People: Jill Porcaro, Partner

Jill Porcaro

Partner

Los Angeles - Century City
Direct: (310) 201-5229

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Biography

Ms. Porcaro is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department in our Los Angeles office. Since 1997, she has focused her practice exclusively on wage and hour class action litigation, complex litigation and labor and employment law counseling. Ms. Porcaro has worked with employers to review their wage and hour practices, conduct workplace investigations, and provided employee anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training. She has worked with national employers in various industries, including retail, pharmaceutical, security, communications, entertainment, trucking, airline, manufacturing, gaming, and financial. Ms. Porcaro has also represented public sector clients, including the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Ms. Porcaro has second chaired jury and bench trials, represented clients at class certification hearings and evidentiary hearings, and represented witnesses during arbitration. She has also chaired administrative hearings before the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, and prepared briefs for Sarbanes-Oxley proceedings before the Department of Labor. Ms. Porcaro has prepared EEOC position statements on behalf of employers.

Ms. Porcaro often speaks at seminars on a variety of topics, including: wage and hour law; wrongful termination; unlawful harassment; and discrimination and reasonable accommodation of disabilities. Ms. Porcaro has performed pro bono work on behalf of parents adopting special needs children and has authored handbooks for non-profit organizations.

Education

J.D., Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University (1997)
Dean’s List Honors (1995-96; 1996-97)
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (1993)

Courts

U.S. District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Judicial Circuit

Representative Engagements

Single/Multi-Plaintiff Cases

Matthew Kim v. LAUSD, (Sup.Ct. Los Angeles): Represented Los Angeles Unified School District in case brought by teacher who alleged failure to accommodate numerous physical disabilities. Obtained favorable jury verdict in favor of school district. Plaintiff withdrew appeal.
Zwart v. Mainlining Service, et al., (C.D. Cal.): Represented employer in lawsuit brought by construction worker alleging disability discrimination and failure to accommodate disability. Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of employer.
Preciado v. Freshpoint, Inc., (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Represented Freshpoint in lawsuit brought by former order selector alleging national origin discrimination and retaliation. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of client.
Hall et al. v. Roadway Express Inc., et al., (C.D. Cal.): Represented defendant trucking company in lawsuit brought by five employees alleging disability, race and national origin discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Obtained favorable settlement while defendant’s summary judgment motion was pending.
Angel v. v. S.C.L.A. et al., WMC Mortgage, (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Represented WMC Mortgage in case alleging breach of contract and failure to pay commissions brought by terminated mortgage broker. Successfully petitioned court to compel employee to submit to arbitration pursuant to arbitration agreement and obtained favorable settlement for employer.
Morgan v. BAS Food Services, Inc. et al, Blockbuster, (S.D. Cal.): Represented Blockbuster in lawsuit alleging disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act based on alleged inaccessibility of premises. Obtained favorable settlement for client.
Wilson v. Chevron USA Inc., (S.D. Cal.): Represented Chevron USA in federal court action alleging disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act based on alleged inaccessibility of premises. Obtained favorable settlement for client.
Simmons v. Petro Chemical Transport Inc. et al., (C.D. Cal.): Represented Petro Chemical Transport in disability discrimination lawsuit brought by former truck driver. Obtained favorable settlement for client.
Harris v. Pinkertons, Inc., (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Represented Pinkertons in race discrimination lawsuit brought by three former employees. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Pinkertons.

Class Action Cases

Felipe Delgado et al. v. Ortho McNeil, Inc., et al., (C.D. Cal.): Represented Ortho-McNeil, Inc., Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. in class action lawsuit brought by current and former pharmaceutical sales representatives alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime under California and federal law. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of defendant pharmaceutical companies.
Yacoubian et al v. Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, Inc. et al., (C.D.Cal.): Represented Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., Janssen LP in class action lawsuit brought by current and former pharmaceutical sales representatives alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime under California and federal law. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of defendant pharmaceutical companies.
DeSilva v. Johnson & Johnson et al., (C.D.Cal.): Represented Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in class action lawsuit brought by former pharmaceutical sales representative alleging misclassification as exempt from overtime under California and federal law. Obtained voluntary dismissal of lawsuit.
Enabnit v. Petsmart, Inc., (E.D.Cal.): Represented Petsmart in class action lawsuit brought by former grooming employee alleging violation of California’s wage and hour laws pertaining to paychecks, paystubs and meal and rest periods. Obtained favorable settlement for client.
Sorenson v. Petsmart, Inc., (E.D.Cal.): Represented Petsmart, Inc. in class action lawsuit brought by former employee alleging unpaid overtime and violation of California’s wage and hour laws pertaining to paystubs and meal and rest periods. Obtained favorable settlement for client.
Mobley v. Servisair LLC, (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Represented Sevisair in class action lawsuit brought by former bus drivers alleging violation of California’s wage and hour laws pertaining to meal and rest breaks, paystubs, and overtime. Successfully obtained partial dismissal of claims on behalf of employer and limited class to bus driver employees. Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of employer pre-certification.
Johnson v. Freshpoint, Inc. (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Represented defendant trucking company in class action law brought by former truck driver alleging violation of California’s wage and hour laws pertaining to meal and rest breaks and paystubs. Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of client pre-certification.
Vuong v. Wells Fargo Bank, NA (Sup. Ct. San Francisco): Representing Wells Fargo Bank in class action suit alleging misclassification of Service Manager 2 employees.
Deemer v. Wells Fargo & Company (Sup. Ct. San Diego): Representing Wells Fargo in class action suit alleging misclassification of Store Manager employees.
Talylor v. Wells Fargo Bank NA (Sup. Ct. Los Angeles): Representing Wells Fargo Bank in class action alleging call center employees worked off the clock.
Wood v. United Airlines, Inc. (C.D. Cal.): Represented United Airlines in class action suit alleging violation of Cal. Labor Code provisions concerning kin-care leave. Obtained favorable settlement which included a dismissal of class allegations.
Pytelewski v. Costco Wholesales Corporation (C.D. Cal): Representing Costco Wholesale in class action lawsuit alleging non-exempt employees worked off the clock after closing hours.

Publications

Chapter Contributor, “Chapter 7 - Defending Opt-Out Class Actions Under State Wage and Hour Laws,” Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation, ALM Law Journal Press (2012). Definitive treatise on wage and hour litigation.

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