Joanne Carmen Chan provides effective and cost-efficient defense for employers accused of wage/hour violations, workplace discrimination and harassment, and claims of retaliation. Her heavy law and motion practice allows clients to obtain successful motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, saving them from costly trials.

Representing principals and management in both the private and the public sectors, Joanne helps her clients respond to allegations raised by employees, vendors, clients, and others. She has particular strengths defending small business owners against wage and hour class and misclassification claims.

In addition to employment matters, she has litigated numerous professional liability claims – including medical malpractice – and personal injury claims involving significant injuries. Finally, Joanne helps her clients in the aerospace, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries resolve a variety of white collar crime issues.

Joanne’s litigation experience includes significant commercial and real estate litigation as well. She has handled commercial disputes involving breach of contract and property title claims, as well as construction claims on behalf of public entities and individuals.

Litigation
Employment
Financial Institutions

Her recent representative work includes:

• Briefed, argued, and successfully obtained summary judgment on behalf of a national lending institution in a delicate, high-profile property dispute brought by a borrower who sued the lender to obtain access to a fire-damaged property after having forcibly entered and taken possession of the property. Joanne also briefed the case on appeal, leading to an affirmation of the judgment by the Court of Appeal.
• Obtained temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions in cases involving former employees who misappropriated confidential customer information and other trade secrets from employers in the biotech, professional services, and agribusiness industries.
• Successfully defended mid-sized aerospace industry employer against a complex and sensitive disability discrimination case involving a disability association claim. Case settled for approximately one-third of the plaintiff’s demand.
• Defended an aerospace manufacturer against wage and hour claims involving a several-hundred-member class.
• Defended a manufacturer/retailer against claims that their product caused lead poisoning and related life-long injuries.
• Successfully defended a number of major utility companies in separate cases involving personal and business tort claims.

Chinese

• AlvaradoSmith Defeats $14 Million Suit with Complete Employer Defense Verdict

• AlvaradoSmith Defeats $14 Million Suit with Complete Employer Defense Verdict