Overview

Amber Healy has extensive experience litigating class actions and complex matters in state and federal courts throughout California. Her practice focuses on the defense of employers and management in class action, multi-plaintiff, and single-plaintiff lawsuits. She has particular expertise in the area of wage and hour class and representative actions alleging claims for off-the-clock work, unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, meal and rest break violations, unreimbursed expenses and inaccurate wage statements. Ms. Healy has litigated novel issues in both class actions and representative actions brought under California Labor Code’s Private Attorneys General Act before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Court of Appeal.  Ms. Healy works with employers in all major industries and heads the firm’s Complex Litigation Team overseeing high stakes employment litigation matters. 

Ms. Healy also litigates matters involving employee privacy rights, wrongful termination, retaliation, whistleblower, discrimination, harassment and prevailing wage issues. She frequently represents clients in proceedings before state and federal administrative agencies and tribunals, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

In her class action and PAGA representative action defense practice, Ms. Healy has obtained significant victories for employers, including defeating class certification and securing dismissal of class and representative claims.  Ms. Healy has successfully litigated hundreds of class, collective and representative PAGA matters in various industries, including cosmetic manufacturing, apparel and fashion, hotels, restaurants, homecare services, property management, food processing, retail, trucking, shipping, logistics, e-commerce and assisted living facilities.

Though Ms. Healy now focuses her practice on the defense of class litigation matters on behalf of employers, she spent several years representing plaintiffs in class litigation, successfully representing classes ranging from 50 members to over 100,000 members and securing numerous class settlements exceeding a total recovery of $50 million. With her plaintiff-side background, she brings a unique perspective to the cases she handles.

Honors & Recognitions

Ms. Healy received the California State Bar’s Wiley W. Manuel Award for her pro bono legal services.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully defended numerous employers in class and collective actions under the California Labor Code and the Federal Labor Standards Act
  • Obtained judgment in favor of client in putative class action alleging violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act
  • Won dismissal of lawsuit asserting claims of gender discrimination, harassment, and violation of collective bargaining agreement against union sub-contractor, dismissal affirmed on appeal
  • Secured dismissal of all class allegations in putative class action alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act against historic entertainment venue
  • Through aggressive motion practice limited the scope of class claims against multi-state operator of assisted living facilities to only the locations that Plaintiffs worked at, significantly reducing value of the alleged wage and hour class claims and ultimately resolved claims on individual basis
  • Defeated class certification on behalf large construction company based on claims of unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest breaks, waiting time penalties and unfair business practices
  • Obtained summary adjudication of claims for meal and rest break violations against union construction company
  • Resolved class action against major food processing company alleging failure to compensate time spent donning and doffing protective equipment on favorable terms
  • Repeated closure of administrative agency investigations with finding of no fault or no basis for claims asserted
  • Achieved favorable resolution Department of Labor investigations against large janitorial companies and construction companies based on claims for failure to comply with the Davis-Bacon Act and the Federal Labor Standards Act

Practice Areas

News & Publications

Events & Speaking Engagements

Ms. Healy frequently speaks in front of employer organizations. Recent engagements include:Ms. Healy frequently speaks to groups throughout California on topics related to employment law and women in the legal profession.  Recent speaking engagements include:

  • CALSPro 50th Anniversary Conference, "The Dynamex Decision"
  • 2018 HR Pro Conference, "Legalized Cannabis and the Impact on Your Human Resources Policies and Practices"
  • 2018 PIHRA CAHR Conference, "Weeding Out Misinformation: Legalized Cannabis and Human Resources"
  • California Lawyers Association, 8th Annual Advanced Wage and Hour Conference, "Hottest Topics in PAGA Litigation and Arbitration"
  • Presentations to regional and local Chambers of Commerce in Southern California on various employment law issues and compliance
  • 2017 AALRR Employment Law Conference, "Advanced Wage and Hour Issues"
  • 2016 AALRR Employment Law Conference, "Employee Classifications under the Federal Labor Standards Act"
  • 2016 AALRR Employment Law Conference, "Now It’s Personal: Liability for Wage and Hour Violations"
  • Presentations to regional and local Chambers of Commerce on various employment law issues and compliance.
  • AALRR client breakfast briefings, which cover various topics related to class action risks, employment, and wage and hour issues
  • Webinar for the Professionals in Human Resources Association, “FLSA Exemptions and the New Department of Labor Overtime Regulations”

Alerts & Articles

Publications

Ms. Healy is a contributor to the various firm publications and blogs, as well as to external publications, including the following:

  • California Supreme Court Clarifies Overtime on Flat Sum Bonuses, Employee Relations Law Journal (2018)
  • Co-author of “Employers Not Required to List Accrued Vacation Time” (Daily Journal, Nov. 2, 2016)
  • Published an article about class action law, “(Class) Action Stations” Ground Handling International Magazine (April 2016)
  • A Primer on Class Action Litigation, The Journal of Association of Transportation Law Professionals (Summer 2016)
  • Co-author of “Troubles with Recognizing Retaliation Under the Stimulus Act,” Law360 (Nov. 1, 2013)
  • Quoted in "Rite Aid Seating Ruling Makes Class Cert. Harder to Beat," Law360 (May 19, 2014)

Blog Posts

Community Involvement

Community & Professional

  • Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Member
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
    • Appointed to President's Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession for 2018-2019
  • California Lawyers Association, Labor & Employment Section Member
  • National Association of Women Lawyers, Member
  • Professionals in Human Resources Association, Member

Education

J.D., Loyola Law School
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles

Admissions

  • 2004, California
    U.S. District Courts, Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
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