Tell us about your practice.
I am a labor and employment attorney who focuses on defending and resolving complex wage-and-hour actions, particularly those brought as class actions and under the Private Attorneys General Act. I handle all aspects of litigation in these matters, while also providing related advice and counsel to help clients address compliance issues and reduce the risk of future litigation.
I came to labor and employment law after initially focusing my career on intellectual property. I was drawn to this practice after seeing the significant impact California’s strict employment laws can have on employers throughout the state. I enjoy helping employers comply with California’s complex legal landscape while minimizing the litigation risks that can hinder their ability to grow, create jobs, and contribute to the state’s economy.
How do a client’s legal needs change based on their industry?
Because California employment laws apply broadly across most businesses in the state, I serve employers across a wide range of industries. Although many core wage-and-hour obligations are consistent across sectors, each industry has its own operational realities, workforce structures, and compliance challenges. I provide clients with practical guidance that fits the way they actually operate.
In areas where the law does differ by industry or employee group, I focus on the unique exemptions, exceptions, and statutory requirements that may apply. This includes industries and workforces such as domestic workers, public entities, interstate transportation, construction, and janitorial services.
What is a recent project or success that makes you proud?
A client recently brought us a complex, multi-matter employment litigation after previously working with another law firm. By the time we became involved, the matters had already been pending for several years. My team was able to quickly get up to speed, develop a coordinated strategy across the related cases, and ultimately resolve all claims against the client through a favorable settlement.
What made the result especially meaningful was that we also identified a third party with potential liability in the actions and secured a significant contribution toward the resolution. That contribution reduced the client’s expected settlement costs by approximately one-third. It was a strong example of how thoughtful strategy and persistence can materially change the outcome of high-stakes employment litigation.
What’s a guiding principle or hard-won insight from your career that shapes how you work?
Early in my career, a leader in the Hispanic National Bar Association gave me a piece of advice that has stayed with me: You do not need to be the smartest person in the room if you are willing to be the hardest working. That mindset pushed me to take ownership of my work, dig deeper than the obvious answer, and build the judgment that comes only from sustained, careful effort. I credit much of my growth to that approach.
Over time, my understanding of that advice has evolved. I still believe deeply in hard work, but I have learned that it must be purposeful. The goal is not to become known simply as the person who will work around the clock on anything. The goal is to work with enough discipline and focus to master each challenge, earn trust, and create opportunities to take on more complex work. That balance between effort, growth, and intentionality continues to guide both how I practice and how I mentor others.
What’s one of your favorite traditions from your own heritage?
One of the things I value most about my Mexican heritage is the emphasis on community. It is not a single tradition as much as a broader cultural value: relationships matter, and they are nurtured through time together, food, conversation, and shared experiences. That sense of connection is something I try to carry into my own life and practice.
In Mexican culture, gatherings are often how relationships are built and strengthened, and I have always appreciated the way hospitality can bring people together. In a law firm setting, where the work can be demanding and people are often pulled in many directions, that kind of connection can be easy to lose. I have tried to preserve it by welcoming groups of attorneys into my home for meals and informal gatherings, creating space for people to know one another beyond work.
More recently, I have taken on roles with the firm’s Associate Council and Social Committee so I can help encourage those same kinds of relationships—building more broadly, using the firm’s own infrastructure and support. For me, carrying forward that part of my heritage means helping to create a stronger sense of community wherever I am.
What does your Hispanic heritage mean to you personally, and how does Hispanic Heritage Month reflect or represent that meaning for you?
My Hispanic heritage means everything to me. I could never place a value on the lessons I have learned from being Hispanic and growing up in the Hispanic community. Even with the challenges that can come with being a minority in America, my heritage has shaped who I am in deeply meaningful ways. It taught me the importance of hard work, respect, perseverance, and striving to build a better life.
Those values are central to many in the Hispanic community, and they are values I hope to pass on to my children. They influence how I approach my family, my work, and my relationships with others. To me, being Hispanic is not just part of my background; it is part of the foundation for how I move through the world.
Hispanic Heritage Month is especially meaningful because it creates space to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of Hispanic leaders who have helped better our communities and society as a whole. It is also an opportunity to continue learning, reflecting, and deepening appreciation for a culture that I love so deeply.
