Emily joined WTK’s Labor & Employment practice in 2013. Her practice focuses on representing employers, large and small, in all aspects of labor and employment law. For over 15 years, she has provided regular counsel to employers on a wide variety of employment-related matters including leaves, accommodations, discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wage-and-hour practices. She conducts comprehensive employment practice analyses for local and national companies, and regularly revises personnel manuals, policies, and employment-related contracts.

In addition to litigating and providing clients with employment-related guidance as needed, Emily trains human resource professionals and management on most aspects of newly developing employment law. She also conducts comprehensive, employment-related audits to ensure employers are appropriately following California and federal employment laws.

Affiliations

• San Diego Best & Brightest, Board Member
• Balboa Park Conservancy, Governance Committee Member, Trustee
• San Diego County Bar Association, Employment Section Member
• American Bar Association-Section of Litigation Employment and Labor Relations Law
• State Bar of California-Labor and Employment Law Section, Member
• Lawyers Club, Member and Nominating Committee Member
• Camp Fire San Diego, President of the Board
• Women and Families Resource Fair, Outreach Committee Co-Chair

Speaking & Publications

• Association of Corporate Counsel: "Is Your Pay Equal?"
• #MeToo & Equal Pay: Addressing Employment Trends in 2018, American Public Power Association's 2018 Business and Finance Conference, September 18, 2018
• Employment Law Update, Various Clients & WTK Annual Seminar, 2015-2017
• Implicit Bias in the Workplace, Association of Corporate Counsel (Employment Roundtable), September 2016
• “California’s Paid Sick Leave Amendments Effective Immediately” Society for Human Resource Management—HR News, July 15, 2015
• California’s Sick Leave Law and Upcoming Legislative Changes, Society for Human Resource Management Webcast, July 2015
• When Reasonable Accommodations are Anything But, Association of Corporate Counsel (Employment Roundtable), March 2015
• Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), February 2015
• Religious Accommodation, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), November 2014
• ADA Masters Class, Business and Legal Resources (BLR), January 2014
• Social Media in the Workplace, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), May 2013
• Romance in the Workplace, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), February 2013, February 2011
• Personnel Law 101, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), July 2012, February 2010
• The Legal Aspects of Risk Management, San Diego Employers Association (SDEA), August 2010
• "2012 Federal Agency Rules, Regulations & Other News" Benders California Labor & Employment Bulletin, January 2013
• "A Silver Bullet Against Wage & Hour Actions" Employment Law 360, July 20, 2009

Representative Matters

• Obtained summary judgment for a Fortune 500 staffing company on a FEHA pregnancy discrimination and failure to accommodate case where the employee alleged she was terminated shortly after announcing her pregnancy
• Member of trial team that secured a defense verdict as well as costs for a Fortune 500 retailer
• Obtained summary judgment that was upheld on appeal for one of the nation’s largest banks
• Granted dismissal on a motion to dismiss for a parcel delivery company on a FEHA disability discrimination claim that was upheld on appeal
• Negotiated favorable settlements for clients in complex single plaintiff discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases
• Negotiated favorable settlements for clients in complex wage and hour class actions cases

Honors and Recognition

• Included in The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law - Management (2024)
• Named in SD Business Journal's Women of Influence in Law (2022)
• Named to the San Diego Super Lawyers - Rising Stars list (2015-2022)
• Named as a finalist for SD Business Journal's Business Women of the Year (2020)
• Named as a winner for SD Business Journal's Next Top Business Leaders Under 40 (2020)
• Named in the The Daily Transcript 40 Under 40 List (2019)
• Named by San Diego Daily Transcript - Young Attorney (2014-2016)