Bernice Diaz is an associate in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office.
Bernice's practice focuses on labor and employment litigation, representing employers in complex wage and hour class actions in state and federal courts, representative actions under the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), and single-plaintiff matters involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.
Bernice has extensive experience defending clients on actions brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the California Civil Rights Department (CRD). She advises and counsels clients on day-to-day employment and compliance issues, including discipline and terminations, personnel policies, employee handbooks, disability accommodation, and wage and hour compliance issues, including prevailing wage matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Bernice practiced in the Orange County office of an Am Law 100 firm where she focused on employment/wage and hour litigation and complex commercial disputes covering a wide range of areas, including breach of contract, unfair competition, fraud, and consumer financial services.
Bernice graduated from University of California, Irvine School of Law, where she was a Staff Editor of the UC Irvine Law Review and a teaching assistant to first-year law students in the legal writing class. She also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable David O. Carter of the United States District Court for the Central District of California and a legal extern for the Office of Chief Legal Counsel, Internal Revenue Service.
Bernice serves on the Recruiting Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Working Group in the firm's San Diego office. She is also actively involved in the firm's Women Lawyers Group.