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ATTORNEY BIOS:

Galen T. Shimoda | Victoria M. Ciganda
Kathryn Hardy


LAW CLERK BIOS:

Justin Rodriguez | Melissa Miranda


GALEN T. SHIMODA

Attorney at Law, California State Bar No. 226752

Education

Mr. Shimoda earned his J.D., with Great Distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he was also inducted into the Order of the Coif. He served as Editor-in-Chief for The Transnational Lawyer from 2002 to 2003.  Mr. Shimoda received a B.A. in Asian Studies and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Utah in 2000.

Legal Experience

Mr. Shimoda practiced employment defense at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, representing large corporations.  He primarily worked on wage and hour matters, including class action practice.  Mr. Shimoda now represents individuals in employment and personal injury cases.  Mr. Shimoda specializes in prosecuting individual and class action wage and hour claims for overtime, meal period violations, unpaid commissions and bonuses, minimum wage, and retaliation.  He also advises clients regularly on labor and employment issues.  Mr. Shimoda has extensive experience with disability/race/gender discrimination (and accommodation, sexual harassment, leave law, military rights (USERRA), privacy rights, wrongful termination, and whistleblowing cases.

On a practical note, Mr. Shimoda has trial and litigation experience.  He has handled numerous class actions lawsuits, including discovery, motions for certification, and settlements.  He also participates in Labor Commissioner and other administrative hearings regularly.

Published Decisions
Eicher v. Advanced Business Integrators, Inc., 151 Cal. App. 4th 1362 (2007) - Mr. Shimoda handled the de novo trial and the appeal in Eicher.  The appellate court confirmed that Plaintiff was misclassified as a non-exempt employee and affirmed the trial court's decision.  It also found that Plaintiff was entitled to attorney's fees despite losing his overtime claim in front of the Labor Commissioner.
Publications

“Japan’s New Equal Employment Opportunity Law:
Combating Sexual Harassment in the Workplace,” 16 Transnational Law. 215 (2002)

"The Underrepresented Worker," Sacramento County Bar Journal (September 2006) - http://www.sacbar.org/members/saclawyer/sept_oct2006/wageWorker.html

"Abuses of Firm Technology Can Be Fatal Distraction," L.A. Daily Journal (June 25, 2004) - http://www.orrick.com/fileupload/326.pdf

Along with the above, Mr. Shimoda has also co-authored and published other articles and treatises on wage-and-hour, employment crimes, leave law, and electronic discovery.

Memberships

Mr. Shimoda earned his J.D., with Great Distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he was also inducted into the Order of the Coif. He served as Editor-in-Chief for The Transnational Lawyer from 2002 to 2003.  Mr. Shimoda received a B.A. in Asian Studies and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Utah in 2000.

Education

Admitted to California State Bar 2003
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Member
Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento Member
Executive Committee Board Member (Treasurer), Sacramento County Bar, Labor & Employment Section
Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association
California Employment Lawyers Association (Wage and Hour Committee)

Bio List


VICTORIA M. CIGANDA

Attorney at Law, California State Bar No. 215719

Education

Ms. Ciganda received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2001. She completed the International Law Program at William & Mary School of Law in Madrid, Spain in1999. Ms. Ciganda received a B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, from San Francisco State University in 1997.

Legal Experience

Ms. Ciganda practiced civil litigation with an emphasis on civil rights and employment at the Law Offices of Johnny L. Griffin, III, from 2001 through 2008, representing individuals in all phases of civil litigation in both state and federal court in cases involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment and employment discrimination under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related employment laws. Ms. Ciganda has worked as the part-time Staff Attorney for The Voluntary Legal Services Program Employment Law Clinic.

Ms. Ciganda specializes in prosecuting individual claims of sexual harassment and discrimination, and has extensive experience representing individuals in litigation involving wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and other labor and employment-related actions. Ms. Ciganda regularly represents clients in administrative hearings before the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Ms. Ciganda practices before the state and federal courts in California, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Equal Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.

Memberships

Ms. Ciganda is admitted to the State Bar of California, and to practice before all courts in the State of California. She also is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Northern Districts of California. Ms. Ciganda  is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of California and a member of the Sacramento County Bar, Labor and Employment Section. 

Academic Distinctions

Public Interest Law Scholar, Spring 2001

CALI Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing, Spring 1999

CALI Award for Excellence in Race, Law & Policy, Spring 2000

Mary Morgan Women’s Fellowship recipient, Summer 2000

Bio List


KATHRYN HARDY

Attorney at Law, California State Bar No. 248773

Education

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA., J.D., May, 2006

Legal Experience

Ms. Hardy practiced law at California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Sacramento, CA from June, 2007 through April, 2010; and at California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. in Modesto, CA, before that. There, Ms. Hardy practiced employment, housing, and discrimination law. Ms. Hardy has handled many unlawful detainers and assisted tenants in attaining reasonable accommodations for their disabilities.

Ms. Hardy specializes in wage and hour matters and has litigated many cases to settlement or trial, as well as handled administrative hearings in front of the California Labor Commissioner. Ms. Hardy has also handled multiple unemployment benefits appeals in the CUIAB hearing processes and filed several discrimination claims with the EEOC on behalf of employees.

Memberships

Admitted to the California Bar in 2007
Eastern District 2008

Languages

Spanish

Bio List


JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

Law Clerk

Education

Mr. Rodriguez just completed his second year at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law where he has worked as a Legislative Staff Writer for the McGeorge Law Review, an Associate Comment Editor for the Global Business & Development Law Journal, and the Fundraising Co-Chair for the Latino Law Students’ Association. In 2008, Mr. Rodriguez received his B.A. in Philosophy from UC Davis with Honors.

Legal Experience

Mr. Rodriguez worked at the firm of Farmer, Smith, & Lane, LLP, where he focused on civil litigation. His work included preparing cases for trial and arbitration as well as addressing discovery issues that arose in the course of litigation.

Academic Distinctions

Witkin Award for Top Honors in Legal Research and Writing

Dean’s list. 2008-2009

Philosophy Departmental Citation for Outstanding Work as an Undergraduate

Bio List


MELISSA MIRANDA

Law Clerk

Education

Ms. Miranda just completed her second year at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, the Junior Barristers Club, the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce MetroEdge, and an active board member of the Latino Law Students' Association. In 2008, Ms. Miranda graduated from the University of San Diego with Second Honors receiving her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish.

Legal Experience

Ms. Miranda worked at the Sacramento District Attorney's Office in the Consumer Protection and Environmental Division, where she assisted a team of attorneys working on an on-going case the DA's Office initiated against multiple gas companies due to the alleged contamination of Sacramento's groundwater by the chemical substance, MTBE. Her work included drafting pre-trial motions and appeals as well as assisting with the drafting of discovery documents.

Academic Distinctions

University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law Legal Scholar, 2008

Recipient of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law Public Service Scholarship, 2008

University of San Diego Associated Students' Commitment to Ethics and Integrity Award

Bio List

 


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Galen T. Shimoda

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