Samantha D. Hardy

Samantha D. Hardy is partner-in-charge of the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Diego Office.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Hardy practices labor and employment law, with a focus on defense of employers in all types of labor and employment matters, as well as on proactively advising employers to avoid litigation.  Ms. Hardy has handled single plaintiff discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination, and defamation cases, as well as other statutory, contract and tort-related claims, and has developed an expertise in California and national wage and hour issues.  She has a significant amount of experience representing employers in class actions, both within California and nationwide, as well as representing employers before administrative agencies.  Ms. Hardy regularly advises management on wage-and-hour issues, leave laws, workplace violence prevention, the disability accommodation process, and the discipline and termination processes.  She also regularly reviews and prepares handbooks and other employment-related documents, as well as conducting large-scale audits to identify potential violations.  Ms. Hardy has been active in influencing legislative changes of interest to her clients both inside and outside California.

Education

• J.D., University of Chicago, 1998, with honors
• B.A., Columbia University, 1995

Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Central, Eastern and Northern Districts of California

Honors

• Legal 500 US, Employment Law Counseling, 2007

Memberships

• Member, Federal Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, San Diego County Bar Association
• Member, Wage and Hour Subcommittee, National Retail Federation

Articles

• Everything You Wanted to Know About Wage and Hour Class Action Lawsuits But Were Afraid to Ask
• Regular Rate of Pay: Avoiding Common Mistakes in Calculating Overtime Pay in California
• Federal Computer Employee Exemption: Are You in Compliance? 

Speeches

• Ms. Hardy speaks frequently to various employers' groups on a variety of issues and is a frequent presenter of the firm's Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer seminars.

Events

• Social Media: How to Minimize Legal Risks and Maximize Commercial Success, October 19, 2011
• Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer - San Diego, September 14, 2011, Labor & Employment Law Update Fall 2011
• Labor & Employment Law Update & Happy Hour - San Diego, March 24, 2011
• Labor & Employment Law Update & Happy Hour - San Diego, September 16, 2010, Our New, Improved, and FREE Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer (in the Evening!)
• Labor and Employment Law: Mid-Year Update 2009 - San Diego, September 17, 2009, Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer
• ACC San Diego Chapter JULY MCLE: Employment Law Trends and Predictions, July 23, 2009
• New Labor & Employment Laws for 2009 - San Diego, February 19, 2009, Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer
• Labor and Employment Law: Mid-Year Update 2008 - La Jolla, October 8, 2008, Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer
• Breakfast With Your Labor Lawyer - San Diego, February 20, 2008