Michelle defends employers in complex matters, including wage-and-hour class actions, PAGA claims and high-stakes single plaintiff claims. She is a go-to litigator and adviser for Fortune 500 and private companies in a variety of industries, including banking, retail, security, automotive and fast food.

Michelle regularly defends employers in informal tribunals, such as arbitration, with the California Civil Rights Department, California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, California Department of Industrial Relations, California Labor Commissioner, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She advises on labor and employment due diligence for buy-and-sell side multistate and international mergers and acquisitions in an array of industries.

Michelle also is a member of our Franchising & Distribution Practice Group and is adept at guiding franchisors and franchisees in franchise employment law.

She is a speaker for the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), a nonprofit program of the University of California that serves the California legal community and develops employment programming for CEB's learning platform.

Employers rely on Michelle for advice on a range of human resources policy matters, including arbitration agreements, class action waivers, drafting and revising employee handbooks and meal period waivers. She also counsels businesses on day-to-day risks, such as discipline, terminations, reasonable accommodation, leaves of absence, internal investigations, employee classification (exempt/nonexempt) and independent contractor status.