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 Jennifer Sarkozy BranchJennifer Branch is a founding member of Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP and she specializes in all aspects of employment law. She regularly defends employers, directors and officers, and supervisors in litigation involving claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage & hour violations, breach of contract, unfair competition, and other workplace misconduct. She serves as defense counsel in single and multiple-plaintiff actions and class actions in both state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies including the California Labor Commissioner, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, the U. S. Department of Labor and others. Ms. Branch also dedicates her practice to consulting with employers in order to help them avoid litigation. She advises public and privately held companies of all sizes, non-profit organizations and schools with respect to personnel issues, including discipline, termination, leave laws, disability accommodation, wage & hour issues, independent contractor status, and compliance with regulations applicable to government contractors. She routinely prepares employee handbooks, employment-related contracts and policies, and affirmative action programs. Additionally, she offers proactive training programs on unlawful harassment and best management practices. Ms. Branch's peers selected her as one of the Top 25 Women Lawyers in San Diego in 2010 and voted to include her on the 2009 & 2010 lists of San Diego Super Lawyers in the area of labor and employment, an award that recognizes the top 5% of San Diego attorneys. Also in 2009, Ms. Branch was named a Top Attorney by the San Diego Daily Transcript in the area of labor and employment law. She was one of only 12 attorneys in her practice area selected by the San Diego legal community to receive this honor. Ms. Branch has been a regular instructor of Personnel Law for the San Diego Employers Association in its certification program for human resource professionals. She has been a speaker for Lorman Education Services regarding leave laws and she regularly lectures on various employment related topics at legal seminars. Ms. Branch also works closely with Risk Managers from private companies and insurers to offer training and pre-termination consulting geared towards the reduction of claims. Before founding Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP, Ms. Branch was a partner at one of California's largest law firms, where she practiced in its Employment Department from 2000 to 2007 and oversaw the San Diego office's summer associate and mentor programs. Ms. Branch received her J.D. in 1997 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. In 1993 she graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a B.A. in law and society. Ms. Branch served as a Judicial Extern for The Honorable Paul J. Barbadoro, Chief Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire and she served as an extern for the National Labor Relations Board, Region 20. Ms. Branch is a member of the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Massachusetts. She is admitted to practice before all California state and federal courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association's Labor and Employment section. She also volunteers as a judge for the San Diego Teen Court Program, a diversion program for first-time juvenile offenders. Ms. Branch can be contacted at: Andrews • Lagasse • Branch & Bell LLP |
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