Biography

Ms. Trani-Morris practices in the areas of employment and business litigation, with a focus on wrongful termination/discrimination defense and wage/hour actions – both single plaintiff and class actions.  She has significant experience in both state and federal court, as well as administrative agencies, including the DFEH, EEOC, EDD, Labor Commission and California Workers Compensation Appeals Board.  Ms. Trani-Morris has also litigated matters involving unfair competition, misappropriation of trade secrets and qui tam actions under the False Claims Act.

She offers preventative advice and counsel on a wide variety of personnel issues and training on “best employment practices” to management level employees under State and Federal law.  She routinely drafts policies employment-related contracts, conducts wage/hour classification audits and handles employment investigations.
     

Litigation Matters

• Tsang v. Ming Pao Daily News, et al.  Successfully filed motion for summary judgment on behalf of employer and individual defendants in age discrimination/harassment action venued in Superior Court in San Francisco County.
• Suarez v. Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.  Obtained summary judgment dismissing action for failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Rehabilitation Act venued in the Central District of California.
• Lee v. Silicon Storage Technology Inc., venued in Superior Court in Santa Clara County. Successfully defended employer in wrongful termination, discrimination action. Successfully enforced terms of arbitration agreement.
• Gardner v. Aetna Life Insurance and Annuity Company, venued in Northern District of California. Successfully filed motion for summary judgment dismissing action for disability and retirement benefits.
• Lui v. Lincoln University, venued in Superior Court in San Francisco County. Successfully defended employer in case alleging wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination and unequal pay.
• Several published decisions, including Walker v. Blue Cross of California (1992) 4 Cal.App.4th 985 (wrongful termination) and Microtech Research, Inc. v. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co. (9th Cir. 1994) 40 F.3d 968 (insurer’s duty to defend).

Presentations

Ms. Trani-Morris has led many presentations on employment law related topics for the San Mateo County Bar Association, California Minority Council Program, and various publishing companies and insurance industry groups, such as:

• “Employers Practices Liability Insurance:  What Employers Need to Know,” Professionals in Human Resource Association (PIHRA), Ontario, CA (January 12, 2010).
• “FMLA/CFRA Master Class,” M. Lee Smith Publishers, LLC, Los Angeles, CA (May 27, 2009).

Memberships & Honors

Ms. Trani-Morris is a member of the San Francisco and San Mateo County Bar Associations, Employment Law Section.  She is a Defense Panelist for the Bar Association of San Francisco Settlement Conference Program.

Ms. Trani-Morris also serves as President of the Board of Governors for the University of San Francisco School of Law.  She is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, and the California Minority Council Program.  Ms. Trani-Morris serves as the San Francisco Chair on Sedgwick’s Diversity Committee.  She is also conversant in Spanish.