McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the arrival of Yesenia Gallegos as partner in the Employment Practice Group. Yesenia counsels employers faced with mounting risks of class action litigation and workplace disputes caused by an increasingly mobile and complex labor force. She is based in the Firm’s Los Angeles office.
“We recognize that employers, particularly in California, are navigating a changing regulatory and compliance landscape while defending against potential lawsuits,” said Michael Sheehan, global head of the Firm’s Employment Practice Group. “Yesenia is a sophisticated lawyer with phenomenal courtroom experience as well as the ability to connect directly with clients ranging from the C-Suite to Fortune executives and counsel. She’s a great addition to an already formidable West Coast bench and helps ensure we’re able to continue exceeding client expectations.”
Yesenia represents employers in employment and class action litigation, including wage and hour cases and trade secret and non-compete matters. She also assists employers in establishing work rules and registering those work rules with local labor regulatory agencies in countries throughout Latin America. In addition, Yesenia conducts and oversees workplace investigations of harassment and discrimination, conducts wage and hour audits and provides organizations with training (in English or Spanish) in matters such as sexual harassment prevention, disability law, employment law and compliance with state wage and hour law.
“McDermott has developed a premier Employment practice whose lawyers work seamlessly with experienced colleagues across cybersecurity, litigation, transactions and other groups to offer truly comprehensive support,” said Yesenia. “It’s clear that everyone is passionate about the work they do and committed to helping clients make business-first decisions. I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running as part of this team.”
The Los Angeles Business Journal named Yesenia among the “Leaders in Law” in 2018 and among the “Most influential Minority Lawyers” in 2016. She has also been recognized by Super Lawyers, Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine, Latino Leaders Magazine and the Hispanic National Bar Association. She was also co-chair of her previous firm’s Diversity Committee and helped launch its LGBTQ & Allies Initiative.
Yesenia earned her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles and her JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law.