Overview

Denise M. Visconti has litigated hundreds of matters – from class action litigation, representative actions, and private attorney general matters, to single-plaintiff actions – over the last 20 years. Currently, Denise spends the bulk of her time advising organizations and their human resources teams in all aspects of the employment relationship.  Denise has extensive experience conducting pay equity audits for all types of employers, from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies, and helped develop the Littler Pay Equity Assessment™.  She regularly provides counseling to employers on a broad range of state and federal issues related to pay equity, from compliance, to updating policies and job descriptions, to training managers and recruiters, and more.

Denise also regularly provides advice and counseling to clients regarding gender identity and gender expression-related issues, gender transitions in the workplace, and various issues relating to domestic partnerships and same-sex couples. She also has given a number of presentations to human resource professionals, managers, and employees on valuing diversity and creating and maintaining a diverse workplace.

Denise serves on Littler’s firm-wide Management Committee. She previously served as the San Diego Office Managing Shareholder and, prior to that, served as the San Diego Office representative of the Associates Committee.

Prior to joining Littler Mendelson in January 2004, Denise was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Louisa S. Porter, Presiding Magistrate Judge, Southern District of California and judicial clerk to the Honorable Peter A. Nowinski, Eastern District of California. She spent her third year of law school working in the Immigration and Human Rights Legal Clinic helping newly-arriving immigrants obtain political asylum. She also was student director for the Legislative Journal.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment Section

San Diego County Bar Association

Past Co-President, Board of Directors

Tom Homann LGBT Law Association

Board Member and Past Chair

North San Diego Business Chamber

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2022-2024

Named, Women of Influence

SD Metro

2023-2024

News, Analysis & Press

Guiding Companies Toward Pay Equity Compliance

Directors & Boards

March 1, 2024

Progressive Legislative W&H Push Set To Continue In 2024

Law360 Employment Authority

December 8, 2023

Transparency in Sales Compensation

Workspan Magazine

September 1, 2023

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2023

Littler Report

May 10, 2023

4 Ways To Prepare For New Calif. Pay Transparency Duties

Law360 Employment Authority

September 14, 2022

4 Tips to Help Employers Attack the Wage Gap

Law360 Employment Authority

June 8, 2021

Secretary Scalia

Politico

September 27, 2019

Fair Pay Audits Can Help in the Event of Litigation

Today's General Counsel

July 4, 2019

EEO-1 Pay Data Due Sept. 30

HR Dive

April 25, 2019

What Employers Need to Know About Pay Gap Laws

Employee Benefit News

October 26, 2018

Visconti to Lead NSD Business Chamber Board

The San Diego Union Tribune

June 22, 2018

Important Considerations in Pay Equity Audits

Today's General Counsel

June 18, 2018

OSHA Transgender Restroom Guidance in Doubt

Bloomberg BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter

February 23, 2017

The Controversy Behind California's Fair Pay Act

Inside Counsel

October 22, 2015

From Pronouns to Restrooms – Accommodating Transgender Employees in the Workplace

Association of Corporate Counsel North Florida Chapter, Fourth Quarter Newsletter 2015

EEOC: Bias based on sexual orientation is illegal

Business Management Daily

July 21, 2015

What Do Employers Need to Know About Providing Restroom Access To Transgender Employees?

Bloomberg BNA Occupational Safety & Health Reporter

July 9, 2015

A Difficult Transition

Human Resource Executive Online

October 16, 2014

Executive Order Gives LGBT Workers New Protections

Corporate Counsel

July 22, 2014

Making an Inclusive Workplace for the LGBT Workforce

Corporate Counsel

March 12, 2014

Supreme Court Narrowly Defines ‘Supervisor’ In Discrimination Case

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Journal Employment

July 10, 2013

Supervisors on the line: The case of Vance v. Ball State

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Journal Employment

December 26, 2012

Discrimination: EEOC Decision That Title VII Protects Transgender Workers Could Have Big Impact

Bloomberg BNA Human Resources Report

May 2012

Gender Identity And Expression: The Next Frontier

Employment Law 360

September 2007

Speaking Engagements

A Practical Primer on Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Programs

Littler Executive Employer Conference

May 4, 2022

California Mandates Employee Pay Reporting by March 31

February 12, 2021

2020 Virtual California Employer

November 19, 2020

Pay Equity: EEO-1s, the EEOC and the States - Where Do We Go From Here?

November 22, 2019

2019 Southern California Employer Conference

October 23, 2019

Is Your Plan Affected by the Proposed Changes to Section 1557's Nondiscrimination Rules?

July 11, 2019

Pay Equity Goes Global: How U.S. employers can tackle EMEA gender pay laws

May 29, 2019

Tech Talk – Minding the Pay Gap: A Technological Solution for Pay Equity Compliance

2019 ACC Xchange

April 30, 2019

2018 Canada Conference

Toronto, ON

November 16, 2018

Pay Equity as a Legal and Business Imperative | Compensation Auditing

November 8, 2018

Toward Equal Pay: A Guide for Federal Contractors Dealing with Federal, State, and Local Requirements

September 24, 2018

ACC Exclusive Webinar – Pay Equity as a Legal and Business Imperative

August 15, 2018

Pay Equity

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 4, 2018

Balancing LGBTQ Issues in an Ever-Evolving Workplace

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 3, 2018

The Pay Equity Wave Rolls On: What You Need to Know to Stay Afloat

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 3, 2018

Pay Equity as a Legal and Business Imperative

April 4, 2018

Moving Through the Fog: Handling Complex Issues in Workplace Accommodations Involving "Invisible" Disabilities, Gender Identity and Religious Preferences

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 12, 2017

LGBT Issues in the Workplace: What to Expect from the Trump Administration

March 23, 2017

Don't Be Fooled: Significant New Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy Requirements Start April 1 for California Employers

May 11, 2016

Closing the Gender Pay Gap: The Role of State Fair Pay Laws

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference

May 5, 2016

Same-Sex Marriage, Religion and the Workplace: Accommodating Constitutionally Protected (and Potentially Competing) Rights

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

May 5, 2016

Don't Be Fooled: Significant New Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy Requirements Start April 1 for California Employers

March 25, 2016

Food and Beverage Industry Employers: Four Current Employment Law Challenges

October 27, 2015

California Passes Sweeping New Law Aimed to Bridge the Gender Wage Inequality Gap

October 19, 2015

Obergefell: What Does Same-Sex Marriage Mean for Employers?

July 21, 2015

A Primer on the OFCCP's Final Rule Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

February 19, 2015

Building a Diverse Workplace: Best Practices for Making Your Workplace LGBT Inclusive

March 4, 2014

Out & About: LGBT Issues and the Globally Mobile Workforce

Global Employer Institute

Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C.

November 9, 2012

Diversity in the Workforce: Thinking Beyond Locally and Acting Globally

Workplace Summit - Out & Equal

November 1, 2012

Transgender Issues in the Workplace

August 21, 2012

Creating a LGBT-Diverse Global Workforce: Overcoming Internal and External Challenges to Creating An Inclusive Workplace

Global LGBT Workplace Summit - Out & Equal

July 2012

It Gets Better: Breaking Down Barriers To Advancement for LGBT Professionals

Catalyst and Littler Mendelson

June 2012

Transgender 101: Keys To An Open and Inclusive Workplace

Diversity Presentation

August 2011

Best Practices for Building a GLBT Inclusive Workplace: Perspectives from Outside and In-House Counsel

National LGBT Bar Association

August 2010

Gender Identity and Expression: Legal Implications In the Workplace in 2010 and Beyond

Contra Costa County Bar Association

July 2010

New Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Protections in 2010? Managing the Impact on Your Workplace

ELT

February 2010

Valuing Diversity: Keys to Creating Keys to Creating an Open, Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

Diversity presentation

December 2009

Diversity 101: Creating an Open and Inclusive Workplace

Diversity presentation

May 2009

Education

  • J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, 2000magna cum laude
  • M.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 1991
  • B.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 1989

Bar Admission

California

Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California