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Kerri H. Sakaue

She | Her | Hers

Associate

Los Angeles
T +1.310.979.8488
F +1.310.820.8859
ksakaue@bakerlaw.com
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Overview

Kerri Sakaue represents businesses in all aspects of employment-related litigation, including wage and hour class, collective and representative actions, and state and federal litigation of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and leave and accommodation claims.

Kerri has experience representing clients in the financial services, transportation, manufacturing and distribution, employee staffing and retail industries. She focuses on efficiently resolving employment disputes and assists clients in avoiding litigation by providing advice on a wide range of employment issues.

Select Experience

  • Obtained an order denying class certification on a motion for reconsideration in two related wage and hour class actions for a leading financial institution, one involving financial center employees and the other involving call center employees, based on findings that there was no evidence of any de facto policies necessitating off-the-clock work or impeding the taking of meal and rest breaks, and that individual issues predominated. The court also denied the plaintiffs’ request for leave to file an amended, consolidated complaint to try to cure their class certification infirmities.
  • Obtained an order granting partial summary judgment of putative class representative plaintiff’s individual claim for unpaid overtime based on alleged use of incorrect regular rate of pay on the ground that bonus payments the plaintiff received were in fact discretionary and therefore not includable in her regular rate of pay.
  • Obtained an order awarding attorneys’ fees to prevailing defendant under the Fair Employment and Housing Act on the ground that claims of discrimination, retaliation and harassment against educational institution, were unreasonable, frivolous and meritless. The award was affirmed on appeal.
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Experience

  • Obtained an order denying class certification on a motion for reconsideration in two related wage and hour class actions for a leading financial institution, one involving financial center employees and the other involving call center employees, based on findings that there was no evidence of any de facto policies necessitating off-the-clock work or impeding the taking of meal and rest breaks, and that individual issues predominated. The court also denied the plaintiffs’ request for leave to file an amended, consolidated complaint to try to cure their class certification infirmities.
  • Obtained an order granting partial summary judgment of putative class representative plaintiff’s individual claim for unpaid overtime based on alleged use of incorrect regular rate of pay on the ground that bonus payments the plaintiff received were in fact discretionary and therefore not includable in her regular rate of pay.
  • Obtained an order awarding attorneys’ fees to prevailing defendant under the Fair Employment and Housing Act on the ground that claims of discrimination, retaliation and harassment against educational institution, were unreasonable, frivolous and meritless. The award was affirmed on appeal.
  • Regularly advises and counsels employers by drafting and revising employee handbooks, assisting with workplace investigations and terminations, and ensuring compliance with federal, state and local laws.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • Southern California Super Lawyers: Rising Star (2018 to 2021)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • “Ones to Watch” California: Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023)

News

News

Publications

Alerts

Blog Posts

Services

Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • California

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Irvine School of Law, 2014; Senior Editor and Lead Article Editor, UC Irvine Law Review
  • B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 2010

Blog

In The Blogs

Previous Next
Employment Law Spotlight
Governor Newsom Imposes Greater Pay Transparency Requirements on California Employers
By Sylvia J. Kim, Kerri H. Sakaue
September 30, 2022
On Sept. 27, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 1162. As previously reported, SB 1162 significantly expands pay reporting and disclosure requirements for most California employers. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, California...
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