Overview
Kari’s diverse practice includes litigating cases involving discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, wrongful discharge, unfair business practices, and wage and hour claims. She represents employers within various industries including aerospace, manufacturing, hospitality, automotive dealerships, memory care and acute care facilities, and multi-family housing. Kari has a wide range of litigation experience, focusing on single-plaintiff, PAGA, and class action litigation, and represents employers in both state and federal court as well as before state and federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC).
Kari’s recent successes include:
- Winning complete defense summary judgment against FEHA claims brought against security services employer.
- Winning complete defense award after a two-week arbitration in a twelve-party breach of contract case.
- Winning complete defense award in arbitration defeating FEHA claims brought against a medical device employer.
- Winning motion to compel arbitration and dismissal of wage-and-hour class claims brought against assisted living employer (electronic signature).
- Winning motion to compel arbitration and dismissal of wage-and-hour class claims brought against property management employer.
In addition to litigation, Kari assists employers with complying with federal and state consumer/employee privacy requirements. Drawing on her experience as an owner of a fourth-generation family business, she advises clients on employment best practices and on drafting and implementing policies on issues such as leaves of absence, drug testing, confidentiality, anti-discrimination, and wage-and-hour compliance. Since 2023, Kari has taught an in-demand undergraduate course on Employment Law in the Business Administration department at Cal State Long Beach. Kari is an effective and animated speaker, conducting virtual and in-person trainings to client managers and HR professionals.
While in law school, Kari assisted a Los Angeles non-profit law firm with settling a class action national origin discrimination lawsuit by drafting the employer’s language policy. She also served as a full-time extern to the Honorable Josephine Staton of the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, in Santa Ana.
Prior to entering the practice of law, Kari taught English at universities in California and Hawaii, with a research focus on workplace language policies. She also worked for several years in the entertainment industry, notably at a venerated music magazine and a multi-national film and television production studio.