Julia Michelle McGuinness

Ms. McGuinness has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pleading, pre-trial discovery, depositions, motion practice, mediation, and trial practice, in both state and federal court. Ms. McGuinness also has experience litigating in other state jurisdictions.

Ms. McGuinness’s primary areas of practice include labor & employment law (including wage and hour, retaliation and discrimination), civil and business litigation, construction, breach of contract, tort law and entertainment related litigation. Ms. McGuinness has represented Fortune 500 companies both prosecuting and defending against major construction defect claims and cross-claims.

Prior to working at McGuinness & Associates, Ms. McGuinness practiced at a plaintiffs’ class action firm in Los Angeles, where she represented plaintiff employees individually, and through class actions and representative Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”) actions, who had been deprived of wages, and meal and rest periods. Ms. McGuinness has also represented plaintiffs and aggrieved employees who were not paid earned commissions, and who were fraudulently deprived of their equity value.

Ms. McGuinness has defended employers in discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage and hour actions under the FLSA and state laws. She also has a great deal of experience representing plaintiff employees who have suffered from labor code violations including unpaid commissions, overtime and vacation pay; breach of contract; negligence; fraud; unlawful business practices; breach of fiduciary duty; and other labor code violations.

Ms. McGuinness also provides subject-matter counseling to manage workplace challenges covering the entire range of labor and employment issues, such as: hiring; workforce reductions; wage and hour exempt status; union issues; drug testing; independent contractor and pay practices audits; anti-harassment policies; and other such training.