Erin Denniston Leach

Bar Admissions

• California

Court Admissions

• Supreme Court of California
• United States District Court, All Districts of California

Education

• University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco (J.D., cum laude)
  • Order of the Coif
• Harvard University (B.A., Psychology, cum laude)
  • Academic All-Ivy
  • Academic All-District Second Team
  • All-Ivy Second Team
  • Volleyball – Co-Captain

Awards & Recognition

• Southern California Super Lawyers^®, Rising Stars Edition, Employment Litigation: Defense (2013-2016)
  • “The Top Women Attorneys in Southern California” Los Angeles Magazine (2016)

Representative Litigation

• Defense of “whistleblower” actions on behalf of service and retail clients
• Defense of wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment actions on behalf of service and retail clients and management employees
• Defense of wage and hour class action litigation on behalf of service and retail clients
• Binding arbitration experience in retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, fraud, and wage claim cases
• Defended class and individual actions and advised trucking, busing, and logistics companies regarding application of the Federal Motor Carrier Act (FMCA)

Previous Professional Experience

• Legal Services for Children, Intern (Fall 2004)
• Adams, Esq., Law Clerk, Oakland, CA (Summer 2004)
• Public Defender’s Office, Juvenile Division, Intern, San Francisco, CA (Summer 2004)
• The Help Group, High School Special Education Teacher (2002-2003)

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Orange County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
• Athletes Touch

Community Involvement

• Women Helping Women/Men to Work (WHW), Board of Directors

Representative Presentations and Publications

• “California End-of-Year Employment Law Wrap Up,” Co-Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (November 30, 2022)
• “Beware of the Use of Artificial Intelligence Recruitment and Hiring Tools,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (May 18, 2022)
• “What Employers Can Expect in a Post-COVID Biden Administration,” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Virtual CLE Series (June 1, 2021)
• “California COVID-19 Webinar: Employer Tips for Returning Employees to Work and Managing a Hybrid WFH Workforce,” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Webinar (May 5, 2021)
• “The New Reality: The Remote Workplace Is Here—Maybe Permanently!,” Co-Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (March 12, 2021)
• “New California Laws for 2021 Affecting California Employers,” Presenter, 2020 Employment Law Tool Kit Three-Part Webinar Series: Session 2: California-Specific Issues (November 12, 2020)
• “There May Be Some Good News Coming to Companies Using Independent Contractors – At Least Under Federal Law,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (September 30, 2020)
• “Can Independent Contractors Still Exist in California?,” Author, Orange County Business Journal (December 2, 2019)
• “The California Supreme Court Is To Decide the Retroactive Application of the Dynamex Independent Contractor Decision,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (November 26, 2019)
• “Did AB 5 Do Away with Independent Contractors?” Co-Presenter, Employment Law Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 6, 2019)
• “A New Law Passed Raising the Standard for Classifying Workers as Independent Contractors in California,” Co-Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (September 30, 2019)
• “California’s Deadline for Giving Newly Required Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Was Extended,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (September 6, 2019)
• “Employee Non-Solicitation Agreements Are Shot Down Once Again in California,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (February 7, 2019)
• “Employers Face Open Questions After Landmark ‘Dynamex’ Labor Ruling,” Quoted, The Recorder (December 5, 2018)
• “Might There Be an End in Sight to the Private Attorney General Act?,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (November 29, 2018)
• “Restrictive Covenants Dos and Don’ts,” Co-Presenter, Employment Law Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 7, 2018)
• “Dynamex: The Destruction of the Independent Contractor Model and Where We Are Now,” Co-Presenter, Employment Law Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 7, 2018)
• “Dynamex: The Destruction of the Independent Contractor Model,” Presenter, SMB TechFest Q4, Anaheim, CA (October 18, 2018)
• “Did Dynamex Destroy the Independent Contractor Model?” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Seminar, Los Angeles, CA (October 17, 2018)
• “Did Dynamex Destroy the Independent Contractor Model?” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Seminar, Costa Mesa, CA (September 27, 2018)
• “Did Dynamex Destroy the Independent Contractor Model?” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer and Association of Corporate Counsel (Southern California Chapter) Harbor Cruise CLE, Newport Beach, CA (June 20, 2018)
• “Tolling of Statute of Limitations in Class Action Realm Narrowed,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (June 11, 2018)
• “What Can and Can’t You Do To Get Ready for Flu Season?,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (October 5, 2017)
• “California Employers Must Pay California Employees Separate Rest Break Pay,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (July 11, 2017)
• “Paid Sick Leave Won’t Go Away,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Labor and Employment Law Blog (July 9. 2017)
• “Just Like the Flu, Paid Sick Leave Laws Don’t Seem to Want to Go Away,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (May 1, 2017)
• “California Appellate Court Rules that – Like Piece Rate Workers – Employees Paid Commissions Are Entitled to Separate Rest Break Pay,” Co-Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (March 6, 2017)
• “He, She or Ze: Addressing Transgender Issues in the Workplace,” Co-Presenter, Employment Law Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 16, 2016)
• “Bills, Bills and More Bills: New California Laws Employers Should Know,” Co-Presenter, Employment Law Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 16, 2016)
• “First Paid Sick Leave and Now You’re Telling Me Some Employees May No Longer Be Exempt from Overtime,” Co-Author, Orange County Business Journal (June 27, 2016)
• “Threat Management: Workplace Violence Restraining Orders,” Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Violence Seminar, Costa Mesa, CA (June 23, 2016)
• “Additional Paid Sick Leave Requirements in Los Angeles,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (April 27, 2016)
• “Down the Rabbit Hole: What to Expect in Appellate Arbitration,” Presenter, Orange County Bar Association – Appellate Law Section Meeting, Santa Ana, CA (April 7, 2016)
• “The Difficult Dilemma Facing Employers When it Comes to Threats of Workplace Violence,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (April 6, 2016)
• “Paid Sick Leave – It’s an Epidemic,” Presenter, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 12, 2015)
• “The Clock is Ticking for California Employers to Comply with New Paid Sick Leave Requirements that Take Effect July 1, 2015,” Co-Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (May 14, 2015)
• “Ever-Expanding Attacks on Non-Traditional ‘Employers’,” Author, Corporate Counsel, American Bar Association Section of Litigation (March 31, 2015)
• “Since When Am I the Boss? Ever Expanding Attacks on Non-Traditional ‘Employers’,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (February 12, 2015)
• “An Employment Lawyer’s Top Ten Tips to Avoid Holiday Party Headaches,” Co-Author, Orange County Business Journal (December 1, 2014)
• “Wage and Hour Issues – The Recurring Nightmare” and “Severance Agreement Pitfalls,” Co-Presenter, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 13, 2014)
• “Employer To Do List for the New Year,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (February 2014)
• “The California Supreme Court Kicks Up Dust Storm on the Road to Enforcing Employment Arbitration Agreements,” Co-Author, Orange County Business Journal (December 9, 2013)
• “Avoiding Bad Apple Employees and Wage and Hour Nightmares,” Presenter, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 7, 2013)
• “Protecting the Workforce from Violence,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (February 27, 2013)
• “Independent Contractors – What’s in a Name? and New Hire Notices – More Paper for Employers to Complete,” Speaker, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (November 8, 2012)
• “How to Handle Whistleblower Claims and Try to Avoid a Retaliation Lawsuit,” Author, Snell & Wilmer Workplace Word (February 29, 2012)
• “The Ten Commandments of Religious Discrimination,” Speaker, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (October 2011)
• “Where Are My Employees Headed With My Trade Secrets?,” Speaker, Employment Tool Kit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (October 2011)
• “The Ten Commandments of Religious Discrimination,” Co-Author, Orange County Business Journal (August 22, 2011)
• “Take Control of Your Computers: Top 5 Considerations in the New Media Era,” Speaker, Employment Toolkit Seminar, Snell & Wilmer, Costa Mesa, CA (October 2010)