Bio
Katherine Edwards has specialized in employment law disputes since 1989, initially as an advocate, and currently as a full-time neutral. She has been a private mediator since 2000.
Katherine is experienced in all areas of employment law, e.g., retaliation, discrimination, harassment and related torts, public policy violations, defamation, privacy rights, contract disputes, wage & hour, and wrongful termination.
The Practice
Mediation
Katherine J. Edwards became a full-time neutral after representing individuals in employment law disputes for over a decade at prestigious California law firms. In her current role as an independent, private mediator specializing in employment law disputes, she draws upon and continues to develop that substantive legal expertise. She has mediated most types of employment law claims, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wage-and hour matters, as well as representative actions (i.e. the California Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) cases and class actions) across virtually every field in the private and public sectors. As a result, she can quickly and effectively assist the parties in making informed choices and practical decisions at mediation. Beginning in 2020, Ms. Edwards added mediation related to cannabis businesses to her practice.
Ms. Edwards has a reputation for being able to connect on a personal level with parties involved in conflict, serving as a trusted partner throughout the mediation process. Her deep experience in employment law, both as an advocate and mediator, as well as her approachable personal style and tenacity, all contribute to her overall effectiveness and success as a mediator.
Background
Work History
2000 to present: Full-time, private mediator
1993-2004: Partner, Masters & Ribakoff, Santa Monica
1991-1993: Associate Attorney, Anticouni & Anticouni, Santa Barbara
1989-1991: Associate Attorney, Allred, Maroko, Goldberg & Ribakoff, Los Angeles
Education
Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
University of Washington, B.A., Sociology
Experienced & Trusted
Representative Associations & Achievements
• Association for Conflict Resolution (“ACR”)
• Southern California Mediation Association (“SCMA”)
• American Bar Association -Dispute Resolution and International Law Sections
• State Bar of California - Labor and Employment Law Section
• Los Angeles County Bar Association - Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee
• Los Angeles County Bar Association Cannabis Section
• California Employment Lawyers Association ("CELA")
• Editorial Advisory Board - California Causes of Action
James Publishing, Inc.
• California Democratic Party Chair nominee as panelist of independent, non-conflicted professional investigators with experience in misconduct and harassment investigations
• Discrimination Complaint Investigator - Special Committee on Investigative Oversight
• City of Los Angeles Hearing Officer - City of Santa Monica Personnel Board
Arbitrator
• National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASD”) Arbitrator - Kaiser Permanente Member Arbitration Panel
• Society of Independent Workplace Investigators (“SIWI”) - Founding Member and various Officer positions
• Association of Workplace Investigators (“AWI”)
• Faculty Member AWI 2012 National Training Institute and Member of AWI’s • Best Practices Committee which drafted AWI’s “Guiding Principles for Conducting Workplace Investigations”
• Society of Corporate Compliance & Ethics
• Author and speaker for a variety of organizations including the American Bar Association, Los Angeles Birth and Infant Guide, CEB, California Employment Lawyers Association (“CELA”), SCMA, AWI, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, Orange County Bar Association Employment Law Section, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and local and international law firms
AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell