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Leslie E. Wallis

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Employment Law, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments, Diversity and Inclusion

Leslie Wallis has represented employers in all aspects of employment law. Leslie joined Ogletree Deakins in 2007 as part of the merger of Ogletree Deakins and Lewis Fisher Henderson & Claxton. Leslie also served as in-house counsel at a financial institution representing the bank in a broad range of litigation matters, including trial work as well as monitoring outside counsel for the bank as both plaintiff and defendant.  Leslie was also “loaned” to a large entertainment company for nearly a year as temporary in-house employment counsel and has a breadth of knowledge about the industry contributing to her advice and training for entertainment industry clients.  Leslie now focuses her practice on advice and counsel for client across all industries advising on a broad range of employment issues and auditing, drafting and advising on employment policies and procedures.  She performs workplace investigations and Leslie also spends significant time providing training in the areas of harassment, discrimination, diversity and inclusion, California laws and policies, workplace investigations and wage and hours issues.  She also trains on wellness in the workplace.

Leslie’s areas of expertise includes employee leaves of absence and the integration of various California leaves, reasonable accommodation, discrimination and harassment, RIFs and WARN, state and local wage and hour laws, pay data reporting and pay transparency, California COVID related laws and regulations, performance management of employees and hiring, discipline and terminations in California.

Leslie is a member of the California Advice Group and the Ogletree Learning Solutions team of trainers.

Prior to beginning her legal career, Leslie studied with the Royal Ballet in London, England and then earned her Bachelor’s degree in ballet at Indiana University. Following her career as a ballet dancer in the U.S. and abroad she returned to California to study law at UCLA.

Leslie was an associate editor of the UCLA Law Review and a judicial extern to the Honorable Harry Pregerson on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Employment Law, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments, Diversity and Inclusion
Learn more about Leslie E. Wallis

Employment Advice and Counseling

Leslie has handled a broad range of employment related litigation including the defense of discrimination and harassment claims, trade secret and unfair competition cases, defamation, breach of contract, as well as statutory violations and wage and hour claims filed by individual plaintiffs and wage and hour class actions under state law and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Leslie uses her litigation background as well as her to provide advice and counsel across the breadth of California laws and industries and she has worked extensively with clients in the entertainment industry and also with hospitals and healthcare clients on a wide range of issues and also has significant experience with clients in such wide ranging areas as financial institutions, manufacturing plants, medical suppliers, and clients in the non-profit arena providing:

Workplace Investigations

As part of Ogletree’s Workplace Investigations team, Leslie regularly does investigations of employee complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation and reasonable accommodation issues and other workplace complaints

Training and Seminars

Leslie has also provided extensive training across the country on a variety of topics including:

Leslie also conducts regular webinars.  She and Charles Thompson, a shareholder in the San Francisco Ogletree office, regularly present “Keeping Current in California with Charles and Leslie” typically on the last Wednesday of the month.  This webinar focuses on California updates in the last month to keep California employer on top of all legal developments in California as they happen.

Education

Admission to Practice

Professional Activities

  • Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
  • Certified Mediator – Los Angeles County Courts
  • Former President, Southern California Business Litigation Inn of Court and related executive committee for Beverly Hills Bar Association section

Speeches

Insights by Leslie E. Wallis

State flag of California

California Unmasks—California Department of Public Health Revises Guidance for Use of Face Masks in Indoor Settings

On February 28, 2022, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new guidance, further loosening the rules for wearing COVID-19–related masks in the state. Effective March 1, 2022, unvaccinated individuals are no longer required to mask in indoor public settings, although the CDPH included “a strong recommendation” that all individuals, “regardless of vaccine status, continue indoor masking.”

State flag of California

Los Angeles County and City COVID-19 Masking Orders Move Closer to California Department of Public Health Rules

On February 23, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) issued an order, effective February 25, 2022, that slightly loosened the rules for wearing COVID-19 masks in the county. One day after the LACDPH order, on February 24, 2022, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued the interim “Public Order Under City of Los Angeles Emergency Authority” that mirrored the new Los Angeles County order. While these revisions make the orders from both the county and city much more similar to the California state masking rules currently in effect, they remain stricter than the current state rules.

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