Julie Totten Recognized by Daily Journal as a Top Employment Lawyer

• Julie Totten, leader of Orrick’s Global Employment Law and Litigation Practice and deputy leader of the firm’s Litigation Business Unit, has been named to Daily Journal’s annual list of Top Employment Lawyers in California.
• The publication recognized Julie for her work defending groundbreaking legal challenges in the realm of AI technology and its potential impact on discrimination, as well as reasonable conduct and protected activities in the workplace.
• In her feature article (subscription required), Julie shared about what drew her to the legal field, obstacles she’s had to overcome in recent significant cases for Workday, and the trends she’s observing within employment law.

On what drew her to employment law:

"I was drawn to this practice because of the people aspects -- the human element is always front and center,” Totten said. “Advising on and litigating issues that directly impact people's lives, helping to make workplaces better and seeing the variety and complexity of human behavior make every day interesting and inspiring."

On employment law trends:

The integration of artificial intelligence into human resources functions has created new legal considerations. "Rapid adoption of AI solutions within human resources and people functions is raising a host of employment law and privacy considerations," she explained.

Her practice also addresses the changing regulatory environment around diversity, equity and inclusion programs, where companies must balance legal, reputational and cultural risks. In California, the Private Attorneys General Act continues to challenge employers despite recent legislative amendments.

"There's a lot for in-house employment counsel to adapt to -- and we try to help through a broad view of the landscape and what top employers are doing," Totten said.