF Annual Conference, the nation’s largest annual conference focused on whistleblower programs curated for relators, their counsel, and the government. Jacklyn has focused on False Claims Act and other fraud practice for most of her career, since graduating cum laude from American University’s Washington College of Law in 2009. She has experience practicing at large Washington DC defense firms, is a member of the Maryland and DC bars, and serves as a Vice Chair for the American Bar Association’s Health Law Publications Editorial Board. Contact: jdemar@taf.org; (202) 296-4826

María G. Díaz has dedicated her legal career to representing workers in employment cases. She is the founder of THE DIAZ LAW FIRM and serves as “Of Counsel” to the law firm of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg. Ms. Díaz focuses her practice exclusively on representing workers in a range of employment matters including defamation, whistleblowers, sexual harassment, gender/ pregnancy discrimination, disability discrimination, and wrongful termination. She has expertise navigating leave laws, including those related to pregnancy, disability, and family medical leave. Ms. Díaz is bilingual in Spanish and English. She has a broad range of experience in federal court, state court, and arbitration. Ms. Díaz litigates, tries cases in state and federal court, arbitrates cases, and does appellate work. She has negotiated millions for her clients in a multitude of employment claims against a wide range of companies, individuals, and public entities. Contact: mdiaz@amglaw.com; (323) 653-6530

Cyrus E. Dugger is the Principal of The Dugger Law Firm, PLLC. He has represented hundreds of employees in employment discrimination and wage and hour matters, including complex class and collective action litigation against major U.S. corporations and governmental entities including the City of New York. Mr. Dugger has worked on some of the most cutting-edge cases in the employment field. Mr. Dugger’s practice involves all areas of discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour law, including failure to provide reasonable disability accommodations, protected leaves of absence from work under the ADA, FMLA, NYPFL, NYSHRL, and NYCHRL, harassment, stereotyping, and other forms of discrimination including sex, race, pregnancy, color, and sex-plus discrimination, as well as independent contractor misclassification, unpaid overtime, and wage notice. Contact: cd@theduggerlawfirm.com; (646) 560-3208

*Sue Ellen Eisenberg is the Founder of Sue Ellen Eisenberg & Associates, P.C., which celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year. Prior to founding her firm, Sue Ellen served as the Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the EEOC where she was instrumental in drafting the agency’s first Guidelines on Sexual Harassment. Sue Ellen has chosen to focus her practice on identifying and remediating workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She has received numerous awards and accolades, chief of which was the Champion of Justice Award from the State Bar of Michigan. She serves on the University of Michigan Depression Center’s National Advisory Board and has served as President of the International Women’s Forum. Last year, she was named one of Crain’s Notable Women in Law. She balances her scales of justice with time spent with her adult children, her Labrador retriever, and the wildlife in her backyard. Contact: see@seelawpc.com; (248) 258-5050

Allison Ehlert is a partner with Ehlert Hicks LLP in Berkeley, California where she maintains a diverse appellate practice focused on workers’ rights, civil rights and liberties, and consumer-protection law. She has won precedent-setting victories in the Ninth Circuit, the California Courts of Appeals, the New York Court of Appeals, and the Ohio Supreme Court. She also maintains an active amicus practice and has served on the amicus committee of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA). Before starting her own firm, Allison was a trial and appellate lawyer at a San Francisco law firm and clerked for the Honorable R. Guy Cole, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Honorable Algenon L. Marbley of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. She obtained her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. Contact: aehlert@ehlerthicks.com; (415) 828-5350

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Christine T. Elzer is the founder of Elzer Law Firm, LLC in Pittsburgh. She primarily represents employees in employment matters throughout Pennsylvania. She has been involved in numerous federal and state court trials, and is especially experienced in defeating motions for summary judgment. She has been selected as a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers each year since 2011. Since 2020, she has served a member of NELA’s Board. She also serves on NELA’s Judicial Nominations Committee. She is the Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers Association (WPELA), a NELA affiliate, and is also a member of NELA-Eastern PA. Christine is also a trained mediator. She mediates employment disputes for her local federal court’s ADR program, as well as pro bono for the EEOC. She is member of the Board of Directors of the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania, and serves as its Information Officer. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was selected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Ms. Elzer served as the Senior Topics Editor for the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. She also graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish, and a Certificate in Latin American Studies. Contact: celzer@elzerlaw.com; (412) 230-8436

Nicholas J. Enoch is a partner with the law firm of Lubin & Enoch, P.C. In addition to a traditional labor side practice, Mr. Enoch has an active, multi-state wage and hour practice focusing on claims arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and analogous state laws. Mr. Enoch has been court-approved as lead plaintiffs’ counsel in a number of FLSA-collective and Rule 23 class actions. Mr. Enoch is admitted to practice in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and numerous federal courts including, inter alia, the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Enoch is also an adjunct faculty member at the Pennsylvania State University’s School of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and he serves as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. Contact: nick@lubinandenoch.com; (303) 595-0008

Paul M. Falabella is a partner with Butler Curwood, PLC. He concentrates his practice primarily in the areas of employment discrimination, employment and business torts, civil rights, and employment contracts. Mr. Falabella has been named to the Virginia Rising Stars list in the field of Employment & Labor by Super Lawyers and the Legal Elite list by Virginia Business Magazine in the field of Labor/Employment Law. He has served on the Board of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocating for pro-employee legislation since 2017. Contact: paul@butlercurwood.com; (804) 402-4816

Amanda A. Farahany’s work on behalf of employees has been widely recognized, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and achievements. She has been named to the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In June of 2020, Amanda was elected a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys. In July, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Stand Up for Workers (SU4W), a political action committee dedicated to the needs and concerns of American workers. Before these elections she was named “2019 Lawyer of the Year – Employment Law for Individuals” by Best Lawyers and was also listed in the “Top 50 Women in Georgia” by Super Lawyers. She has been nominated to Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Georgia, the National Advocate’s Top 100 Lawyers, and many other organizations for her work in Labor and Employment. She is also AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Through Amanda’s leadership, Barrett & Farahany has been recognized as a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report and “Best Litigation Firm of the Year” by the Fulton County Daily Report. Contact: amanda@Justiceatwork.com; (404) 214-0120

Menaka N. Fernando is a partner at Outten & Golden’s San Francisco office and focuses her practice on gender-based issues in the workplace, including sexual harassment, gender and race discrimination, and family and pregnancy leave, among other claims. Menaka is the Co-Chair of the California Employment Lawyers Association’s Legislative Committee and serves on the boards of CELA, the Stand Up For Workers PAC, and Open Door Legal, an SF-based legal aid organization. Contact: mfernando@outtengolden.com; (415) 710-0713

Paige Fiedler works in Des Moines, Iowa, at Fiedler Law Firm, PLC, the firm she founded in 2001. The firm has nine attorneys and represents plaintiffs with employment and civil rights claims in Iowa and Nebraska. Paige is a 1987 graduate of Simpson College and a 1994 graduate of Drake University Law School. Her accomplishments include 38 jury trials and 60 reported cases. Contact: paige@employmentlawiowa.com; (515) 254-1999

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Parisis G. (“Gerry”) Filippatos is the Founding Partner of Filippatos PLLC. Mr. Filippatos is a seasoned and versatile labor and employment attorney with nearly three decades of experience in the field. He has represented thousands of employees in legal matters involving employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on gender, pregnancy, race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity; separation and severance agreements; executive compensation; restrictive covenants; and whistleblower retaliation. He is also a highly adept negotiator, having successfully represented countless individuals in matters involving executive compensation, employment contracts, and severance agreements. Contact: pgf@filippatoslaw.com; (914) 984-1111, ext. 500

James M. Finberg is a partner at Altshuler Berzon LLP in San Francisco, where he specializes in employment discrimination and wage/hour class actions. Mr. Finberg received a B.A. in 1980 from Brown University and a J.D. in 1983 from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was Executive Editor of the University of Chicago Law Review. From 1997 to 1998 and again from 2008 to 2010, he served as Co-Chair of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2005, he served as President of the Bar Association of San Francisco. He served on the Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) from 2011 to 2013. Since 2005, he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Labor and Employment Law, and since 2018 for Class Actions. In 2014, Best Lawyers named him the Lawyer of the Year in San Francisco for Labor and Employment. Mr. Finberg was listed as one of the Top 100 “Super Lawyers” in Northern California from 20052013, and has been listed as a Super Lawyer since 2005. In 2009, he was named a “California Lawyer of the Year” by California Lawyer Magazine in the field of civil rights. In 2018 and 2019, The Daily Journal selected him as one of the Top Labor and Employment Lawyers in California. In 2020, he was named in the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” in the field of Plaintiff Labor and Employment disputes. Contact: jfinberg@altshulerberzon.com; (415) 421-7151

Joseph D. Garrison is the senior partner at Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti, P.C., in New Haven, Connecticut, where he practices employment law on behalf of employees. Joe is an elected member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He served for three years as President of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and was a Charter Fellow in the Board of Governors of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, later serving as its national President. As an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI), Joe was substantially involved in drafting the highly-influential Restatement (Third) of Employment Law, which was published in 2014. He is also a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. For the past 30 years, Joe has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America that honors the top 1% of attorneys in the country. He increasingly focuses his practice on mediation and arbitration. Contact: jgarrison@garrisonlaw.com; (203) 777-4425

Joseph W. Gibson is the founder and Managing Attorney of the Employment Law Center of Maryland, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization which represents economically distressed Maryland workers in discrimination, harassment, and wage litigation in state and federal court. Joe’s legal career began in 2014 at the American Red Cross, where he developed and deployed law of war programs in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. His shift to employment law took place in 2018, when he joined the Employment Law Group, P.C. as a Litigation Law Clerk, cutting his teeth on Title VII and qui tam cases while attending night classes at the American University Washington College of Law. In 2021, following his clerkship for the Hon. Harry C. Storm, he combined his interests in employment law and nonprofit services, launching the Employment Law Center of Maryland, a “low bono” employment law firm that leverages novel technologies and alternative fee structures to provide affordable employment law services in Maryland. The Employment Law Center of Maryland’s focus on legal technologies is reflected in its grantors, which include, among others, Google and Clio, a leading practice management software provider. Joe is passionate about legal ethics, and currently serves on NELA’s Ethics & Sanctions Committee, which provides ethics assistance to NELA members and other workers’ rights lawyers. He lives in Frederick, Maryland, with his wife. Contact: jgibson@elcmd.org; (202) 302-4660

Karla Gilbride is a senior attorney at Public Justice in Washington, DC and currently serves as co-director of its Access to Justice Project. The Access to Justice Project uses litigation, advocacy, and organizing to help people harmed by corporate or governmental abuses by fighting against procedural and structural barriers that prevent

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them from seeking systemic change and vindicating their rights in transparent and publicly accountable forums. Karla’s litigation focuses on challenging forced arbitration provisions and class action bans, and she has successfully briefed and argued cases involving forced arbitration before several federal and state appellate courts. Before coming to Public Justice in 2014, Karla represented workers in wage and hour and employment discrimination cases as an associate at Mehri & Skalet PLLC, as well as handling consumer class actions and cases brought under the Fair Housing Act. She previously spent three years at Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley, CA, bringing disability discrimination class actions and representing disabled consumers before the California Public Utilities Commission. Karla graduated with honors from Georgetown Law in 2007 and clerked for Judge Ronald Gould on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Contact: kgilbride@publicjustice.net; (202) 797-8600

Byron R. Goldstein is a partner at Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho, where he litigations Title VII, equal pay, overtime, and other wage and hour class actions, as well as privacy class actions. Mr. Goldstein regularly presents on class actions representing workers, and he is a Senior Reviewer of the chapter on Class Actions in the ABABNA Employment Discrimination Law treatise (7th Ed., forthcoming). Before GBDH, Mr. Goldstein served as a clerk for Judge UW Clemon in the Northern District of Alabama and worked in the Juvenile Rights Practice at The Legal Aid Society. Contact: brgoldstein@gbdhlegal.com; (510) 287-4324

Charles Guerrier is Of Counsel with the firm of Haynes & Haynes, P.C. Mr. Guerrier earned his BA degree from Western Reserve University and his JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Prior to joining Haynes & Haynes, he spent 29 years at the EEOC. Mr. Guerrier also served as an adjunct professor of law at his alma mater for 25 years. He is admitted to the bars of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Supreme Court of Alabama and various federal district courts and courts of appeal. Contact: ceguerrier@haynes-haynes.com; (205) 879-0377

Chiquita Hall-Jackson concentrates her practice on protecting whistleblowers, those who have experienced workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on a protected class. She also represents those who have been passed over for promotions and those who are negotiating a severance agreement. In addition, Chiquita assists buyers and sellers throughout the real estate closings process. She is actively involved in NELA-Illinois Legislative Committee and its efforts to introduce bills to protect employees’ rights alongside other Illinois Employment Law Attorneys. She currently serves as NELA-Illinois President. Chiquita received a B.A. in Political Science-Public Law, with a minor in Communication Studies, from Northern Illinois University. She earned a J.D. from Southern University Law Center where she served as SULC’s Law Clinic Extern and studied abroad in International Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. Chiquita is registered to practice in the State of Illinois. Contact: chj@hall-jacksonandassociates.com; (312) 255-7105

Hilary P. Hammell is a feminist lawyer who is proud to represent women and other vulnerable clients whose rights have been violated by their employers or other powerful institutions. She was a William H. Gates Public Service Law scholar at the University of Washington Law School, from which she graduated in 2012. After serving as a law clerk to Judge Stephanie Seymour on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, she has practiced public-interest law in California ever since. From 2018 to 2022 she was an associate attorney at the all-women employment law firm of Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams LLP, and launched her own practice in March 2022. Contact: hilary@hammell.law; (510) 250-3175

Mark Hanna is a founding partner of Murphy Anderson PLLC. He has a diverse labor and employment law practice representing whistleblowers alleging fraud, lowwage workers in class and collective actions, and labor unions. Mark has successfully represented qui tam relators (whistleblowers) in False Claims Act cases concerning health care, construction, and procurement fraud. Mark is adept at working in the unique procedural framework of the False Claims Act, including working with the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys. Contact: mhanna@murphypllc.com; (202) 223-2620 Adam Hansen is the founder of Apollo Law, a private public-interest law firm with a mission to help advance the rights of employees and consumers in appellate litigation. Contact: adam@apollo-law.com; (612) 927-2969

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Clare J. Horan is an Associate at Sanford Heisler Sharp. At Sanford Heisler Sharp, Clare’s practice has focused on employment discrimination and harassment litigation as well as criminal/sexual violence litigation, representing both individuals and proposed classes. Clare received her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law (Order of the Coif) and her undergraduate degree from Smith College. While at the University of Iowa, Clare was the Senior Articles Editor of the Iowa Law Review, research assistant to Professor (now Dean) Angela Onwuachi-Willig, and was awarded the ABA/Bloomberg Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law and the Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. Clare is a member of the Maryland bar, as well as the Iowa bar (voluntary inactive status). Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Clare completed clerkships for the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Honorable Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. When Clare is not lawyering, she enjoys baking and exploring Baltimore on walks with her dog. Contact: choran@sanfordheisler.com; (410) 834-7421 Todd Jackson is a partner in the firm of Feinberg, Jackson, Worthman & Wasow LLP. Mr. Jackson represents employees in class action cases involving overtime pay, pension benefits, and employment discrimination. He has successfully served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel in numerous class actions, including class cases against IBM, Computer Sciences Corporation, KBR, Perdue Chicken, Masco Contractors, Farmers Insurance, American Families Insurance, Kelly Moore Paint Company, Corrections Corporation of America, the Tribune Company, and Wells Fargo Bank, collectively resulting in over $250 million in recovered wages and benefits. He is an experienced mediator whose areas of focus include complex class and collective actions in both the employment and employee benefits areas, as well as individual cases across the employment law spectrum. Mr. Jackson is recognized as a national leader in class actions, ERISA law, and wage and hour practice and is a frequent speaker at legal conferences on those topics. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Jackson was a shareholder at Lewis, Feinberg, Lee & Jackson, P.C. He served as a law clerk to Judge Judith Keep of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Contact: todd@feinbergjackson.com; (510) 269-7998 Toni J. Jaramilla is an employment and civil rights attorney and past Chair of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) and co-founder and past President of the Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion and Resources (FAIR), a non-profit organization with the mission to increase cultural and gender diversity in the Plaintiffs employment law bar. Since 1994, on behalf of workers only, she has successfully litigated hundreds of cases of discrimination, racial and sexual harassment, wrongful termination, disability accommodations, leave law violations, retaliation/whistleblower, and wage and hour claims resulting in multi-millions of dollars in settlements, verdicts, and arbitration awards. She is a frequent speaker at seminars and on radio shows and has been a guest lecturer at law schools. She has led several legal bar organizations as the first Pilipina woman to fill such leadership roles while advocating for improved cultural and gender diversity in the legal profession. She lobbies and testifies at the California State Capitol and helps draft stronger legislation to protect California workers, particularly on the issues of sexual harassment and gender equality, several of which have been signed into law by Governors Brown and Newsom (SB 1300 and AB 9).

Contact: toni@tjjlaw.com; (310) 551-3020 Sabine Jean is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP in New York, NY and is a member of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group. She represents employees in a wide range of class action discrimination cases and wage and hour lawsuits. Her practice includes cases challenging age- and gender-based discrimination and wage theft claims on behalf of workers required to work off the clock, wrongly classified as exempt from overtime protections, and improperly treated as independent contractors. Ms. Jean received her B.A. from Smith College, her M.S.T. from Fordham Graduate School of Education, and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she specialized in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law and Policy. During law school, Ms. Jean worked on civil rights and employment matters at Schonbrun Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP and Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai, LLP, and on issues related to campus pregnancy and parenting accommodations at the UCLA Title IX/Sexual Harassment Prevention Office. She also served as a Managing Editor on the UCLA Law Review and the National Black Law Journal. Prior to law school, Ms. Jean worked as an English as a Second Language teacher in New York through Teach for America. Currently, she serves as a Director on the Alumnae Association of Smith College

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Board of Directors. Ms. Jean has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star for 2021. Contact: sjean@outtengolden.com; (646) 935-9424

Deborah H. Karpatkin is a New York City-based solo practitioner, serving clients in a wide range of litigation and transactional workplace matters. Her diverse clients include lower wage workers and executives in transition; and clients in a range of industries, including health care, law, journalism, and faith-based organizations, and who work in corporations, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations; the military and the government; technology and finance; and academia and the media. Her practice areas include discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, and other workplace-related legal claims. Ms. Karpatkin is a trusted advisor to her colleagues and to nonprofit organizations. She serves on the board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), is a member of NELA’s Ethics and Sanctions Committee, and from 2013-2020, she served on the board of NELA/NY. She is co-General Counsel to the New York Civil Liberties Union (ACLU of New York.) A member of the NYC Bar Association, she serves currently on its Military Affairs and Sex and Law Committees. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Ms. Karpatkin is regularly invited to teach in her areas of expertise. In addition to teaching Employment Discrimination Law at Touro Law School (since 2018), she presents at programs for employment rights lawyers on a range of practice issues; for military rights lawyers and counselors about conscientious objector law; and for seminary graduates about clergy contracts. She has published articles on Conscientious Objector law, and on the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, after the Hobby Lobby decision, to the rights of military conscientious objectors. Contact: deborah.karpatkin@karpatkinlaw.com; (646) 865-9930

James H. Kaster is an experienced trial lawyer who concentrates on representing plaintiffs in employment cases. He has received multi-million-dollar verdicts for individual plaintiffs, including the highest award in Minnesota for emotional distress in an individual employment discrimination case. He also obtained the highest reported settlement for an individual sexual harassment client in state history. He is one of only a few plaintiffs’ lawyers who are members of both the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, a group limited to one percent of America’s trial attorneys. Mr. Kaster was given the highest ranking possible by Chambers, USA, which ranks lawyers throughout the nation. He has also argued cases before the state’s and nation’s highest courts, including Kasten v. Saint Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation, which resulted in a new standard for FLSA retaliation cases. Mr. Kaster takes his greatest pride in serving the best interest of his clients. He has also been a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars and has been active in bar activities, including serving as President of the National Employment Lawyers Association. Contact: kaster@nka.com; (612) 256-3200

Lauren A. Khouri is a Partner at Correia & Puth, PLLC, dedicating her practice to the civil rights of individuals in the workplace and in schools. Lauren’s work includes fighting employment-based discrimination and retaliation of all kinds. Lauren litigates a broad range of claims under Title IX, representing survivors of sexual violence, pregnant and parenting students, and school employees who experience retaliation after taking a stand for their students’ rights. Since 2019, Best Lawyers has recognized Lauren as a leader in civil rights law and SuperLawyers has recognized Lauren as a Rising Star in employment law. Lauren received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law. She is President-Elect for the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA). Contact: lkhouri@correiaputh.com; (202) 602-6500

Kristi L. Kingston owns and operates the Employee & Labor Law Group of Kansas City, LLC. She is a current member of NELA’s Annual Convention Committee, a past Eighth Circuit representative to NELA’s Affiliate Relations Committee, a past President of Eighth Circuit NELA, and a past President of the Kansas City Chapter of NELA. Kristi has been recognized each year since 2008 as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer in the field of labor and employment law. She has also been identified by Super Lawyers Magazine as one of the top 50 female lawyers in Missouri and Kansas, one of the top 100 lawyers in the states of Missouri and Kansas, and one of the top 50 lawyers in Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: kristi@elgkc.com; (913) 286-5200

Phillip M. Kitzer represents employees in claims involving whistleblower retaliation, qui tam, and False Claims Act, discrimination, workers’ compensation retaliation, FMLA retaliation, severance negotiations, and executive compensation. He has successfully litigated and negotiated

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severances for clients in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceutical, medical device, banking, health care, insurance, and manufacturing. From 2013-2015, he served as President of the Minnesota affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). He also served as ex officio on the MN-NELA Board of Directors and is a member of the MN-NELA legislative committee. Phillip has appeared before the Minnesota Supreme Court as a member of MN-NELA’s amicus committee. In 2018, Phillip was named a Board Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers every year since 2012. Phillip graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School where he was a managing editor for the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology and was a participant in the Duberstein Moot Court competition. Phillip enjoys distance running, camping, traveling, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. Contact: kitzer@kitzerrochel.com; (612) 767-0527

Kevin Kish is a civil rights attorney whose career has been dedicated to public service and advancing justice for disadvantaged communities. He was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. as Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) in February 2015 and confirmed by the California Senate in January 2016. He was reappointed to the position by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2020. DFEH is the largest state civil rights agency in the nation and is the institutional centerpiece of California’s commitment to protecting its residents from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations and from hate violence and human trafficking. Contact: kevin.kish@dfeh.ca.gov; (916) 917-9489

Adam L. Koshkin is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP, and a member of the firm’s Class Action Practice Group. Adam has experience litigating a wide range of wage and hour and discrimination cases in both California and federal courts, with an emphasis on California wage and hour claims. He has also represented large numbers of clients in mass arbitrations. Prior to joining the firm in 2018, Mr. Koshkin clerked for the Honorable Judith E. Levy of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2017. Contact: akoshkin@outtengolden.com; (415) 638-8800 Noted bon vivant and man about town (thanks for everything, Rick), Ben Lebsack represents employees on sexual harassment and unpaid wage claims and advises and represents lawyers on ethics issues. He’s on the NELA Board of Directors and a Co-Chair of NELA’s Ethics & Sanctions Committee. He also serves on the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association Board and Colorado Bar Association’s Ethics Committee. He recently built the Lego Seinfeld set and plans to do the Sesame Street one soon. Contact: ben@lowrey-parady.com; (303) 593-2595

David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for forty-five years, the last thirty-seven of which he has concentrated on representing employees. David was President of NELA from 2013 to 2015, was a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights from 1992-2015, is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, is rated AV by MartindaleHubbell, has been on the Labor and Employment Law advisory committee for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and has been named a “Leading Lawyer” and a “Super Lawyer” in the field of employment law. From 1984 to 1991, David was a full-time clinical professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law’s nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination with fellow NELA members Richard Gonzalez and Ron Schwartz. David speaks frequently to lawyers and human-resources personnel on employment law and has published many seminar papers and some law review articles on that topic. David graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1977 magna cum laude and Order of the Coif. David also attended Northwestern University for undergrad, where he claims to have majored in the game of chess and ended up rated an “expert” by the U.S. Chess Federation, but actually graduated with a B.A. in History. Contact: d-lee@davidleelaw.com; (312) 952-1321

Michael Levin-Gesundheit is a partner at Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, where he has represented employees (in both wage-and-hour and discrimination cases), consumers, and public entities. In a certified gender discrimination class action against Goldman Sachs, he led a multi-year charge to combat forced arbitration, which culminated in a court-ordered arbitration selection process. This spring nearly 350 current and former employees—or 97% of respondents— rejected arbitration and choose continued class membership. He is currently a member of the trial team

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in the San Francisco opioid bellwether case, where he works in coordination with the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Contact: mlevin-gesundheit@lchb.com; (415) 956-1000

David A. Lowe is a Partner with Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff and Lowe and brings extensive trial and negotiation experience to every client engagement. David represents C-level executives, founders, and partners in a wide range of tech economy and other fields, including life sciences, a.i., finance, and entertainment. He has developed valuable experience negotiating with—and, when necessary, going to trial against—the world’s largest and best-known public and private companies, as well as prominent private equity and venture capital firms. He also passionately represents employees, including low wage workers, who have been discriminated or retaliated against, harassed, wrongfully terminated, or denied fair pay for their work. In addition to representing clients, David serves as a neutral mediator, with a highly successful record of assisting parties to resolve their disputes. David has been honored as California Lawyer “Attorney of the Year” for his “extraordinary achievement” in employment law and has been voted by his peers as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in Northern California every year since 2013, as a Northern California “SuperLawyer” since 2007, and as the San Francisco “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law or Employment Litigation for three years in a row. David is also dedicated to working in the public interest and has served on the boards of numerous non-profit and legal organizations, including as Chair of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights in the Bay Area. Contact: dal@rezlaw.com; (415) 434-9800

Ann Lugbill focuses on representation of employee whistleblowers and plaintiffs in class action litigation. She represents clients in False Claims Act qui tam cases and related statutes involving securities and financial frauds, federal income tax frauds, automobile safety, consumer insurance, and other similar bounty statutes. Ann participates in Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF) and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) Ethics and Sanctions Committee and is a frequent speaker at TAF and NELA legal conferences. Ann coauthored two books: False Claims Act: Whistleblower Litigation and Representing the Terminated Employee in Ohio. She is an active board member of several nonprofit groups and charitable foundations and has volunteered in numerous voting registration and voter protection volunteer activities. She was honored by Talbert House, a large social service agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, with its Ernest Talbert community leadership award. In 2019, she was honored with the Greater Cincinnati League of Women Voter’s “Make Democracy Work” award. Contact: alugbill@murphypllc.com; (513) 784-1280

Deborah K. Marcuse is Sanford Heisler Sharp’s Firm Managing Partner and Managing Partner of the firm’s Baltimore office. As a litigator, she leads teams to highprofile victories in high-stakes discrimination cases on behalf of individuals and classes, while also effectively resolving matters without resort to litigation whenever possible, on the principle that litigation is fun and profitable for lawyers sometimes, but less so for human beings, and even less so for the congregations of human beings that make up companies and other organizational defendants. As a manager, Deborah strives to exemplify and model a form of zealous advocacy that is vigorous, thoughtful, and humane, and a vision of lawyering as a profession that is client-centered, focused on social and economic justice, and accommodating of the lives of working humans. Contact: dmarcuse@sanfordheisler.com; (410) 834-7420

Laura Carlin Mattiacci is a partner and member of Console Mattiacci Law, LLC. Ms. Mattiacci has devoted her practice to employment law for 19 years, has been a shareholder for 10 years, is well-recognized as a leading employment trial attorney, and has developed an extraordinary record of courtroom achievement. Contact: mattiacci@consolelaw.com; (212) 545-7676

John McKnight is a Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and a Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower & Qui Tam Practice Group. Since joining the firm, he has been named to Lawdragon’s 2021 500 Leading Plaintiff, Employment, & Civil Rights Lawyers. At Sanford Heisler Sharp, John’s practice has focused on representing corporate whistleblowers who have exposed securities fraud and banking misconduct. He has also worked with clients alleging government contract procurement fraud and other corporate malfeasance. A member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars, John regularly speaks on panels for the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and Taxpayers Against Fraud. Contact: jmcknight@sanfordheisler.com; (202) 499-5217

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Ellen J. Messing is a partner in the Newton firm of Messing, Rudavsky & Weliky, P.C. A cum laude graduate of Harvard University and Boston University School of Law, Ms. Messing concentrates her practice in representing employees in employment litigation, including wrongful termination, discrimination, contract, sexual harassment, and federal and other public employee matters. Recognized by her peers as a national leader among employment lawyers, she served for 15 years, including four as National Secretary, on the Board of Directors of the National Employment Lawyers Association, as co-chair of NELA’s Ethics and Sanctions Committee, and co-founded NELA’s Massachusetts chapter. Elected as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2000, Ms. Messing also served on the Advisory Council to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Evaluation of the Rules of Professional Conduct (Ethics 2000 Commission), where she led a coalition of civil rights organizations that successfully lobbied for reform of the ABA’s Model Rule of Professional Conduct 4.2 in 2002. That same year, she and her firm won a hard-fought decision from the Supreme Judicial Court interpreting Rule 4.2 favorably for Massachusetts plaintiffs and their attorneys. A national consultant to other employment lawyers on ethics and Massachusetts employment law, Ms. Messing authored the chapter, “The Ethical Constraints on Talking to Potential Witnesses” in the book Representing Plaintiffs in Title VII Actions. Contact: emessing@mrwemploymentlaw.com; (617) 742-0004

Marjorie Mesidor is a Partner at Phillips and Associates, representing plaintiffs in sexual harassment and discrimination cases. She regularly goes against Fortune 500 companies with over $40 million dollars in settlements and verdicts. She is known for her role as the lead attorney on a landmark case regarding same-race discrimination. Her work was recognized by the Office of the Public Advocate. Her $2.31 million verdicts for a race claim are listed on the U.S.’s Top 50 Employment Verdicts of 2018. She is a Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorney in NY and a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association. Contact: mmesidor@tpglaws.com; (516) 365-3731

Jennifer Mondino is Director of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, at the National Women’s Law Center. She has been part of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund team since August 2018, shortly after the Fund’s creation. Ms. Mondino’s legal career has focused on civil rights and gender justice issues, particularly litigation and legal advocacy on behalf of immigrant women and survivors of gender-based violence. Her previous legal experience includes working with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project in New York City, and the international law firm Mayer Brown LLP. She received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law and B.S. from the University of Virginia. Contact: jmondino@nwlc.org; (202) 588-5180

Darth Newman is a skilled trial attorney with more than a decade of litigation experience in complex commercial and plaintiff-side whistleblower cases. He has tried shareholder disputes, fraud, insider dealing, and fiduciary duty matters worth millions of dollars. He has also represented whistleblowers from across the country helping to shed light on all manner of fraud against the government from dangerous healthcare systems, devices, and doctors to government contracting and loan fraud. Darth’s trial experience includes a federal jury trial, a Delaware Chancery Court trial, and a range of other state court trials and arbitrations. An active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Darth is the past Chair of the Professional Ethics Committee and an elected member of the Council of the Federal Court Section. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Professional Ethics and Federal Practice Committees. Nationally, he is a member of Taxpayers Against Fraud, a public interest non-profit organization dedicated to fighting fraud against the government. Before opening his own firm, Darth worked at national and regional firms and helped start two litigation boutiques. Contact: darth@dnewmanlaw.com; (412) 436-3443

In 2009, Laura Noble founded The Noble Law, a recognized leader in employment law, to deliver positive outcomes for clients and catalyze broader change in employment law and society. The Noble Law is committed to leveling the field of employment law by providing exceptional representation for individuals through focus on the firm’s core values: collaboration, leadership, empathy, integrity, and innovation. Laura is a seasoned litigator and also resolves employment disputes in her capacity as a certified mediator. Contact: ln@thenoblelaw.com; (919) 251-6008

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Kimberly Jade Norwood is the Henry H. Oberschelp Professor of Law at Washington University School of Law. She teaches a range of courses from personal injury classes to education law and policy as well as a course on Implicit Bias in Life and the Legal Profession. She has taught in China, Japan, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, and has supervised public interest externships in Ghana and Kenya. She also conducts implicit bias workshops and DEI work around the country, and was among the group of national experts advising Starbucks on the company’s implicit bias programming. Professor Norwood is currently a Commissioner on the Missouri Supreme Court Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness; and is a member of the Monitoring Team for the U.S. v. Ferguson Consent Decree. She has served as a Commissioner on the American Bar Association’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession and on the Commission on Diversity and Inclusion 360. She is a member of the American Law Institute, a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation, and has various other community affiliations. Contact: norwood@wustl.edu; 314-935-6416

Lawrence A. Organ tries sex and race harassment cases. He has tried the largest race harassment and sex harassment (at the time) verdicts in American history. His six-lawyer firm, the California Civil Rights Law Group, focuses its energies on these two important areas of civil rights employment practice. He typically represents low wage workers against their corporate employers and also works with other firms to assist with trial and trial preparation. The National Trial Lawyers named Lawrence the Trial Lawyer of the Year for his verdict in the Owen Diaz v. Tesla case. Contact: larry@civilrightsca.com; (415) 302-2901

Nora C. Ostrofe, MBA CEA CVA, is a forensic economist who calculates economic damages in a wide variety of practice areas: business interruption, business valuation, class action (product liability and FELA and state wage and hour), elder abuse, employment (Fair Pay Act, Federal whistleblower, FELA and state wage and hour, and wrongful termination), marital dissolution, mortgage fraud, pension and stock option valuation, and personal injury (asbestos, Jones Act, life care plan valuation, medical malpractice, wrongful death) litigation. She is retained frequently as a damages expert in employment cases. She has testified as an expert witness in depositions, arbitrations, and trials, and has served as a consultant in settlement negotiations. She has qualified to testify in Alaska, California, Iowa, and Washington superior courts and in Federal Court. Ms. Ostrofe regularly teaches CLE classes in valuing economic damages. Ms. Ostrofe has a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from St. Mary’s College, and a Certificate in Accounting from the University of California, Berkeley, where she also received a teaching credential in English and Social Science. Contact: nostrofe@jsheld.com; (510) 740-0376

Kendall N. Onyendu is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP in New York, where she represents employees in litigation and negotiation in all areas of employment law, including matters involving whistleblower and individual discrimination claims, compensation (and bonus) disputes, and contractual violations. Prior to joining Outten & Golden, Ms. Onyendu worked at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs where her practice focused on employment justice. Ms. Onyendu received her B.A. from the University of Southern California, her M.A. from Columbia University, and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. She is a member of NELA/New York’s Legislative Committee, an American Constitution Society Next Generation Leader, and former board member of Equal Justice Works. Contact: konyendu@outtengolden.com; (212) 245-1000

Anna Y. Park is the Regional Attorney for the Los Angeles District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Ms. Park is one of fifteen Regional Attorneys tasked nationally to oversee and direct all employment discrimination litigation on behalf of the EEOC in her vast region which covers Southern California, Central California, Nevada, and the Pacific, which includes Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Since joining the EEOC, Ms. Park has brought influential cases, receiving large monetary awards and designing comprehensive and innovative injunctive relief remedies to eliminate discrimination in the workplace. She has also brought significant sexual harassment cases spanning a myriad of industries, including agriculture, construction, trucking, gaming, entertainment, garment, hospitality, food and beverage, travel, and janitorial services and was featured on PBS’s Frontline: “Rape on the Night Shift”. Contact: anna.park@eeoc.gov; (213) 894-1080

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Lawrence M. Pearson is a Partner at Wigdor LLP, a prominent employment litigation firm well known for representing plaintiffs in some of the most high-profile discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual assault cases of the last decade. Larry has over 20 years of experience in the field and has represented thousands of employees in legal matters involving discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation, executive compensation, wage and hour violations, and other workplace issues. He has handled many complex and widely publicized matters against powerful corporations and individuals, and currently represents several women in high-profile gender and race discrimination lawsuits against Amazon, as well as a Black, transgender former Broadway actor in a highprofile discrimination case against Hamilton the Musical. Before he joined Wigdor LLP, Larry spent 10 years as a management-side employment attorney advising businesses on their workplace policies and compliance, internal investigations, dispute resolution, recruiting and hiring practices and many other workplace issues. He graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in Political Science and received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law. Contact: lpearson@wigdorlaw.com; (212) 257-6800

Rebecca Peterson-Fisher is a Partner with Liu PetersonFisher LLP. She has litigated individual cases and multi-million-dollar class actions involving a range of legal issues, including employment discrimination, discrimination in educational institutions, constitutional rights, and wage and hour violations. Ms. Peterson-Fisher was named in 2020 and 2021 to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment & Civil Rights Lawyers guide, a national list created through nominations and independent journalistic research and vetted by peers and adversaries. She was recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a Southern California Rising Star in 2015 and 2016, as a Northern California Rising Star in 2018 and 2019, and as a Northern California Super Lawyer from 2020-2022. Ms. Peterson-Fisher was the Chair of the Alameda County Bar Association Labor & Employment Section Executive Committee in 2021 and continues to serve on the committee. Contact: rpetersonfisher@liulawpc.com; (650) 461-9000

Nina T. Pirrotti is a partner with the law firm of Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald & Pirrotti P.C. Nina represents individuals in employment and civil rights litigation and negotiation. A past president of the Connecticut Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) for approximately a decade and a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association’s Board, Nina is well versed in all aspects of employment law. Nina also litigates on behalf of students and faculty seeking to discharge their rights under Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination and harassment in educational institutions receiving federal funds. Nina has received many honors for her advocacy on behalf of employees. Nina speaks and writes frequently on a variety of employment related topics, with a particular emphasis of late on sexual harassment and sexual assault cases and the impact the #MeToo movement has had on how those cases are perceived and litigated. In 2015, Nina was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut to serve as a member of the Local Civil Rules Advisory Committee and served in that capacity for four years. In addition to her service on NELA’s Board, Nina is a member of CT-NELA, NY-NELA, and NC-NELA. Contact: npirrotti@garrisonlaw.com; (203) 777-4425

Anna P. Prakash is a partner at the law firm of Nichols Kaster in Minneapolis and one of the leaders of the firm’s Civil Rights and Impact Litigation practice group. Her practice focuses on complex class and multiplaintiff actions on behalf of protected groups. Over the course of her time at the firm, Anna has led the firm’s National Consumer Class Action practice group, been a member of the firm’s National Wage & Hour practice group, authored and argued class and individual appeals at the state and federal level, and worked consistently to pursue just causes and obtain meaningful relief on behalf of her clients. Anna is also involved in numerous professional organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors of the People’s Parity Project, as well as the Board of Directors of the Public Justice Foundation, a nationwide charitable organization supporting highimpact lawsuits to combat social and economic injustice. Anna is also a member of Twin Cities Diversity and Practice’s Professional Development Committee and a member of the Nominating Committee for the National Association of Consumer Advocates. Anna previously served as the employee/union-side co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Occupational Safety and Health Committee, on the Board of Directors of Standpoint, an organization that exists to serve domestic and sexual violence survivors, advocates, attorneys, and other professionals working within the justice system in Minnesota, and is also a past board member of the

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Minnesota Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association. Anna is a frequent speaker at national legal seminars and an adjunct professor of legal writing at the University of Minnesota Law School. Contact: aprakash@nka.com; (612) 256-3200

Harry Plotkin is a nationally-renowned jury consultant based in Los Angeles who works exclusively with plaintiffs in consumer and employment cases. When the best trial lawyers in California (and many others across the country) go to trial, they call Harry. He has helped trial lawyers win some of the biggest and most difficult verdicts in nearly every state and has selected over 60 eight-figure verdicts in the past 8 years… with 9 eightfigure nuclear verdicts since 2020, including $137 million against Tesla in October 2020 and $102.5 million in a sex abuse trial in March 2021. Contact: harry@yournextjury.com; (626) 975-4457

Rebecca G. Pontikes, the founder of Pontikes Law, LLC, represents employees in all areas of employment law, specializing in gender and family responsibility (caregiver) discrimination, sexual harassment, negotiation of employment contracts and separation agreements, noncompetition agreements, retaliation and whistleblower claims (in all sectors, including the government and financial sectors), violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and violations of the wage statutes. Ms. Pontikes regularly speaks on employment law topics for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, bar associations, groups representing employees, and organizations that promote women’s rights in the workplace. She is an active member of the Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association, an association of attorneys who focus on representing employees and currently co-chairs the Amicus Committee. In the past, she has served on the Boards of Directors of Deana’s Fund, an organization devoted to educating against dating violence through educational theater, and the Greater Boston Chapter of the National Organization for Women. She was selected by her peers as a “SuperLawyer” Rising Star in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 and as a “SuperLawyer” in 2013 and 2014. Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly named her a Top Woman of Law in 2012. SuperLawyers named her one of the Top 50 Women SuperLawyers in Massachusetts in 2014. She graduated from Tufts University, magna cum laude in 1994, and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1997. In her free time, she is a political activist, particularly on behalf of the underprivileged, reads, watches movies, and writes letters to the editor. Contact: rpontikes@pontikeslawllc.com; (617) 357-1888

*Brian S. Quinn is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges, and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental health disorders. Mr. Quinn obtained his undergraduate degree in 1970, his law degree in 1973, and a certificate in Drug and Alcohol counselling in 2012, all from Villanova University. Prior to accepting his position with Lawyers concerned for Lawyers in 2017, Mr. Quinn was engaged in private practice for nearly 40 years, handling a variety of civil and criminal matters. Mr. Quinn has also worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counselling at Mirmont Treatment Center and Malvern Institute in suburban Philadelphia. Mr. Quinn is a past member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania and served as a peer volunteer for over six years prior to accepting his current role as the organization’s Educator. As LCL’s Educator, Mr. Quinn has conducted CLE presentations for Bar Associations, private law firms, and professional organizations in Pennsylvania, as well as for National CLE providers, on a variety of topics in the fields of Lawyer wellness and impairment in the legal profession. Contact: brian@lclpa.org; (717) 737-9660 Ext. 107

Phillis h. Rambsy is the owner of RAMBSY LAW PC, a law firm which is based in Nashville, Tennessee and serves clients in Tennessee, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky. Phillis’ legal practice is primarily focused on representing workers in matters of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and breach of contract. She also assists workers in the negotiation of employment contracts and severance agreements. Phillis’ commitment to working on behalf of workers is part of her overall commitment to eradicate systemic injustice in all realms of society. Her professional mantra is based on the edict to “seek justice, defend the oppressed.” Phillis earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Spelman College, a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School. Contact: phillis@rambsylaw.com; (615) 669-6944

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Brian T. Rochel is an experienced employment lawyer who represents employees in trial, litigation, and arbitration in all types of employment claims. Brian has dedicated his career to fighting for employees. He has achieved great results for his clients including several jury verdicts and favorable outcomes in appellate decisions. In addition to winning at trial, Brian obtains favorable results for his clients in negotiating severance offers, executive compensation, and employment contracts. Brian has served on the boards of several organizations, including Minnesota NELA and Eighth Circuit NELA. In addition, Brian has taught multiple law school classes, and regularly presents at CLEs on employment law. Contact: rochel@kitzerrochel.com; (612) 767-0520

Alexis H. Ronickher is a partner at Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, a nationally prominent plaintiffs’ employment law and whistleblower firm. Her practice focuses on representing clients in complex, often high-profile, employment and whistleblower matters, including sexual harassment and civil rights discrimination and retaliation, as well as whistleblower protection in a broad range of areas including financial, cybersecurity, healthcare, and other industries. As part of her whistleblower practice, she represents clients pursuing qui tam claims under the False Claims Act and whistleblower tips through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rewards program. Contact: ronickher@kmblegal.com; (202) 299-1140

Rebecca L. Salawdeh has practiced exclusively in the area of plaintiffs’ employment litigation for the past twenty-two years. Since 2007, she has been a solo attorney with Salawdeh Law Office, LLC. Rebecca has been a member of the Wisconsin Employment Lawyers Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association since 1996. She served on NELA’s Board for twelve years and is a past Executive Secretary. Rebecca was the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Workers’ Rights from its inception in 2008 until 2018 and is now immediate past President. Rebecca currently serves on NELA’s Judicial Nominations Committee as the Seventh Circuit Representative, the Joint NELA Institute Fundraising Committee, and is a Co-Chair of NELA’s Pro Bono Committee. In 2000, Rebecca, in conjunction with others, helped to form the Milwaukee Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic and continues to volunteer with Legal Action of Wisconsin’s Unemployment Compensation Appeals Clinic. Contact: rebecca@salawdehlaw.com; (414) 455-0117 Born and raised in Dallas, Elizabeth “BB” Sanford, graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, a Masters in Divinity from Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Juris Doctor from Baylor University School of Law. BB was the first person at Baylor to graduate with a joint Divinity and Law degree. Before attending law school BB served as a music and youth minister. Her heart has always been on the side of justice and individual civil rights. She is proud and feels called to represent workers who are wrongfully terminated. She practices with her father, Brian Sanford, making the world a better place one case at a time. Contact: esanford@sanfordfirm.com; (469) 231-7233

Brian P. Sanford exclusively represents plaintiffs in employment and civil rights cases. Located in Dallas, Brian is a long-time member of NELA and its Texas affiliate, TELA. He is a Dean with the Keenan Trial Institute, instructing trial lawyers in Opening Statements and Witness Preparation, and moderating its Employment Group Listserv. He practices with his daughter, BB Sanford, making the world a better place one case at a time. Contact: bsanford@sanfordfirm.com; (214) 717-6653

Professor Eric Schnapper, who joined the University of Washington Law School faculty in 1995, teaches Civil Rights, Civil Procedure, and Employment Discrimination. He served for twenty-five years as an assistant counsel to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., specializing in appellate litigation and legislative activities. In 2010-11 Professor Schnapper argued three U.S. Supreme Court cases: Staub v. Proctor Hospital, Thompson v. North American Stainless, and Borough of Duryea, Pennsylvania v. Guarnieri. In addition, he has handled more than eighty Supreme Court cases, including Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway v. White (2006) and Ash v. Tyson Foods, Inc. (2006), Kolstad v. ADA (1999), Bogan v. Scott-Harris (1998), Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Oil (1998), Faragher v. Boca Raton (1998), and Burlington Industries v. Ellerth (1998). Professor Schnapper’s articles on constitutional law and civil rights have appeared in law reviews published by Harvard, Columbia, Virginia, Stanford, and other law schools. He was the recipient of a Marshall Scholarship for study at Oxford University in 1963-65, served as articles editor of the Yale Law Journal, and clerked for the California Supreme Court. Contact: schnapp@uw.edu; (206) 616-3167

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Christian Schreiber is a founding partner of Olivier & Schreiber LLP. Chris represents individuals in class action and collective action cases involving employment, civil rights, consumer law, and financial services matters. He has litigated cases across the United States, and also handles individual employment and civil rights cases, as well as Qui Tam and whistleblower cases. Chris has prosecuted class action cases across the country and has helped to achieve settlements on behalf of consumers and workers in wage-and-hour, discrimination, product liability, financial fraud, and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) cases. He is also an active member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), where he serves on CELA’s Legislative Committee and Wage and Hour Committee and helped found and served as an editor for the organization’s blog, CELA VOICE. Chris has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Northern California Super Lawyers magazine for the last six years (2013-2018). He was named a “Rising Star” in 2012. Chris is a graduate of University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Prior to law school, he worked in Sacramento as a legislative aide in the Legislature, where he served as Chief Investigator for the State Senate Select Committee to Investigate Price Manipulation of the Wholesale Energy Market. Contact: christian@osclegal.com; (415) 381-5599

A smart and tenacious litigator, Bryan J. Schwartz has represented clients’ interests before a wide range of adjudicative bodies: from the United States District Court to the United States Courts of Appeals; from California Superior Courts to the California Supreme Court; from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to the Merit Systems Protection Board; from the United States Department of Labor to labor arbitration before the American Arbitration Association and other organizations. Mr. Schwartz has helped many grateful clients get their careers back on track after employer wrongdoing derailed them, obtaining tens of millions in recovery for employees across the country. Mr. Schwartz is one of California’s most prolific speakers and authors on employment law subjects. He has presented often to the State Bar, the National Employment Lawyers Association, CELA, and elsewhere, from NPR’s “Your Legal Rights” radio show to the ABA’s Commission on Disability Rights, to the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, to JAMS (the arbitration and mediation provider). His articles have been published in the California Labor and Employment Law Review, Plaintiff Magazine, and other media. The firm’s blog is a resource for jurists, attorneys, and workers nationwide. Contact: Bryan@BryanSchwartzLaw.com; (888) 891-8489

Jennifer Schwartz a partner at Outten & Golden LLP and heads the individual practice in the San Francisco office. She represents employees exclusively in a wide range of employment matters, including litigation in state and federal trial courts, before administrative agencies, and in appellate courts. Ms. Schwartz has been repeatedly nominated by her peers as a Super Lawyer and has been named a Top Woman Attorney in Northern California. She serves as a FINRA arbitrator. She serves on the Board of Equal Rights Advocates. Ms. Schwartz is a graduate of Yale University and N.Y.U. School of Law, having completed her third year at Stanford School of Law. Ms. Schwartz’s employment practice focuses on claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and violation of state and federal wage and hour laws. She represents whistleblowers and individuals who have experienced adverse employment action as a result of opposing illegal or unethical corporate practices. She boasts successful resolution of pre- and post-employment conflicts short of litigation using a collaborative approach with her client’s employers. Contact: jschwartz@outtengolden.com; (415) 638-8800

P. Bobby Shukla represents plaintiffs in employment litigation at Shukla Law. She is named to Northern California’s Top 100 and Top 50 Women lists by Super Lawyers. In 2020, she was a finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year from the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and the Board of the Bay Area Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. She is also a recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services. Contact: bshukla@shuklalawfirm.com; (415) 412-5667

Adria Lynn Silva is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Miami School of Law. Ms. Silva currently represents employees and students in Title IX sex discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases throughout the State of Florida. She has represented students regarding a variety of Title IX issues including pregnancy discrimination, access to athletics, harassment, and retaliation against high

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

schools, vocational schools, and universities, and she has represented professors, teachers, and coaches with gender, equal pay, and retaliation claims against universities and high schools. Ms. Silva was on the executive board of the Florida Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (Florida NELA) for seven years and served as the 2009-2010 President. Contact: adrialynnsilva@aol.com; (239) 571-2855

Dara S. Smith is a senior attorney at AARP Foundation Litigation whose practice focuses on employee benefits and age and disability discrimination against older workers. Dara previously worked at the U.S. Department of Justice as an appellate attorney in the Civil Division, and as an attorney advisor at the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Dara also taught Scholarly Writing and Legal Research and Writing at George Washington University Law School from 2008 until 2017. Dara earned a B.A. in linguistics and cultural anthropology at the University of Michigan and her J.D. at George Washington University Law School. She is originally from College Station, Texas, and she holds a second degree black belt in taekwondo. Contact: dsmith@aarp.org; (202) 434-6280

Sherry D. Soanes is a lawyer, educator, and advocate for an inclusive world. She came to the law after spending time as an early childhood educator, and social science researcher on a longitudinal study that observed the effects of multigenerational poverty on African American families in Baltimore, Maryland. She has twenty-five years as a legal advocate both in the private and public sector, which included defending Fortune 500 companies in employment discrimination suits. Currently, in her role with the Department of Justice she is responsible for the professional development of the attorneys in her section. In addition to being a lawyer, Ms. Soanes teaches a course at The American University that aims to give students the tools they need to engage in discourse around issues of historical and current structures of power, privilege, and inequality. She also serves on the University’s President’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion. Using her familiarity with the corporate and institutional world, and merging her professional experience with antiracist pedagogy, she founded a company BLS Inclusion Mentors, LLC named after her mother who she credits as teaching her to actively work towards ensuring the human rights of others. Through her company she raises awareness of the historical underpinnings of structural racism through courses and speaking engagements. Ms. Soanes received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from The American University, Washington College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Howard University. She is a member of the Virginia bar, admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, and was sworn in as a Solicitor of England and Wales in 2008. Contact: ssoanes@american.edu; (202) 274-4000

Rachhana T. Srey is a partner at Nichols Kaster, PLLP whose practice is primarily dedicated to wage and hour class and collective actions. She has represented a wide variety of workers, including those who work in the health, insurance, financial services, communications, retail, manufacturing, and security industries, for over 16 years. Rachhana is the Co-Chair of the NELA’s Wage & Hour Practice Group and DOL Working Group, and Board President of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. Contact: srey@nka.com; (612) 256-3200

Michael C. Subit is a partner at the Seattle law firm of Frank Freed Subit & Thomas LLP. For almost 30 years, he has represented plaintiffs in employment cases and unions in labor matters. He is a graduate of Yale University, summa cum laude, and Stanford Law School, with honors, where he was a member of the law review. He is a former law clerk to Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Judge William Wayne Justice of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Washington Law & Politics has for the past 21 years named Mike one of Washington’s “Super Lawyers” and he has been repeatedly named one of the “Top 100 Super Lawyers” in the state. He is also listed in Best Lawyers in America and Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. Contact: msubit@frankfreed.com; (206) 682-6711

Beth Terrell is a member of Terrell Marshall Law Group, PLLC (“TMLG”). Concentrating her practice in complex litigation, including the prosecution of class actions on behalf of consumers and employees, Ms. Terrell routinely serves as co-lead counsel on multistate and nationwide class actions. She also represents individual employees including those who have suffered from race, gender, age, marital status, and disability discrimination. She frequently works with executives negotiating compensation plans, employment contracts,

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

and severance agreements with Fortune 500 companies. Ms. Terrell has successfully tried cases in both state and federal court. In addition to her litigation and trial work, she also counsels small and medium sized companies facing personnel and human resource issues and has represented both employees and employers in restrictive covenant litigation. Prior to founding TMLG, Ms. Terrell was a member of Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC, where she practiced litigation for twelve years. She is a frequent speaker at legal conferences on a wide variety of topics, including consumer class actions, employment litigation, and electronic discovery. Ms. Terrell has been often recognized as a “Super Lawyer,” was named one of the “Top 50 Washington Women Super Lawyers” of 2012 and 2013, and has been awarded an “AV” rating in Martindale Hubbell by her peers, a rating denoting the highest legal ability and ethical standards. Contact: bterrell@terrellmarshall.com; (206) 816-6605

Vincent Tong is a plaintiffs’ employment and business attorney based in Oakland, California. His firm, TONG LAW, represents employees in employment discrimination and wrongful termination disputes and plaintiffs in business-to-business disputes. He also advises businesses on developing and scaling their ventures. In his 12 years of practice, Vincent has negotiated favorable settlements on behalf of his clients while successfully completing three jury trials. Vincent serves his legal community as the Past President of the Alameda County Bar Association and sits on the Executive Board for the California Employment Lawyers Association. Vincent is an active member of the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, serving as the Chair-Elect for the Plaintiff’s Practice Standing Committee, the Chair-Elect for the Solo and Small Firm Task Force, and the Social Media and Technology Chair for the Business Litigation General Committee. Since 2015, Vincent has been consistently selected to Super Lawyers - Rising Star, and as of 2021, selected to Super Lawyers. Contact: vincent@tong-law.com; (510) 371-7835

Neelima Vanguri is an associate at the Philadelphia law firm of Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C. Her practice, as well as that of the law firm, is exclusively concentrated in the representation of both employees and employers in all aspects of employment related ligation, including claims under federal and state anti-discrimination statutes. Prior to her employment at Sidney L. Gold & Associates, P.C., Ms. Vanguri gained experience advocating for clients through her employment at a prestigious Philadelphia boutique litigation firm. Ms. Vanguri additionally gained a great deal of knowledge of Employment Law through her position as a Conwell Research Fellow in Employment Discrimination Law. Ms. Vanguri received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University in 2006, and earned a J.D. from Temple University – James E. Beasley School of Law in 2009. In 2018, Ms. Vanguri was named 2018 Attorney of the Year by The Legal Intelligencer, honored for her pioneering work on the transgender rights case Blatt v. Cabela’s Retail. Ms. Vanguri is a Co-Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Women in the Profession Committee. Contact: nvanguri@discrimlaw.net; (215) 569-1999

Christine E. Webber is a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, and Co-Chair of the Civil Rights & Employment group. She represents workers in wage and hour cases and employees in race and sex discrimination class actions nationwide. Currently Ms. Webber is representing women with sex discrimination pay claims against Bloomberg News, women FBI agent-trainees who were discriminatorily dismissed from basic training at Quantico, and both home care workers and sheepherders pursuing wage and hour claims. Previously, she was one of class counsel representing women in Dukes v. WalMart Stores Inc., and has continued to assist members of the decertified class. She speaks and writes regularly on employment litigation issues, is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, and co-chair of the Class Action Committee of NELA. Prior to joining Cohen Milstein in 1997, she received a Women’s Law and Public Policy fellowship which funded the first of her four years at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in their Equal Employment Opportunity Project. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Hubert L. Will, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 1991-93. She received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School after graduating from Harvard University, A.B. magna cum laude in Government. Contact: cwebber@cohenmilstein.com; (202) 408-4600

Austin Webbert is an Associate at Sanford, Heisler, Sharp. Austin received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree cum laude and with Honors from the University of Miami. While at the University of Michigan Law School, Austin was awarded an Equal Justice America Fellowship, served as an Executive Editor and published a comment

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

with the Michigan Journal of Race and Law, and worked as a student attorney for the law school’s Civil-Criminal Litigation Clinic, Unemployment Insurance Clinic, and Environmental Law Clinic. While at the University of Miami, Austin was chosen for the Robert F. Levine Award for Excellence in Latin American Studies. He was also the co-founder of a student organization to advance educational opportunity in Haiti. A member of the Maryland, District of Columbia, and Maine bars, Austin has co-authored an article that appeared in the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. Austin is also a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association. Before joining Sanford Heisler Sharp, Austin was an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, where he gained significant experience in housing and consumer law. When Austin is not lawyering, he enjoys hiking, especially in his home state of Maine, and traveling throughout Latin America, while often failing spectacularly at Salsa dancing. Contact: awebbert@sanfordheisler.com; (410) 834-7418

Ashley O. Westby is a Colorado native, and the daughter of two blue collar workers who taught her the importance of workers’ rights. Ashley received her B.A. magna cum laude in Political Science from The George Washington University, and her J.D. cum laude from The American University, Washington College of Law. Prior to joining NELA as Program Manager, Ashley worked with the Federal Aviation Administration, Labor and Employment Law division, and as a Project Manager for the Department of Health and Human Services. In her free time, Ashley belly dances. Contact: awestby@nelahq.org; (202) 898-2880

Benjamin F. Westhoff focuses his practice on employment law and personal injury law on behalf of individuals. Ben began his career as an employment lawyer for a large St. Louis corporate law firm, but decided in 2006 that he wanted to represent individuals faced with employment problems and serious personal injuries. Since then, Ben has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for victims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and other unfair employment practices. His recent results include a judgment for $828,436 following a jury trial for a Lebanese Muslim immigrant who was harassed and retaliated against while working as a Corrections Officer at a prison in Fulton, Missouri. He also recently recovered $400,000 for a young couple injured in car crash caused by a drunk driver; and $350,000 for three older workers who asserted age discrimination claims arising out of their discharges by a hospital system. Contact: bwesthoff@sedeyharper.com; (314) 773-3566

Deborah Widiss is a Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Her research and teaching focuses on employment law, statutory interpretation, and family law. She has received several awards and grants for her research, including the Association of American Law Schools’ (AALS) Outstanding Scholarly Paper award. She has previously served as chair of the AALS Employment Discrimination Section and as a member of the executive committee of the AALS Legislation Section. Professor Widiss has been quoted as an expert on issues relating to employment discrimination, same-sex marriage, and domestic violence by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post. Prior to transitioning to academia, Professor Widiss practiced employment and education law. She received a J.D. and B.A. from Yale University. Contact: dwidiss@indiana.edu; (812) 856-1435

Described as having “something approaching rock star status” in her field by The New York Times Magazine, Joan C. Williams has played a central role in reshaping the conversation about work, gender, and class over the past quarter century. Professor Williams is a Distinguished Professor of Law, Hastings Foundation Chair, and Founding Director of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, Hastings Law. She is the eleventh most cited scholar in her field and is the author or co-author of 12 books and over 100 academic articles. Professor Williams’ path-breaking work helped create the field of work-family studies and modern workplace flexibility policies. She pioneered the legal theories that prohibit workplace discrimination against mothers, adopted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its 2007 and 2015 Enforcement Guidances. Contact: williams@uchastings.edu; (415) 565-4706

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

Mariko Yoshihara is the Policy Director and Legislative Counsel for the California Employment Lawyers Association. In her role, she leads and organizes legislative efforts to strengthen workers’ rights in California. In 2018, she helped pass comprehensive sexual harassment reform measures, giving California the strongest sexual harassment laws in the nation. She also helped pass the landmark Fair Pay Act in 2015 and subsequent equal pay legislation banning inquiries into prior salary and requiring large employers to submit pay data reports to the state. Last year she helped pass SB 1383 (Jackson), giving over 6 million more workers the right to take job-protected family leave. Before joining CELA, Mariko interned for the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, analyzing labor and employment law bills for the California state legislature. She also worked for Assembly Member Swanson and Assembly Member Fuentes as a legislative aide. Mariko graduated cum laude from UC Hastings College of the Law and summa cum laude from San Jose State University where she also played Division I soccer. Mariko serves on the boards of ACLU of Northern California and ACLU California Action. She was also the founding board chair of the Sacramento non-profit, the Center for Workers’ Rights. In her spare time Mariko likes to cook, travel, run, and play soccer and volleyball. Contact: mariko@cela.org; (916) 340-5084 Rasha Zeyadeh is a trial attorney in the Dallas office of Rob Wiley, P.C. Ms. Zeyadeh is an aggressive advocate for employee rights who understands that workplace disputes can be the cause of one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Ms. Zeyadeh is dedicated to ensuring that her clients’ rights are protected, and that justice is served. Ms. Zeyadeh represents employees with various claims, including claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 1981, and Section 451 of the Texas Labor Code. Ms. Zeyadeh received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas State University, where she graduated with Magna Cum Laude. Following her undergraduate education, Ms. Zeyadeh went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. Ms. Zeyadeh is Palestinian and grew up in Amman, Jordan. She recently became a naturalized American Citizen. Her journey to the American dream caught the attention of the Department of Homeland Security – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, who have asked her to become a regular keynote speaker at various naturalization ceremonies. Contact: rzeyadeh@robwiley.com; (214) 528-6500

* Speaker unable to attend