McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Yesenia represents employers in wage and hour class actions, Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) class actions, and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) representative actions. She has defeated nationwide and state class actions, secured dismissals, and won favorable judgments and verdicts in discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims.

Business leaders rely on Yesenia for advice on mitigating risk in mergers and acquisitions, compensation structures, employment agreements, restrictive covenants, managing leaves of absence, reductions in force, workplace investigations, and wage and hour audits.

She also assists multinational employers with establishing and registering workplace policies with local labor agencies across Latin America. Yesenia offers workforce training on harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, disability accommodations, and other employment compliance issues.

Yesenia regularly publishes articles and presents on labor and employment topics, including wage and hour class action defense, PAGA representative actions, strategic use of experts at all litigation stages, restrictive covenants, and diversity, equity, and inclusion legal issues from an employment perspective.

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• Defeated a nationwide background-check class action filed under the FCRA by thousands of job applicants against a multinational manufacturing employer after successfully opposing class certification and leave to amend
• Substantially reduced exposure in a California wage and hour class and PAGA action against a healthcare staffing company, securing dismissal of class claims and the staffing company’s client from the case
• Won dismissal of a wage and hour class action after more than five years of litigation based on California’s five-year rule
• Secured dismissal of fraud and negligent misrepresentation claims through an anti-SLAPP motion after a prior wrongful termination action
• Obtained declaratory judgment for a California technology company in a dispute over enforcement of a noncompetition provision

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• Los Angeles Business Journal, Leaders in Law, 2018
• Super Lawyers Magazine, Southern California Rising Star, Women’s Edition, 2017
• Super Lawyers Magazine, Southern California Rising Star, 2013-2014 and 2016-2017
• Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine, Latinas of Influence, 2016
• Los Angeles Business Journal, Most Influential Minority Lawyers, 2016
• Latino Leaders Magazine, 25 Most Influential Hispanic Lawyers in the United States, 2015-2016
• Hispanic National Bar Association, Regional President of the Year Award, 2014
• Los Angeles Business Journal, Women Making a Difference Award Nominee, 2013-2015
• Hispanic National Bar Association, Top Lawyer Under 40, 2013

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