Karen Ford

Ms. Ford became an attorney in 1979, and she handled her first trial a few months later in 1980, representing the plaintiffs in the legendary case of Seritis v. Lane. In that case, she represented three waitresses who sued their former union leader for sex discrimination and sexual harassment. It was a landmark case and resulted in the largest award of general and punitive damages in a sex harassment case up to that time. The case was appealed, and the decision was affirmed by the California Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court.

During her remarkable career, Ms. Ford has handled employment litigation and arbitrations for some of the largest companies in America. (For a sampling of past lawsuits and clients, see Cases and Clients.) She has also represented a wide variety of individuals and both union and non-union employers in traditional labor matters before the National Labor Relations Board, and in administrative proceedings the Department of Labor, the California Labor Commissioner, the Workers Compensation Boards of California and Colorado.

She has also counseled employers and employees with regard to a wide range of employment law matters including discipline and discharge, hiring, recruiting, mergers and acquisitions, lay-offs, wage and hour issues, workplace safety, violence in the workplace, compensation systems, and employee benefits. Ms. Ford has planned and conducted hundreds of training sessions for thousands of employees and members of management. She has conducted employment law risk analysis and risk management including analysis and development of human resources forms, polices, and practices.