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Sara A. Moore

Partner

  • Office Contact Info
  • Biography

    Sara Moore is a Partner in the San Francisco office of GRSM, where she serves as Co-Practice Group Leader of the Employment Law practice group for Northern California. She is a member of the Employment and Retail & Hospitality Practice Groups. 

    Employment Litigation 

    Sara defends employers in all stages of litigation. She represents large corporations, non-profits, and small businesses in employment matters involving allegations of: 

    • discrimination;
    • harassment;
    • wrongful termination;
    • retaliation and whistleblower claims;
    • Title IX;
    • breach of contract;
    • disability accommodations and the interactive process; and
    • wage and hour/ Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) violations. 

    Her litigation practice includes defending single plaintiff and class action cases in state and federal courts, as well as claims before state and federal administrative agencies such as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), California Labor Commissioner, or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In particular, Sara has developed significant experience in defending employers in complex wage and hour cases, including PAGA representative actions. 

    Employment Advice & Counseling 

    In addition to litigation, Sara regularly advises employers on how to navigate strategic personnel decisions such as: 

    • employee discipline/ termination;
    • reductions-in-force (including adverse impact analyses); 
    • disability accommodation; and 
    • wage and hour compliance. 

    She also conducts audits of workplace policies, and frequently presents on current trends in employment law. 

    Sara prides herself on partnering with her clients to develop best practices and find creative solutions to compliance concerns.  Her clients range from healthcare facilities and private and public educational institutions to companies in the hospitality, high-tech, and agriculture sectors. 

    Prior to joining the firm and while in law school, Sara was an extern for the Honorable Barry P. Goode of the Contra Costa County Superior Court in the complex civil litigation department.  She also served as student counsel for the Hastings Appellate Project, successfully representing an appellant pro bono before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  

    Admissions

    • California
  • Practice Areas
  • Representative Experience

    Recent Successes

    • Motion for summary judgment granted for private university client upholding dismissal of former medical student who engaged in racially intolerant and anti-Semitic speech, where he alleged the dismissal violated his First Amendment free speech rights under Education Code
    • Motion for summary judgment granted for private university client where a former tenured professor-plaintiff alleged wrongful termination, age discrimination, defamation, and breach of contract claims following his dismissal for violation of the sexual harassment policy.  
    • Successfully opposed Title IX petition for writ of mandate for private university where former tenured professor-plaintiff claimed his due process rights had been violated.
    • Successful partial denial of Title IX writ petition, which affirmed University client’s decision to expel undergraduate student for violation of sexual assault policy. Affirmed by the Court of Appeal following oral argument.  
    • Motion for summary judgment granted for Bay Area university client in a state employment dispute where a former professor-plaintiff alleged various claims including wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, discrimination on the basis of marital status, race and gender. 
    • Successful motion to quash for lack of jurisdiction for out-of-state university, which was upheld on appeal. California student-plaintiff who was denied entry into out-of-state’s university’s graduate program sued, claiming California jurisdiction because the university solicited and accepted students from California, including plaintiff in another program. Court agreed that there was no jurisdiction on these grounds or because “harm” was felt by student-plaintiff in California. 
    • Secured complete dismissal of state employment case against non-profit hospital client by way of demurrer. Former employee-plaintiff’s alleged breach of contract, and discrimination based on age, sex and disability sued.  Court dismissed plaintiff’s complaint without leave to amend because plaintiff failed to demonstrate that she timely exhausted her administrative remedies, and no equitable tolling existed. 
    • Assisted in securing a complete defense arbitration award on behalf of a technology-based glass processing company against the company’s former CEO, following a week long employment arbitration in which the CEO alleged breach of employment contract, fraud, and various wage and hour-based claims. The claimant sought in excess of $400,000 in damages, plus penalties, interest and attorney’s fees.
    • Negotiated favorable resolutions of multiple wage and hour class actions for security and technology companies.
     
  • Publications & Presentations

    Presentations

    • Latest Developments in Class Action Litigation, GRSM Legal Education Conference, San Francisco, CA, September 2023
    • Continuing Potential Pitfalls of Working Remotely, GRSM 2020 National Employment Webinar Series, April 22, 2021
    • Class Action Litigation: Threats and Defenses, GRSM Employment Law Conference, October 2019
    • Eliminating Unconscious Bias in the Legal Profession in a Post #MeToo Era, Pacific Admiralty Seminar, October 2019
    • Tip Sharing: To do or not to do?, Golden Gate Restaurant Association Industry Conference, April 2019
    • Manager Bootcamp: HR & Managing People, Golden Gate Restaurant Association Industry Conference, April 2019
    • Becoming a Master Negotiator: Insights into Mediations and ADR, Bar Association of San Francisco, November 2018
    • Class Action Litigation: Employers – Brace Yourselves, GRSM Employment Law Conference, October 2018
    • Counseling, Reviews, & Handling Difficult Employees in the Workplace, Vertical Alliance Group, Inc. Webinar, March 2018
    • Counseling, Reviews, & Handling Difficult Employees in the Workplace, GRSM National Employment Law Webinar Series, September 2017
    • On the Horizon: Emerging Trends in Employment Law and What to Expect in 2016, November 2015/ April 2016
    • Counseling, Reviews & Handling Difficult Employees in the Workplace, Monitor Webinar Series, July 2016
    • From Hiring to Firing: How to Handle Difficult Employees in the Workplace, GRSM National Employment Law Webinar Series, July 2016

    Publications

    In the Media

  • Education

    Education

    J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law

    • Witkin Award (Top Grade) in Legal Writing and Research
    • CALI Award (Top Grade) in Health Care Finance, Administration & Policy
    • Hastings Science and Technology Law Journal
    • Evan A. Evans National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition, National Semifinalists and Best Brief Award
    • National Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition, National Finalists
    • Best Moot Court Oral Argument Award

    B.A., magna cum laude, Political Science and History, University of California, San Diego

    Honors

    Super Lawyers® Rising Stars distinction in Employment & Labor: Employer (2020-2022)

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