Maria C. Roberts

Maria Roberts is an employment and business litigator who represents and counsels employers throughout California in all aspects of employment-related issues and business disputes. Based on 35 plus years of legal experience, including trying almost 40 cases to defense verdict, Maria is uniquely positioned to counsel employers on aspects of management and human resources, policies and procedures, as well as training programs for effective leadership and enhancing employee relations. Her proactive approaches to litigation prevention include wage and hour audits, legal updates and methods for identifying and addressing workplace challenges. Maria also regularly provides training in leadership and best practices, as well as in the area of anti-discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

When litigation is unavoidable, her proven track record defending thousands of cases enables her to identify and implement strategies necessary to achieve optimal results in every case. Maria has also handled many putative class and representative actions, employing unique and aggressive strategies to defeat class certification in every case. Maria's notable experience includes: defeating class certification, prevailing on summary judgment, and successfully dismissing putative class actions in cases alleging wage and hour violations on a class-wide basis.

Maria’s expertise includes wage and hour disputes, claims for wrongful/constructive termination, discrimination (race, religion, color, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, age), harassment, retaliation, non-compete disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of employment contracts, FLSA, Title VII and complaints filed before the California Labor Commissioner, DFEH, and EEOC.

Maria also offers alternative dispute resolution services. She serves as a mediator, arbitrator and discovery referee. In this role, she brings unique experience having served as outside employment counsel and as general counsel to numerous of her clients, as a trial attorney with a proven track record of more than three decades, and as someone who has participated in hundreds of mediations, arbitrations and discovery hearings. This experience provides Maria with invaluable insights and practical experience that enable her to promote strategies for resolution at mediation, and to make just rulings when serving as an arbitrator or discovery referee.

PUBLISHED OPINIONS

• ‍Chindarah v. Pick Up Stix (2009) 171 Cal.App.4th 796‍
• County of San Diego v. Ace Property & Casualty Insurance Company, et al. (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 1335‍
• Home Savings of America v. Continental Insurance Company (2001) 87 Cal.App.4th 835