Jennifer Donnellan assists clients with counseling and litigation matters focused in employment and labor. Her clients include employers in both small and large corporations. Ms. Donnellan's experience includes representation of clients in administrative proceedings before local, state and federal agencies such as: the California Labor Commissioner, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Employment Advice and Training
Ms. Donnellan provides advice and counseling covering a variety of employment-related matters including:
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Exempt status of employees
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Overtime requirements in California
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Family and medical leave laws (FMLA/CFRA/PDL/ADA)
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Disability accommodation
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Employee misconduct
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Harassment and discrimination
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Third-party investigations into employee allegations including sexual and racial harassment allegations
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Background investigations
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Layoff procedures and requirements (WARN/Cal-WARN)
Ms. Donnellan is regularly called on by clients to present in-house seminars for human resource professionals and attorneys covering a variety of employment-related matters including:
- Sexual harassment
- Wage and hour laws
- Disability discrimination
- Hiring procedures and requirements
Employment Agreements and Related Documents
Ms. Donnellan is experienced in the preparation of employment agreements including non-compete agreements, confidentiality and proprietary information agreements and severance and release agreements. Additionally, she assists clients in the preparation of multi-state employee handbooks, and personnel policies.
Employment Litigation
As an experienced litigator, Ms. Donnellan defends corporations and non-profit organizations in a variety of employment actions, including: litigation of overtime class actions, sexual harassment, discrimination and contract claims. Her pre-trial experience includes: depositions of plaintiffs and third-party witnesses, preparation of numerous briefs (including motions for summary judgment and other pre-trial pleadings), preparation of expert witnesses for trial. Ms. Donnellan also has experience petitioning courts for workplace violence temporary and permanent injunctions.
Additionally, from April through May 2007, Ms. Donnellan served as a deputy district attorney for Marin County, where she tried four misdemeanor cases to verdict and conducted a variety of evidentiary hearings.
Litigation Matters
Ms. Donnellan is an active trial lawyer and has tried the following case to verdict:
Memberships & Honors
Ms. Donnellan is a member of the California Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section, and the San Francisco Bar Association.
Presentations and Publications
Ms. Donnellan has conducted presentations on a variety of topics, including: sexual harassment, wage and hour law, disability discrimination, document retention, and employee handbooks.
She has also published several articles, including:
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“Appellate Court Allows Third-Party Confidential Personnel Information,” California Employment Law Letter, September 2008.
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“Doing Business in California,” California Employment Law Letter, July 2007.
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“UPS Maintains Integrity,” California Employment Law Letter, July 2007.