Mae Villanueva Wage and Hour Mediator
Mae has assisted hundreds of plaintiffs and defendants in various litigated disputes in California. During her career, Mae has assisted parties in cases involving workplace discrimination and harassment, individual, multi-party, and class-action wage, and hour claims, construction matters, harassment, civil harassment – restraining orders, and landlord-tenant disputes. Over the years, she has worked with hundreds of people involved in civil claims filed in court and administrative agencies such as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Over the years she attended many mediations and was astounded by how effective it was in resolving even the most intractable disputes. Her experience inspired and convinced her to pursue a Master's Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from one of the best dispute resolution programs in the United States, California State University Dominguez Hills. In addition, Mae received extensive training from the prestigious Pepperdine University's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Mediating the Litigated Case program. Mae has been a mediator for the Superior Court of Alameda County and a community dialogue facilitator for California State University Dominguez Hills' Peace in Education Initiative. Dedicated to providing equitable outcomes for all parties, Mae believes disputing parties can reach mutually beneficial solutions if parties come to the table thoroughly prepared and ready to negotiate in good faith. Mediated Cases: Employment
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A wage and hour case of four caregivers of a nursing home facility claimed they were potentially owed $120,000 each for unpaid overtime wages. The case was mediated before a claim was filed in court or with the DLSE. A wage and hour case was filed by a caregiver of a residential care facility. She claimed she was owed $215,000 of unpaid overtime wages and liquidated damages. A wrongful termination case was filed against a major retail company for requesting to take certain days off so he can comply with his religious belief. Sexual harassment claim made by a 3-year employee filed a workplace restraining order against her employer who was arrested for physically assaulting her.
Construction
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Owner of apartment complex claimed that the contract worker he hired breached the construction contract when the contractor failed to complete the project on time. Homeowner claimed that the Homeowners Association hired a contractor to do work on her condominium and did not complete the job in a good and workmanlike manner.
Landlord/Tenant, HOA, Neighbor Dispute
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Discrimination and harassment claimed against the HOA by a tenant. The tenant filed a restraining order against an HOA member claiming the HOA was imposing outdated rules and that she was singled out because of her race. Tenant claimed that the landlord failed to return the tenant's security deposit. The landlord filed a cross-complaint for property damages caused by the tenant. Neighbors in conflict for several years over various issues filed restraining orders against each other for claims of gardening tool noise and privacy violation when home security cameras were directly pointed at the window next door.
Torts and Personal Injury
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Defamation claim made against an attorney by a former defendant. The former defendant claimed that when the case was published online he suffered harm to his reputation.
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A municipality claimed that an individual damaged its property when a private citizen crashed into the city's vehicle. Auto accident on the freeway that caused vehicles to crash into multiple vehicles. The driver that caused the accident and his insurance carrier sought to structure a resolution.
(She/Her) Commercial Mediator I Help Individuals and Businesses Resolve Disputes.
Knowledgeable, Tenacious, and Empathetic Mae has assisted both plaintiffs and defendants in various litigated disputes in California. During her career, Mae has handled cases involving workplace discrimination and harassment, individual, multi-party, and class-action wage and hour claims, construction matters, harassment, and landlord-tenant disputes. Mae has been a litigation analyst for over a decade. Over the years, she has worked with hundreds of diverse clients involved in civil litigation. Her experience with mediation in resolving conflict convinced her of the effectiveness of the process, which inspired her to pursue a Master's Degree in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from California State
University Dominguez Hills. In addition, Mae attended Pepperdine University's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Mediating the Litigated Case program. Mae has been a mediator for the Superior Court of Alameda County and a community dialogue facilitator for California State University Dominguez Hills' Peace in Education Initiative. Dedicated to providing equitable outcomes for all parties, Mae believes disputing parties can reach mutually beneficial solutions if parties come to the table thoroughly prepared and ready to negotiate in good faith. Mediated Cases: Employment
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A wage and hour case of four caregivers of a nursing home facility claimed they were potentially owed $120,000 each for unpaid overtime wages. The case was mediated before a claim was filed in court or with the DLSE. A wage and hour case was filed by a caregiver of a residential care facility. She claimed she was owed $215,000 of unpaid overtime wages and liquidated damages. A wrongful termination case was filed against a major retail company for requesting to take certain days off so he can comply with his religious belief. Sexual harassment claim made by a 3-year employee filed a workplace restraining order against her employer who was arrested for physically assaulting her.
Construction
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Owner of apartment complex claimed that the contract worker he hired breached the construction contract when the contractor failed to complete the project on time. Homeowner claimed that the Homeowners Association hired a contractor to do work on her condominium and did not complete the job in a good and workmanlike manner.
Landlord/Tenant, HOA, Neighbor Dispute
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Discrimination and harassment claimed against the HOA by a tenant. The tenant filed a restraining order against an HOA member claiming the HOA was imposing outdated rules and that she was singled out because of her race.
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Tenant claimed that the landlord failed to return the tenant's security deposit. The landlord filed a cross-complaint for property damages caused by the tenant. Neighbors in conflict for several years over various issues filed restraining orders against each other for claims of gardening tool noise and privacy violation when home security cameras were directly pointed at the window next door.
Torts and Personal Injury
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Defamation claim made against an attorney by a former defendant. The former defendant claimed that when the case was published online he suffered harm to his reputation. A municipality claimed that an individual damaged its property when a private citizen crashed into the city's vehicle. Auto accident on the freeway that caused vehicles to crash into multiple vehicles. The driver that caused the accident and his insurance carrier sought to structure a resolution.
Book a Session Today. Mae Villanueva works with individuals and organizations involved in wage and hour, employment, construction, and landlord-tenant disputes. She is a qualified mediator who uses her
skills to establish mutual understanding and assist parties crafting sustainable solutions amenable to all parties involved. Wage & Hour Mediation Statistics In summary, the median hourly wage for all workers in the United States was $18.54 per hour in 2017. This is a 2.1 percent increase from 2016 and an 8.0 percent increase since 2010. The average hourly wage of all U.S. employees increased by 3.2 percent between 2016 and 2017 to reach $25.44 per hour. Median hourly wages are calculated using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS provides information about the number of people employed in the civilian nonfarm economy as well as their earnings. Median hourly wages are calculated using two different methods: the “median” method and the “average” method. The median method calculates the midpoint of all hourly wages reported in the survey. The average method averages the hourly wages of all workers in the survey. The difference between these two calculations can be significant. For example, if there are only three workers earning $10, $20, and $30 per hour, then the median calculation would show that the middle worker earns $15 per hour while the average calculation shows that the average worker earned $17.50 per hour. What is a Work & Hour Mediation Expert? A work and hour mediation expert (W&H) is someone who has the knowledge, experience, training, skills, and expertise to help you resolve your dispute. A W&H mediator can be an attorney or other professional with years of experience in resolving disputes. They may have worked as a lawyer for many years before becoming a mediator. Or they may have been trained by a reputable organization such as the National Academy of Arbitrators or the American Arbitration Association. How Does a Work & Hour Mediator Help You? Work & Hour Mediators provide impartial assistance to both sides of a dispute. They do not represent either party but rather act as neutral third parties. Their goal is to help you find a mutually acceptable solution to your problem. In some cases, a mediator will help you develop a settlement agreement that you can present to your employer or client. If necessary, the mediator can also help negotiate a contract or other document that you can use to settle your case. In addition to helping you craft a written agreement, a mediator can help you prepare for negotiations with your employer or client. He or she can advise you how to conduct yourself during meetings, what questions to ask, and how to respond when negotiating with others. If you need legal advice, a mediator can also recommend an attorney who specializes in labor law. However, it is important to remember that a mediator does not give legal advice.
Who Can Use a Work & Hour Mediator? Any individual or business entity can hire a work and hour mediator. Individuals include individuals who are self-employed, independent contractors, freelancers, or part-time workers. Businesses include sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, and government entities. When Should I Hire a Work & Hour Mediator? You should consider hiring a work and hour mediating service if you are having difficulty reaching a resolution to a dispute with your employer or client, or if you want to avoid litigation. You might also consider hiring a work and hours mediator if you are involved in a dispute with another employee, coworker, customer, vendor, landlord, or tenant. How Much Do Work & Hour Mediators Cost? Mediators typically charge fees based on their experience level and the complexity of your case.