Katherine A. Hren

Katherine regularly provides advice and counsel to employers in all matters which bear upon the employment relationship. Her work includes advice on employment law strategy and compliance, traditional labor relations matters (union organizing, strikes/picketing, collective bargaining, grievance handling and arbitration), claims for employment discrimination, sexual and other workplace harassment, wrongful termination, and whistleblower complaints. Katherine also assists employers in developing management oriented employment agreements, personnel policies, separation agreements, trade secret and proprietary information agreements, sexual and other workplace harassment policies, and routine employment forms (employment applications, formal evaluations, employee handbooks, FMLA/CFRA compliance forms)

Katherine is a frequent public speaker. As part of the firm’s preventative philosophy, she designs and presents customized internal management training programs on a broad range of employment law matters. She routinely conducts sexual harassment training programs and other seminars designed to provide management tools on a variety of employment law matters. She also lectures for bar associations, trade organizations, and management groups, and is a regular author and editor of the firm’s e-bulletin Compliance Matters.

Experience

Katherine represents employers of all sizes throughout the United States, from “mom and pops” to Fortune 500 companies. She provides counsel to employers in such diverse matters as:

•Daily advice and counsel on all personnel transactions;
•Management training on employment law risk management, including such topics as sex harassment, wage and hour compliance, and effective management tools;
•Representation in NLRB proceedings (unfair labor practice charges and representation petitions);
•Negotiating collective bargaining agreements;
•Arbitration of union grievances;
•Risk avoidance planning in connection with employer personnel matters (reductions in force, terminations, hiring inquiries, background and drug testing);
•Defense of non-insurable workers’ compensation claims, such as Labor Code 132a and serious & willful petitions;
•Preparation of employee handbooks, employment agreements, employment applications, formal evaluations, separation agreements, and various other personnel documents; and
•Navigating Department of Labor and state agency wage and hour audits.

Professional Activities & Recognition

Speaking Engagements

•Los Angeles County Bar Association: Return to work issues specific to the entertainment industry in light of COVID-19 (2020)
•Los Angeles Paralegal Association “Return to Work Issues In Light of COVID-19” (2020)
•Pincus Webinar Series: Return to work issues in light of COVID-19, COVID-19 related legislation and the impact of AB 5 (independent contractor legislation) on the new workplace. (2020)
•Association of Southern California Defense Counsel’s 2020 Law Firm Management Seminar: Managing employees during the pandemic and new labor and employment laws impacting law firm management (2020)
•Los Angeles Paralegal Association: #MeToo and the Respectful Workplace (2018)
•Los Angeles Chapter of the American Payroll Association: California’s Equal Pay Act and other Wage and Hour Hot Topics (2017)
•Knowledge Group Webinar: Employee Performance and Termination (Key Considerations under the ADA and FMLA (2016)
•Los Angeles Hotel Human Resource Association: Navigating the Time Off Laws (including city and industry ordinances) (2016)
•Association of Southern California Defense Counsel: DFEH Legal Update and New Employment Law Legislation. (2016)
•Small Business Group: California’s Paid Sick Leave Law, Wage and Hour Update and Other Hot Topics (2016)
•Navigating Discovery Disputes, Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Labor and Employment Law Symposium (2015)
•Workplace Investigations as a Defense, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (2013)
•Administering the Family and Medical Leave Act, Lorman (2013)
•Social Media in the Workforce, Beverly Hills Bar Association (2013)
•Wage & Hour Pitfalls, Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) (2011)
•Conducting Workplace Investigations, State Bar Labor & Employment Law Symposium (2011)
•Critical Strategies for Managing New Changes in Time-Off Laws - Solutions to Compliance Conundrums, Southern California Employment Law Forum (2010)
•Wage/Hour Update, Employment Practices Conference (2006-10)
•Health Care Reform and Other Obama Reform, PIHRA (2010)
•Disability Discrimination & Other Leaves of Absence, Beverly Hills Bar Association (2010)
•Employment Law Update, California Escrow Association Conference (2009)
•EEO Risks and the Obama Effect, PIHRA Pacific West HR Conference (2009)
•FMLA Regulations and COBRA Changes, San Fernando Valley Employment Advisory Council (SFVEAC) (2009)
•Managing Employee Leaves, SFVEAC (2008)
•Labor Law Update, SFVEAC (2007)
•Prepared Not Scared - Managing Workplace Illnesses, Safe America Foundation (2007)

Honors

•Southern California Rising Star, Super Lawyers