Debra Ellwood Meppen is a litigation Partner and serves as Chair of the firm’s national Employment Law practice group. She also leads the firm’s Women’s Initiative, the firm-wide women’s organization developed to support and encourage female attorneys on leadership and professional growth.
- Obtained a full dismissal of a wage-and-hour class action filed against one of the largest providers of security services in the Los Angeles area. The successful strategy involved meeting with witnesses and engaging in a comprehensive investigation early in the litigation to obtain evidence disputing the wage-and-hour claims. The weaknesses of the case were presented to plaintiffs’ counsel with a strong recommendation for dismissal of the claims.
- Defense verdict for a global container company after a five-day trial in Los Angeles Superior Court in an action alleging sexual harassment, disability discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and battery. The jury deliberated less than two hours.
- Defense verdict for one of the world’s largest providers of athletic footwear and apparel in a Division of Labor Standards Enforcement trial before the Labor Commissioner. The claimant brought a wage and hour claim alleging he was entitled to vacation pay and waiting time penalties.
- Negotiated a complete dismissal of a federal class action filed in U.S. District Court against one of the top 10 U.S. security companies alleging claims of overtime, wages, meal and rest breaks, and unfair competition.
- Negotiated the complete dismissal of three separate actions filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against one of the world’s largest providers of athletic footwear and apparel: (1) a wage and hour class action, (2) an action alleging pregnancy discrimination, and (3) an action alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.
- Representing a broad range of professional industries including the hospitality, medical and dental, garment, banking and financial services, real estate, printing, and security industries.
- Represented clients in product liability and pharmaceutical, multi-district litigation.
- Represented clients in state and federal courts, as well as administrative and binding arbitration proceedings.
- Handled numerous civil appeals before the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Published Court of Appeals Opinions
- Newlife Science, LLC. v. Weinstock 197 Cal. App. 4th 676, 2011
- Northland Insurance Company v. Daniel Briones Jr. 81 Cal. App 4th 796, 2000
Publications
- Featured, Split decisions, unsettled consequences: The implications of conflicting rulings on wage statement violations, Daily Journal, Labor & Employment Special Feature, September 2023
- Featured, A Time for Choosing, New Employment Arbitration Laws, Best Lawyers 2023, Employment Law Issue, March 2023
- Featured, 5 Cases Discrimination Lawyers Should Watch In 2023, Law360, January 2023
- Employer Lessons From Google’s $118M Equal Pay Deal, Expert Analysis, Law360, November 2022
- Class Action Lawsuit “Searches” for Pay Disparity at Google: Court Approves $118 Million Settlement, GRSM Employment Law Publication, October 2022
- California Extends and Expands Law Governing COVID Exposure Notifications, GRSM Employment Law Publication, October 2022
- Los Angeles City Council Passes Wage, Hour, & Safety Law Impacting Hotel Employers, GRSM Employment Law Publication, August 2022
- SCOTUS Brings Down the Hammer on Five Cases Impacting Employers, GRSM Employment Law Publication, August 2022
- EEOC Releases Updated Guidance on How to Stay Symptom-Free of Covid Violations, GRSM Employment Law Publication, July 2022
- California Trial Courts Strike Down State’s Board Diversity Laws, GRSM Employment Law Publication, May 2022
- California’s Temporary Indoor Mask Mandate, GRSM Employment Law Publication, December 2021
- OSHA Covid-19 Vaccine and Testing Rule, GRSM Employment Law Publication, November 2021
- Consideration for Employers Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations, Law 360 Expert Analysis, January 2021
- EEOC Permits Employers to Mandate COVID Vaccinations for Employees: Now What? GRSM Employment Law Publication, December 2020
- The CDC Expands Definition of a “Close Contact” Employer’s It’s Time to Revise Your Covid 19 Policies….Again, GRSM Employment Law Publication, October 2020
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): What Employers Need to Know, GRSM Employment Law Publication, March 2020
- COVID-19 Update: Quick Tips and Talking Points to Respond to Our Ever-Changing Work Environment, GRSM Employment Law Publication, March 2020
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: What Employers Need To Know, GRSM Employment Law Publication, March 2020
- Addressing Coronavirus in the Workplace: Practices in Prevention, GRSM Employment Law Publication, March 2020
- Equal Pay: Where Do We Stand Now?, Law360, April 25, 2018
- Google Equal Pay Case Could Have Far-Reaching Impact, Law360, February 15, 2018
- Quoted, Is ‘Culture Fit’ Code for Bias? Recruiters Must Be Wary, Experts Say, HR Dive, October 2017
- Quoted, California Supreme Court Clarifies ‘Day of Rest’ for Employers, Society for Human Resources Management (“SHRM”) Online Publication, May 2017
Speaking Engagements
- Post Election Insights: What the Second Trump Administration Means for Your Business, New York, December 2024
- The Psychology Behind Nuclear Verdicts, New York, November 2024
- AI DIY: A Guide to Avoiding Employment Pitfalls in the Workplace, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 2024
- Significant Changes and Developments in Employment Litigation in 2024, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, NY, May 2024
- Significant Changes and Developments in Employment Litigation in 2024, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Hartford, CT, May 2024
- Best Practices for Mediation-How to Obtain Optimum Outcomes When the stakes Have Never Been Higher, New York, NY, March 2024
- AI, FYI, Cutting Edge Technological Issues Impacting Employers, New York, NY, October 2023
- AI, FYI, Cutting Edge Technological Issues Impacting Employers, Newport Beach, CA, October 2023
- AI FYI: Cutting Edge Technological Issues Impacting Employers, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 2023
- Significant Changes & Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, NY, May 2023
- Significant Changes & Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Hartford, CT, May 2023
- California Trial Landscape, Allied World, Webinar, August 2022
- Legalities and Practicalities of Returning to Work Post Pandemic, GRSM Los Angeles Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, June 2022
- Covid-19 and the Workplace, Zurich Insurance, Los Angeles, March 2022
- A Nationwide Update on Covid in the Workplace, Nationwide Insurance Webinar, February 2022
- Legal Update in the Covid Workplace, Travelers Webinar, January 2022
- A Look at the New Year Ahead and Changes in Employment Law, GRSM Webinar, January 2022
- Employment Law Updates for 2021, GRSM Webinar, January 2021
- Workplace Solutions, Trends in Employment Law, Allied World Webinar, December 2020
- California’s Ever Changing Employment Landscape, Nationwide Insurance Webinar, December 2020
- Trends and What is On the Horizon for Employment Law, E-Risk Webinar, November 2020
- California Hot Button Issues and New Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, June 2019
- Nationwide Survey of Hot Button Issues and New Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, May 2019
- Nationwide Survey of Hot Button Issues and New Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Hartford, CT, May 2019
- Perspective on Progressive Employment Policies, Association for Women in Architecture + Design, January 2019
- Recent Developments in CA Employment Laws as a Result of #Me Too Movement, Nationwide, NY, November 2018
- Sexual Harassment Claims and the #Me Too Movement, Allied World, Farmington, CT, October 2018
- Law vs. Ethics, 21st Century Ethical Challenges, Allied World, Farmington, CT, October 2018
- Navigating Sexual Harassment Claims in the Aftermath of Weinstein, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, June 2018
- Hot Button Issues and New Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, May 2018
- Hot Button Issues and New Developments in Employment Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Hartford, May 2018
- Panelist, Healthcare D&O/EPL, 2018 PLUS Healthcare & Medical PL Symposium, Chicago, March 2018
- Five Employment Topics You Can’t Afford to Miss, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Los Angeles, June 2017
- Five Employment Topics You Can’t Afford to Miss, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Connecticut, May 2017
- Five Employment Topics You Can’t Afford to Miss, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, May 2017
- Key Wage and Hour Issues Addressed for CA Employers, Webinar, November 2016
- G & R Watch List of Employment Litigation Trends, GRSM Employment Education Conference, Los Angeles, June 2016
- Cutting Edge Settlement Strategies—The Five Steps of Mediation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, May 2016
- Don’t Become A Statistic: Top Ten Rules for Avoiding Workplace Pitfalls and Employment Lawsuits, GRSM Legal Conference, New York, December 2015
- Employment Trends and Hot Button Issues, AIG Claims Advisory Board Meeting, November 2015
- “Lean In” and its Progeny – Does it Define Us?, San Francisco, CA, May 2014
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Courts, Central, Eastern, Southern, and Northern Districts of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Memberships
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Association, Legislation Committee
- California Women’s Lawyers Association
- National Women’s Political Caucus
- Defense Research Institute
- Society for Human Resource Management
- National Association of Professional Women
Community Involvement
- Stand with Us, International Board
- AIPAC, AIPAC Valley Executive Committee
- Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue, Board of Trustees, 2019-Present
- Los Angeles Superior Court, Settlement Officer
- UCLA, Operation Mend, 2010-Present
- Valley Beth Shalom Day School, Board of Trustees, Legal Vice President, 2009-2013
- Bet Tzedek’s Justice Ball, Fund Raising Committee
- Imagine LA, Volunteer
- L.A. Family Housing, Volunteer
- Los Angeles Food Bank, Volunteer
Education
- J.D., Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles
- B.A., Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
Honors
- Women, Influence, and Power in Law Award | 2024
ALM | Law.com - 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2024
Lawdragon - Employment & Discrimination Law Trailblazer | 2023
The National Law Journal - Top 100 Lawyers | 2023
Los Angeles Business Journal - Labor & Employment Star | 2023
Benchmark Litigation - Women of Influence | 2021
Los Angeles Business Journal - California Top Labor and Employment Lawyer | July 2014
Daily Journal - Top Rated Lawyer-AV® Preeminent™
Martindale-Hubbell - San Diego Top Lawyers | 2013
San Diego Magazine - Super Lawyers® Rising Stars distinction in the fields Civil Litigation Defense, Employment Litigation-Defense, and Employment & Labor | 2007-2009
Judicial Internship
- State Senator Gary K. Hart