Allison Eckstrom
Allison Eckstrom
Allison Eckstrom
Biography
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.
Areas of Focus
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Employment Class & Collective Actions
Civic Involvement & Honors
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Orange County Bar Association
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association
Admissions
California, 2001
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California
Education
Southwestern University, J.D., 2001
University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., with honors, 1996
Related Practice Areas
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Employment & Labor
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Class Actions & Mass Torts
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Retail & Consumer Products
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Investigations
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Regulation, Compliance & Advisory
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Financial Services
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Consumer Fraud
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Insurance (Class Actions)
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Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices (Class Actions)
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Class Actions
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Litigation & Dispute Resolution
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Cross-border Employment Issues
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Restaurant Practice
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Employment Class & Collective Actions
Resources
Speaking Engagements
- Panelist, First Chair Conference, Hot Topics in Employment Law, August 2019
- Speaker, PIHRA California HR Conference, Slaying The Wage And Hour Dragon, August 2018
- Speaker, Orange County Bar Association Symposium - New Trends in Wage & Hour Law, June 2015
- Speaker, Orange County Compensation and Benefits Association, January 2015
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