Elsa practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, representing clients in a wide variety of industries. She represents employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in all areas of employment law, including arbitrations and jury trials. Elsa has defended employers against charges of race, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, and disability discrimination; harassment; retaliation; wrongful discharge in violation of public policy; unfair competition and defamation.
Elsa also advices employers in day-to-day employment relations issues such as the hiring, promoting, discipline and termination of employees, and compliance with state and federal employment laws. In addition, she conducts independent workplace investigations and training seminars in both English and Spanish for management personnel on all aspects of employment law.
Elsa is a frequently featured speaker for various trade groups and organizations.
Elsa joined Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt in 1995 as Senior Counsel. Prior to joining Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, Elsa was a partner at a major Los Angeles law firm where she headed its employment law group.
Elsa represents employers in a wide variety of industries, including many public employers and educational institutions. She litigates workplace disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies in all areas of employment law. She also counsels clients on employment law strategy and compliance and conducts workplace investigations for large and small employers. Her work includes such matters as:
- Whistleblower complaints;
- Sex harassment complaints;
- Discrimination and retaliation charges;
- Strategic claims prevention planning in connection with employer policies and proposed personnel actions (layoffs and individual employment terminations);
- Wage and hour claims;
- Layoffs, restructurings, employee terminations, and other sensitive human resources matters;
- Management training on employment law risk management and dispute avoidance;
- Sex harassment investigations for private and public employers;
- Drafting of comprehensive employment policies, including employee handbooks; and
- Arbitration of workplace disputes.
Admitted to Practice
- California
Court Admissions
United States Courts of Appeals
- Ninth Circuit
United States District Courts:
- Central District of California
- Southern District of California
- B.A., Political Science, University of California, San Diego
- High Honors
- J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkley
United States District Court
- Gutierrez v. Sea World LLC, 2014 U.S. Dist. Lexis 139793 (S.D. Cal. 2014) (granting employer’s motion to compel arbitration and stay court proceedings pending arbitration of employee’s claims)
Court of Appeal of California
- Simers vs. Los Angeles Times, LLC, 18 Cal App 5th 1248 (2018) (upholding trial court’s ruling granting a new trial on damages and throwing out plaintiff’s constructive discharge claim)
- California State Bar Employment Law Section
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- National Hispanic Bar Association
- Southern California Association of Defense Counsel
- Berkley Law Alumni Association