Michele L. Collender

Michele Collender represents private entities in complex litigation matters in federal and state courts. She has a unique background in defending independent contractor structured businesses against allegations of misclassification and enforcing arbitration agreements and class-action waivers. Ms. Collender regularly counsels employers on wage and hour related matters, employee and independent contractor agreements, and human resources policies. She has successfully defended employers in administrative hearings.

In law school, Ms. Collender served as the Lead Notes Editor for the Hastings Women’s Law Journal and worked as a legal extern for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.

• Contributed to lawsuit against the Division of Labor and Standards Enforcement and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency seeking a permanent injunction to stop all hearings against the company client based on misclassification. This complaint held up against the agencies’ motion for summary judgment.
• Second-chair attorney on multi-day trial successfully defending property owner against claims of fraud and punitive damages.
• Lead counsel defending highly contentious civil harassment restraining order case against a property manager which resulted in a stipulated mutual stay-away order before the last day of trial.

Practice Areas

Community & Professional

• Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals, Board Member
• Long Beach Bar Association, Member
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member