Rebecca Aragon has successfully litigated over 300 lawsuits to conclusion. Her practice focuses on leading complex litigation matters in federal and state courts, with particular emphasis on the defense of wage and hour class actions. Rebecca has a proven track record of guiding national, California-based, and foreign sovereign employers through the intricacies of federal and California employment laws to achieve favorable outcomes in matters involving wage and hour claims, contingent workforce issues, contract disputes, arbitration agreement enforcement, workforce reduction controversies, trade secret claims, and sovereign immunity. Her experience also includes defending clients against claims of wrongful termination, sexual harassment, whistleblowing and discrimination.

In addition to serving as litigation counsel, Rebecca regularly provides clients with proactive strategies to manage litigation risk and ensure compliance with employment laws concerning disability accommodations, leaves of absence, discrimination, and wage and hour issues. She also counsels clients on matters involving employee hiring, discipline and termination, workplace policies, labor implications of mergers and acquisitions, and alternative dispute resolution.

In international matters, Rebecca advises foreign government employers regarding sovereign immunity matters and complex issues surrounding the application of federal and state employment laws to their personnel in the U.S. She also directs the creation of corporate entities and establishment of workforces in Mexico in furtherance of U.S. client business interests.

Rebecca represents national and international companies employing Spanish-speaking workforces in  the U.S. and Mexico. She provides Spanish language services concerning union avoidance matters, harassment prevention, policy training, and company investigations. She drafts Spanish language employee handbooks, policies, and arbitration agreements for clients. In litigation, Rebecca has special expertise deposing Spanish-speaking parties and preparing them for trial, and conducting Spanish language declaration campaigns in class actions.

Rebecca has represented major companies in the retail, hospitality, healthcare staffing, medical, defense contracting, gaming, credit counseling, airline, and automotive industries. Examples of Rebecca’s significant matters include:

• Waging a successful declaration campaign resulting in plaintiffs’ abandonment of all class action claims in a suit involving allegations that thousands of computer technicians were misclassified as exempt professionals
• Obtaining a complete dismissal of a wage and hour class action without paying any sums to the class representative or opposing counsel after conducting successful deposition and other defense strategies
• Defeating motions for class certification and injunctive relief in a wage and hour action involving claims of meal and rest period violations, unfair competition and misclassification of personnel employed in various cities in California
• Resolving a difficult class action against joint employers for less than 5% of a multimillion unpaid wage demand after conducting a Spanish language employee declaration campaign
• Obtaining a defense verdict in a four-week jury trial involving a hospital accused of wrongfully terminating six employees for alleged whistleblowing
• Defeating claims of wrongful termination, harassment, and gender discrimination against a medical center on summary judgment
• Prevailing on a motion to dismiss a federal wage and hour class action brought against a prominent non-profit organization by volunteers claiming employment status
• Obtaining a dismissal of a 950-employee class action against an employer sued for similar claims, and precluding access to “opt-out” putative class member information during discovery
• Compelling the submission of two separate class actions into binding arbitration
• Negotiating the resolution of a difficult class action for less than $15 per class member
• Developing litigation avoidance strategies that enabled a foreign sovereign employer to terminate consulate office personnel working in the U.S. without ensuing claims

Before joining Littler, Rebecca was a partner and head of a national law firm’s labor and employment practice in Los Angeles and a member of a prior law firm’s board of directors. Rebecca served as a law clerk to the Honorable Terry J. Hatter, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In law school, she was the editor-in-chief of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

• Member, Board of Directors, Mexican American Bar Foundation
• Member, Board of Directors, Latina Lawyers Bar Association
• Member, California Indian Law Association
• Member, Labor and Employment Law and Litigation sections – State Bar of California
• Member, Board of Directors, Pasadena Educational Foundation

RECOGNITION

• Named, Super Lawyer - Southern California, Super Lawyers, 2013