Julie Dunne

Partner

About

For more than three decades, Julie has represented leading employers and management, particularly in the retail industry, in a wide range of employment-related matters. She frequently defends employers in wage-and-hour class, collective and private attorney general representative actions under California laws and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Julie also advises employers on compliance with California wage-and-hour laws and the FLSA.

Areas of FocusEmployment

Bar admissionsCalifornia

EXPERIENCE

Currently defending a national discount retailer in a class and representative action for alleged failure to pay for all hours worked (time spent in health screenings and rounded time), failure to correctly calculate the regular rate of pay, failure to provide meal and rest periods, and failure to pay sick leave at the regular rate of pay
Currently defending a national specialty fashion retailer in a representative action for failure to pay for all hours worked (health screenings), failure to accurately calculate the regular rate of pay, failure to pay sick leave at the regular rate of pay, failure to provide meal and rest periods, and failure to provide suitable seats
Currently defending a national restaurant chain in multiple, overlapping class and representative actions for failure to pay for all hours worked, failure to provide meal and rest breaks, failure to pay reporting time, and derivative wage statement and final pay penalty claims; obtained voluntary dismissal of class claims based on the parties’ arbitration agreement
Currently defending a national car-care company in a class and representative action for failure to pay for all hours worked, failure to provide meal and rest breaks, and failure to correctly calculate the regular rate of pay; obtained voluntary dismissal of the class claims based on the parties’ arbitration agreement and moving to compel arbitration of the representative claim as well
Currently defending an advertising agency in a class and representative action for failure to accurately calculate the regular rate of pay, failure to provide meal and rest periods, and failure to timely pay final wages for talent appearing in a commercial
Defended a national delivery service company in a collective action in 2021 for alleged misclassification of Hub Supervisors; obtained voluntary dismissal of the collective claims and settled on an individual basis
Defended a national discount retailer in 2021 in a class and PAGA representative action for failure to pay for all hours worked and failure to provide meal periods; obtained voluntary dismissal of class and representative claims and settled on an individual basis
Defended a national fashion retailer in a PAGA representative action for alleged violation of California’s day of rest laws through trial and obtained a complete defense verdict in 2012; affirmed on appeals to the Ninth Circuit and the California Supreme Court in 2017
Defended a global technology company in a PAGA representative action for alleged violation of California’s meal, rest and final pay laws through trial and obtained a complete defense verdict in 2016
Defended a global technology company in a wage and hour class action for alleged violation of California’s meal, rest and final pay laws and obtained a defense verdict as to all claims except the meal period claim of one subclass in 2016
Defended a national restaurant chain in a class action regarding failure to pay for all hours worked and failure to provide meal periods and rest breaks and defeated class certification; affirmed on appeal in 2016
Defended a national fashion retailer in a class action for failure to pay for time spent in bag checks and defeated class certification in 2015
Defended a national fashion retailer in a class and representative action regarding failure to provide suitable seats and defeated class certification in 2014

Education

J.D., University of San Diego School of Law

B.A., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan

Awards

Seminars

Memberships And Affiliations

Member, National Retail Federation’s Committee On Employment Law, Chair of its Wage and Hour Subcommittee
Member, Legal Committee, Employers Group
Former co-chair, Labor and Employment Law Section, San Diego County Bar Association