Maria Roberts is an employment and business litigator who represents and counsels employers throughout California in all aspects of employment-related issues and business disputes. Based on 30 plus years of legal experience, including trying almost 40 cases to defense verdict, Maria is uniquely positioned to counsel employers on aspects of management and human resources, policies and procedures, as well as training programs for effective leadership and enhancing employee relations. Her proactive approaches to litigation prevention include wage and hour audits, legal updates and methods for identifying and addressing workplace challenges. Maria also regularly provides training in leadership and best practices, as well as in the area of anti-discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
When litigation is unavoidable, her proven track record defending thousands of cases enables her to identify and implement strategies necessary to achieve optimal results in every case. Maria has also handled many putative class and representative actions, employing unique and aggressive strategies to defeat class certification in every case. In the past 14 months Maria has defeated class certification, won summary judgment and obtained orders dismissing putative class actions in cases alleging wage and hour violations on a class-wide basis.
Maria’s expertise includes wage and hour disputes, claims for wrongful/constructive termination, discrimination (race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age), harassment, retaliation, non-compete disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of employment contracts, FLSA, Title VII and complaints filed before the California Labor Commissioner, DFEH and EEOC.
Maria also offers alternative dispute resolution services. She serves as a mediator, arbitrator and discovery referee. In this role, she brings unique experience having served as outside employment counsel and as general counsel to numerous of her clients, as a trial attorney with a proven track record of more than three decades, and as someone who has participated in hundreds of mediations, arbitrations and discovery hearings. This experience provides Maria with invaluable insights and practical experience that enable her to promote strategies for resolution at mediation, and to make just rulings when serving as an arbitrator or discovery referee.
PUBLISHED OPINIONS
Chindarah v. Pick Up Stix (2009) 171 Cal.App.4th 796;
County of San Diego v. Ace Property & Casualty Insurance Company, et al., 103
Cal.App.4th 1335 (2002);
Home Savings of America v. Continental Insurance Company, 87 Cal.App.4th
835 (2001).
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
A Template for Class Denial in California, Employment Law 360, November 2012
California Supreme Court Nixes Employees’ Rights to Recover Attorney’s Fees in
Meal and Rest Break Claims, May 2012
Supreme Court Rules on Brinker, April 2012
A Customized Approach to Preventing Wage & Hour Claims, January 2011
Using Anti‐SLAPP Motions in Employment Cases, Los Angeles Daily Journal,
October 2010
A Silver Bullet Against Wage and Hour Actions, Employment Law 360, July
2009
COMMUNITY SERVICE
President, Thomas More Society, San Diego Chapter (2010)
Board of Directors, Casa Cornelia Law Center (2004‐2005)
Board of Directors, International Relief Teams (2005‐2006)
