Lisa V. Ryan

Lisa’s long-term relationships with her clients are based on trust because she recognizes that any time business owners or their managers spend dealing with a workplace claim is time not being spent on productivity and the bottom line.

In times of crisis – whether it’s a sexual harassment, wage and hour, discrimination, retaliation or labor law claim – they trust her to explore options that suit their specific situation and budget. They know she will weigh the decision to litigate carefully and if undertaken, budget it for economic efficiency with success defined at the outset.

Lisa began her career as a policy consultant on labor and employment issues for the California State Legislature. Prior to her years in the Legislature, she was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to serve in the Trade and Commerce Agency. She is a graduate of the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where she wrote for the California Initiative Review and earned honors in trial advocacy.

Lisa is admitted to practice before all California state courts, as well as the federal courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California.

In addition to employment litigation, Lisa is an experienced investigator called in to investigate workplace complaints and regularly conducts AB 1825 Sexual Harassment and Employee Conduct trainings for public and private sector employers.

Results

• Won complete summary judgment on behalf of university against charges of race discrimination and sexual harassment.
• Obtained favorable coverage determination in potential public works case.
• Successfully represented state agency in complex matter of first impression related to applicability of Labor Code 203 to seasonal employees.
• Won labor arbitrations upholding employment terminations by national food processor.
• Obtained favorable trial and appellate court rulings for affordable housing developers in Northern and Southern California.
• Successfully sought dismissal of putative wage and hour class action against electrical contractor.

Publishing

• SCBA’s Party for a Cause, published in Sacramento Lawyer, March/April 2018
• New Parent Leave Now Applies to Small Employers
• 2018 Is Here … Are You Ready?
• Short-Term Layoffs Subject to California WARN Act
• Construction & Ag Employers – Are Your Porta Potties in Compliance with California Law?
• Podcast: Three Reasons Employers are More Likely to Be Sued in California than Employers in Other States
• Rest Break Law Class Actions, California: It Won’t Get Easier
• The Election Season: Don’t Expect Employees to Leave Their Opinions at the Door, June 2016 issue of CEA’s The California Employers Report
• California’s Sick Leave Law: A Challenge for Construction Industry Despite Clarifications
• The California Fair Pay Act
• California’s Paid Sick Leave Law: Governor Signs Clarifying Legislation
• Attributing Commissions to Minimum Wage Obligations: Court Sets Limits
• Workplace Bullying: California Supervisors Must Trained to Prevent “Abusive Conduct” on The Job
• Confidentiality and Social Media Policies of Employers Found to Violate Federal Labor Law
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: Pre-Employment Physicals Can be a Violation
• NLRB Rulings Impose Limits on Non-Union Workplaces
• ADA Reasonable Accommodation and Light Duty: Don’t Forget California FEHA

Speaking

• What HR Professionals Should Know about Harassment and Pay Equity Claims, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
• Cook Brown Breakfast Forum: Sexual Harassment Claims – Owners and Executives on the Front Lines
• Best Practices for Workplace Investigations, The State Bar of California Association, Intellectual Property Section
• 2018 Legal Update, Western Electrical Contractors Association (WECA)
• 2018 Labor and Employment Law Update, Cook Brown Breakfast Forum
• 2017 Hiring Practices Update, Cook Brown Executive Roundtable
• 2017 Labor and Employment Law Update, Cook Brown Breakfast Forum
• Employment Law Practice 2016 Year in Review, Continuing Education Bar of California
• Legislative Update: New Construction Laws in 2016, Federation of California Builders Exchanges
• Legislative Update Webinar: Laying the Foundation for a Successful 2016, Associated Builders and Contractors
• Labor & Employment Legislative Update 2016, Cook Brown Annual Breakfast Forum
• Class Action Litigation in the Public Sector: Top 5 Things Your Agency Can Do to Avoid Class Claims – 2011 CALPELRA Conference
• Television Appearance on NEWS10@9 On the Topic of New Laws
• Other available presentations include:
  • Staying Golden When Doing Business in the Golden State: Tips to Avoiding Employment Lawsuits
  • Weingarten and Other Sorrows: What to do When Your Witness Requests Representation
  • Harassment Prevention Training: Non-Supervisory Employee
  • Old Rules, New Traps for Construction Employers

Community

• Pro Bono Committee of the Sacramento County Bar Association
• Employee Relations Committee of the California Chamber of Commerce
• Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court
• Gordon D. Schaber Mock Trial & Moot Court Competition for High School Students
• Folsom City Library Commissioner (2005 – 2014)
• Voluntary Legal Services Program, Employment Law Clinic
• Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC), Race for Justice Committee
• St. John Notre Dame Advisory Board
• Youth Coach, Little Dribblers Basketball and Middle School Cross Country