With more than 20 years of experience representing employers in the private and public sectors, Dorothy co-chairs Hanson Bridgett’s Employment Class Action Practice Group and regularly defends complex class actions for clients. Dorothy also served as Commissioner on the San Francisco Ethics Commission from 2011 to 2013, having been appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in April 2011.

An integral part of Dorothy’s practice involves working with clients to develop practices and policies aimed at averting class, collective, and PAGA actions, and to advise clients effectively on risk management and class action avoidance strategies. She represents employers in a wide variety of industries, including the manufacturing industry, construction and building materials industries, transportation industry, federal defense contractors, education and scientific research communities, hospitality industry, and the healthcare and senior care industries, including medical centers, assisted living facilities and skilled nursing centers. Dorothy’s practice includes defending her clients against background check class actions, meal and rest break class actions, representative actions brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) that seek multiple penalties, and wage-and-hour class actions and collective actions involving off-the-clock claims, overtime pay, bonus pay, regular rates of pay, reimbursement claims and misclassification claims brought under California’s Labor Code, PAGA and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

In addition, Dorothy regularly defends employers in single-plaintiff and multi-plaintiff lawsuits against claims of whistleblower retaliation, wrongful discharge, equal pay claims, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, disability accommodation, and discriminatory retaliation. She frequently advises employers on workplace investigations, managing leaves of absence and disability accommodations, handling employee discipline and terminations, and wage and hour compliance under state and federal law. She handles litigation for her clients in state and federal courts throughout California, as well as in arbitration proceedings and before administrative agencies.

Prior to joining Hanson Bridgett, Dorothy served for two years as Law Clerk to The Honorable Walter E. Webster, Jr. at the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Bar Admissions

• California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Education
J.D., University of Washington School of Law (1997)
B.A., Stanford University (1992)

Professional Associations

• Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, Former Co-Chair, Community Services Committee
• Bar Association of San Francisco, Labor and Employment Section
• State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Section
• The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

"Employers Need to Check for Local COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Ordinances," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (April 2020)
"Successor Employers Acquiring Unionized Workforces Benefit From NLRB Decision," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (April 2019)
"California Court Rules That 'Reporting Time Pay' Owed Even If Employees Are Not Required to Physically Report To Work," Labor & Employment Alert (February 2019)
"Employers Win This Round: CA Court of Appeal Upholds Employer's Rounding Policy," co-author, Employment Class Action Alert (June 2018)
"Revisiting Alvarado: 'Work Week v. Pay Period' Question Remains," HB Briefly (June 2018)

"Employers Cannot Rely On Prior Salary To Justify Wage Differential In Equal Pay Act Cases ," co-author, Labor and Employment Alert (April 2018)

"Alvarado v. Dart Container Corporation Clarifies Overtime Calculation When Employees Earn Flat Sum Bonuses," Labor & Employment Law Alert (March 2018)

"Reminder: Minimum Wage Increases Effective January 1, 2018," co-author, Labor and Employment Alert (December 2017)

"On The Horizon: New California Employment Laws for 2018," co-author, Labor & Employment Alert (October 2017)

"Reminder: Minimum Wage Increases and Victims of Domestic Violence Notice Requirements Effective July 1, 2017," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (July 2017)
"Court Affirms That Healthcare Employees Working 12+ Hour Shifts Can Waive One of Their Two Meal Periods," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (March 2017)
"Your Background Check Documents May Be At Risk Under A New Ninth Circuit Ruling," co-author, Employee Benefits Law Alert (January 2017)

"Reminder: Minimum Wage Increases Effective January 1, 2017," co-author, Labor & Employment Alert (November 2016)

"Court Issues Preliminary Injunction Blocking Immediate Implementation of New Federal Overtime Rules," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (November 2016)

"Palo Alto, Los Altos, and San Mateo Raise Minimum Wage," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (September 2016)
"City of Berkeley Passes New Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (September 2016)
"A Glimmer Of Hope For Employers In “Associational” Reasonable Accommodation Cases," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (September 2016)
"After Almost 20 Years, The EEOC Has Issued New Guidelines On Retaliation," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (September 2016)
"San Diego’s City Council Approves The Voter Passed Minimum Wage And Paid Sick Leave Ordinance… With A Few Important Modifications," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (July 2016)
"Los Angeles and San Diego Join The Fray With New And Expanded Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Laws," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (June 2016)
"Employers Doing Business in the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego Must Address New, Expanded Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Laws," co-author, CALA Legal Update (June 2016)
"Ninth Circuit Rules That Cash-In-Lieu Of Benefits Payments Must Be Included In Regular Rate Of Pay," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (June 2016)
"Two Rest Breaks Are Better Than One, According To A New California Appellate Court Decision," co-author, Labor & Employment Alert (April 2016)
"San Francisco Delivers New Paid Parental Leave," co-author, Labor and Employment Law Alert (April 2016)
"Employers May Be Obligated To Provide Suitable Seating To Employees," co-author, Labor and Employment Law Alert (April 2016)
"Employers May Be Required To Provide Reasonable Accommodation To Employees 'Associated' With Someone With A Disability," co-author, Labor and Employment Law Alert (April 2016)
"No Fooling: New FEHA Regulations Go Into Effect April 1, 2016," co-author, Labor & Employment Alert (March 2016)
"SB 327 Renders Gerard v. Orange Coast Medical Center Moot," co-author, Labor & Employment Law Alert (October 2015)
"Employment Law Roundtable," California Lawyer (February 2008)
"Employment Law Roundtable," California Lawyer (January 2006)
"Labor Code 2002 and Beyond", Employment Law Bulletin, Issue 5 (2001)