
Bar Admissions
California
New York
The District of Columbia
Elizabeth “Lisa” Brown
Partner
Lisa Brown is a founding partner of GBG, a defense employment boutique based in San Francisco. Lisa splits her time between San Francisco and Los Angeles, representing clients in both Northern and Southern California. Her practice focuses on complex employment litigation, wage and hour class actions, and representative actions under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Lisa is also an experienced trial attorney who has second-chaired a number of jury trials and first-chaired administrative proceedings.
An experienced litigator, Lisa defends employers against claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations brought by current and former employees. She has handled class action and single plaintiff matters from inception through discovery, summary adjudication, class certification, and trial in state and federal courts. Lisa also investigates and responds to administrative charges before the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and she conducts independent investigations of employee complaints.
Prior to founding this firm with Jeff and Tom, Lisa was an Of Counsel in the employment law department of Paul Hastings LLP. Before Paul Hastings, Lisa clerked for the Honorable K. Gary Sebelius and practiced law in Washington, DC.
Education
- University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2001
- Indiana University, B.A., 1998, summa cum laude; (double major and double minor)
Key Practice Areas
- Complex wage and hour litigation, including PAGA representative actions
- Trial
- High-stakes advice and counsel
Key Industries
- Extensive experience in telecommunications and transportation logistics
- Advice and counsel for companies new to California’s employment regimes
Representative Matters
- Defeated class certification in a security check class action, Coates v. United Parcel Service, Inc.
- Defeated class certification in an alleged timecard manipulation class action, Dominguez v. United Parcel Service, Inc.
- Defeated class certification in an alleged manager misclassification class action, Wong v. AT&T Mobility Services LLC
- Obtained multiple summary judgment victories in cases involving discrimination, retaliation, harassment, misclassification and other claims
- Multiple trial victories in cases involving misclassification and wrongful termination
Publications & Presentations
- Lisa is frequently invited by corporate counsel and human resources leaders to speak on topics related to PAGA, wage and hour class actions, and general employment law issues.
Community Involvement
- Board Member – Options for Learning, an early childhood education organization
Recognitions & Honors
- Rising Star, the Southern California Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyer, the Northern California Super Lawyers