Debra Fischer is deputy chair of the firm’s Litigation Area. She is an experienced litigator focusing on employment law and has successfully tried cases in both California state and federal courts. Her appellate work includes briefing and arguing cases in state and federal courts of appeal including briefing in the U.S. Supreme Court. She has defended clients in a wide variety of employment matters, including sexual harassment and wrongful termination suits, claims of race, sex, disability, pregnancy, age and sexual orientation discrimination, as well as invasion of privacy, defamation, fraud and false imprisonment allegations. She also advises on trade secret and unfair competition issues that arise when employees change employment. In addition, she defends clients against wage-and-hour class actions and Section 17200 claims.
Debra regularly counsels employers in preventative personnel practices, including drafting personnel policies and employment agreements, conducting internal investigations, and providing educational seminars to management and employees in all areas of employment law, including sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, hiring and terminating employees, giving performance reviews, and understanding the ADEA and the ADA.
She has particular experience in the financial services area, and she regularly represents accounting firms and broker-dealers in employment disputes. Her other clients range from small local companies to large national and international corporations. Her practice also focuses on representation of established and emerging computer, software and other high-technology companies.
Debra hopes that women will continue to emerge as leaders in the legal profession, thus enhancing their ability to practice law as well as providing more diverse representation to clients. She also has a personal interest in improving education for children. She has provided pro bono assistance to parents of schoolchildren seeking to obtain better and more comprehensive health education in the public schools.
- Defense of two wage and hour class actions brought against national restaurant chain for alleged misclassification of managers and assistant managers, failure to provide meal and break periods, and alleged charging of expenses in violation of California Labor Code Section 2802
- Defense of global financial services firm that operates a nationwide retail securities business in a wage and hour representative and class action; plaintiff alleged that trainees were improperly classified as exempt employees and were not paid overtime compensation
- Defense of leading cell phone company in multiple wage and hour class actions alleging misclassification of employees, failure to pay overtime or provide break and meal periods, and other violations of the California Labor Code
- Defense of national and international manufacturers in wage and hour class actions alleging failure to pay overtime, meal and break period violations, and other labor code violations
- Recently obtained summary judgment in age and disability discrimination case filed in Sacramento against paper products distributor
- Recently won summary judgment in case filed in Los Angeles alleging wrongful termination, breach of contract and retaliation claims against well-known restaurant chain
- Successfully defended national publishing company in jury trial where plaintiff alleged wrongful termination, sexual-orientation discrimination and fraud
- Successfully defended national payroll company in court trial where plaintiff sought indemnity for claims against him by fellow employee; prevailed in counterclaim against plaintiff for taking kickbacks from vendor
- Obtained seven-figure settlement on behalf of mortgage company who sued former vice president and her new employer for theft of trade secrets and raiding
- Obtained summary judgment for national technology company in case filed in Santa Barbara claiming sexual harassment and race discrimination
- Obtained summary judgment for Fortune 100 company in case filed by a former employee who claimed he was terminated for taking leave pursuant to the California Family Rights Act
- Almost perfect record seeking and defending against temporary restraining orders where employees change employment and are alleged to have stolen trade secrets and wrongfully solicited customers and employees of the former employer
- Obtained nuisance value settlement of purported class action and representative Business and Professions Code 17200 action alleging misclassification of brokers, unpaid overtime and false and fraudulent business practices after we removed the case to federal court and moved to compel arbitration
- Women Making A Difference award nominee, Los Angeles Business Journal (2006–2009)
- Super Lawyers, Southern California (2004–2009)
- Spherion Marketing Partner of the Year, National Marketing Partner Forum (2002)
- Moot Court Commendation, Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California
- Managing and executive editor, Berkeley Women's Law Journal, Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California
- Phi Beta Kappa, University of California at Davis
- Securities Industry Association, Compliance and Legal Division
- Speakers’ Bureau of the Los Angeles Women Lawyers’ Association
- California Women Lawyers’ Association
- ABA Women Rainmakers Interest Group
- Board of Directors, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
- Advisory Board to the Street Law Project (past)
- Board of Directors, Alumni Association, Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California (past)
- Admitted to practice in California
- Registered Foreign Lawyer in England and Wales
- University of California Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), Juris Doctor, 1989
- University of California, Davis, Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, 1986