Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Employment and Labor

Partner - Litigation and Investigations

Allison represents clients in complex wage and hour litigation, involving claims for employee misclassification, rounding violations, regular rate of pay issues, meal/rest period compliance, expense reimbursement, off-the-clock issues, as well as derivative claims under California's Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). She serves as co-leader of the firm's Employment Class and Collective Actions Team. Allison also represents clients in single-plaintiff employment matters, involving claims for discrimination, harassment and retaliation under both California and federal laws.

Allison's clientele spans a wide range of industries, including retail, financial services, technology, freight/transportation, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, property management, and restaurant/hospitality establishments. She has represented clients at both the trial and appellate court levels.

During her career, Allison has litigated over 100 class and other representative actions in the federal and state courts. She has successfully defeated class and representative claims at all stages of litigation (i.e., the pleading, certification, and post-certification stages of litigation). Allison also has extensive experience evaluating and preparing exposure analyses of wage and hour liability in both the audit and litigation contexts.

Allison has experience as a certified mediator in civil litigation matters and received her training at the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University. Allison has not only served as a third-party neutral, but also has successfully negotiated favorable settlements for clients in high risk/exposure matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Allison practiced at two international law firms where she focused on employment/wage and hour litigation and complex commercial litigation. She also served as a judicial law clerk for Associate Justice Steven H. Levinson of the Hawaii Supreme Court for two years following law school.

While in law school, Allison served as a judicial extern for Judge Audrey B. Collins of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She was also a board member of the Southwestern University Law Review; a member of the Moot Court Honors Program; and a recipient of the Best Oralist Award at the 2000 National Rendigs Products Liability Moot Court Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Prior to attending law school, Allison was employed with a national payroll and human resource management company.

Allison has pro bono experience as a volunteer with Public Counsel in Los Angeles, where she has assisted indigent immigrant children in obtaining safe guardians and legal residency in the United States.