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Kathleen is a veteran civil litigator with two decades of legal practice experience. She represents clients before state and federal courts and agencies and advises on a wide range of employment-related issues, including allegations of discrimination and harassment, restrictive covenants/non-competes, trade secrets, and reductions in force. Employers and employees alike rely on Kathleen to help them navigate the complexities of employment law while shielding their reputation from harm.
When called on to defend employers against damaging claims, Kathleen limits their exposure by swiftly disposing of the case or pursuing forms of alternative dispute resolution. If litigation ensues, however, she aggressively fights to protect her clients' interests. Her defense strategies are creative and results-oriented, based on countless hours poring over the facts and the applicable law.
At the outset of one recent case, Kathleen detected a potential issue related to the plaintiff's claims of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment. Although the issue involved a highly technical area of employment law, she filed a pre-trial summary adjudication motion and successfully convinced the court to dismiss all claims of harassment. The case proceeded to Los Angeles Superior Court, where the plaintiff withdrew further claims after Kathleen filed a nonsuit motion. Following an 11-day jury trial and only 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury rejected the plaintiff's remaining retaliation claims and delivered a verdict entirely in favor of Kathleen's client.
Employers of all sizes—from small businesses to large, publicly traded companies—also enlist Kathleen to counsel them on the day-to-day challenges of running a business. From drafting severance agreements to conducting harassment trainings, creating personnel policies, and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations, she devises solutions that minimize risk and maximize reward. Known as honest, perceptive, and hard-working, she excels at building strong relationships with each organization's leadership team and guiding them toward growth opportunities. Many clients choose to partner with Kathleen over the long term to advance their strategic goals.
On the plaintiff side, Kathleen represents executives and other high-level employees at various stages of the employment relationship. She assists new hires with negotiating, reviewing, and revising contracts, and advises departing employees on trade secrets, intellectual property, and competition concerns as well as severance agreements. If an employee claims wrongful termination she seeks to negotiate a pre-litigation mutual resolution that satisfies both parties' objectives.
Prior to joining Cohen Williams LLP, Kathleen was a founding partner of Love & Erskine, LLP, a law firm handling business litigation, employment, and civil rights matters.
Kathleen is an active member of the Los Angeles legal community. In addition to serving as Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Labor and Employment Law Section and a member of the Section's Executive Committee, she also frequently speaks on employment issues for LACBA and other organizations. She has also organized dozens of seminars and training for labor and employment law practitioners.
