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Leslie E. Wallis

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Employment Law, Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments
Healthcare

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, a labor and employment law firm with offices in Tennessee, Mississippi and California. 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 in breach of contract, real property disputes, commercial transactions, construction defect, wrongful termination and related employee disputes. Leslie continues to litigate employment matters at Ogletree Deakins in addition to spending a significant amount of her time advising clients on a broad range of employment issues, auditing employment practices and policies and responding to administrative charges. Leslie also provides training in the areas of harassment, discrimination and wage and hour issues and workplace investigations.

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, Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation, Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments
Healthcare
Learn more about Leslie E. Wallis

Leslie has handled a broad range of employment related litigation including the defense of wage and hour class actions under state law and the Fair Labor Standards Act for financial institutions, manufacturing industry clients, service industry clients and sports related entities. She has litigated 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. Leslie also handles charges filed with the DFEH and EEOC. She has worked extensively 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, airlines, medical suppliers, the sports and entertainment industries and clients in the non-profit arena.

Leslie has extensively advised employers in many industries on labor and employment issues, wage and hour issues and drafting personnel policies and procedures and handbooks. She has also conducted sensitive investigations for a range of clients. Leslie’s client advice also extends to a broad range of industries regarding disciplinary matters, leave policies, arbitration and contract provisions and general employment best practices.

Leslie has also provided training across the country on a variety of topics including extensive training in harassment and discrimination, leaves and accommodation, and workplace investigations.

Education

Admittance 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
  • President-Elect, Southern California Business Litigation Inn of Court

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.

Person rolling suitcase.

Burned-Out Workers and Time-Off—Do Employment Laws Allow Flexibility?

As the United States gradually emerges from the pandemic, employers (and especially those in the tech sector whose workforces can easily work remotely) are looking for ways to help frazzled and burned-out employees. In addition, many employees are seeking opportunities to preserve the flexibility they gained during pandemic remote-work arrangements. Time off, company holidays, and workday flexibility are among the top remedies for these concerns. But outmoded state and federal labor laws may impede a new era of worker freedom.

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