Rachel A. Weitzman is Senior Counsel in the Orange County office of GRSM. Her practice focuses on a wide variety of civil litigation matters in the securities, maritime, banking and finance, and employment industries.

In her securities practice, Rachel regularly defends brokerage firms, clearing firms, and associated persons in state and federal courts and arbitrations before the securities industry’s self-regulatory organizations. Her experience includes defense of claims involving unfair business practices, consumer claims for suitability and breach of fiduciary duty, and failure to supervise claims. In her maritime practice, she primarily represents shipowners and charterers, defending against claims involving cargo damage, vessel arrests, maritime liens, and breach of contract. She also has extensive experience defending against personal injury claims arising out of incidents occurring on vessels, in the ports, or overland via trucking incidents involving chassis and containers. She has also conducted maritime casualty investigations in the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles.

In her banking and finance practice, she represents mortgage banking clients. She also has experience defending clients with regard to consumer and class action matters including claims under the FDCPA, TCPA, Rosenthal Act, and various state consumer protection laws. In her employment practice, Rachel advises employers regarding compliance with California employment laws and represents employers in judicial, arbitration, and administrative proceedings. Her experience includes defense of claims for wrongful termination, breach of contract, retaliation, constructive discharge, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Rachel received her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law. While in law school, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Mark Wallace of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, a legal clerk for the United States Attorney's Office in the Civil Division, and as a legal clerk at the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Office of Chief Counsel in Washington, D.C.

Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Courts, Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts of California

Memberships

• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), Former Member
• Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA)

Community Involvement

• Intellectual Virtues Academy — Former Board of Directors