Heather has experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of employment contractual documentation including, employment contracts, settlement agreements, staff handbooks and policies. She also has experience advising on a variety of employment disputes including race discrimination, disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.
Lynne led the trial team that obtained a complete defense verdict for Kleiner Perkins in Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, the high-stakes gender discrimination and retaliation case that garnered intense international media scrutiny. In naming Lynne “Litigator of the Week” for this victory, American Lawyer described her effective voir dire and how she “steadily poked holes in Pao’s testimony.” The Recorder called Lynne’s cross-examination “masterful” and Bloomberg reported that her “charismatic, intimidating oratory made her the trial’s breakout star.”
Following Pao, Lynne secured a complete defense verdict for SpaceX in an $8 million gender discrimination and retaliation suit. The Daily Journal called the outcome “another triumph for Hermle,” observing that her “string of successes for tech clients fighting off gender harassment and discrimination claims got longer.” The publication also pronounced Lynne to be “arguably the most feared employment defense attorney in California.” Eight months later she followed that up with another jury defense verdict for SpaceX in a wrongful discharge and retaliation case.
Lynne has significant experience successfully defending complex discrimination and wage-and-hour class actions for global leaders in the retail and technology sectors including Microsoft, X (formerly Twitter), The Gap, Genentech, Sears, Burlington Coat Factory, Gymboree, Spencer’s Gifts, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn Kids, among many others.
In recognition of these successes and her high-profile career trial work, Lynne was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2017. She is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and many other trial related organizations.
Necia’s employment law practice focuses on federal court discrimination litigation, as well as complex litigation and class actions, including pay equity claims, wage and hour disputes, and OFCCP administrative claims. She handles cases from inception through to appellate briefing and strategy, and assists companies with a variety of compliance-related challenges including internal investigations, pay equity analyses, and government investigations and audits.
Prior to joining Orrick, Necia handled all aspects of general litigation cases at another global law firm including acting as lead counsel in approximately 50 cases in federal, state and administrative courts.
Additionally, Ms. Hobbes served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable D. Michael Fisher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and obtained a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy & Management. She previously consulted with the Office of High School Reform for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs with the Coro Center for Civil Leadership in Pittsburgh, PA, and worked as a project manager and writer at a market research firm.
Ms. Hobbes is dedicated to pro bono and community service, and has volunteered advising non-profit organizations through employment law challenges related to COVID-19, developing resources on international anti-trafficking laws, and litigating immigration cases assisting refugee children fleeing violence in Central America, civil cases helping prisoners pursue their constitutional rights, and state court petitions for transgender legal name changes. She has volunteered in the past with women’s rights and immigration advocacy organizations, and teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Alice represents public and private companies in complex employment litigation, with experience across industries including technology, entertainment, automotive, and retail. She has successfully defended employers in high-stakes class and representative actions, including those brought under the Equal Pay Act, Washington’s Equal Pay & Opportunities Act, PAGA, the WARN Act, and wage and hour laws in both Washington and California. In addition to class actions, Alice regularly defends employers in sensitive single-plaintiff cases involving discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower allegations—often brought by senior executives or other high-profile employees. She also advises companies navigating employee mobility disputes, including those involving alleged trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, or the enforcement of restrictive covenants.
No matter the case, Alice crafts an approach that is both efficient and effective. A trusted advisor, she partners closely with clients to develop a practical, business-focused solution to litigation in any venue, including federal and state courts, arbitration, and in government investigations. Clients depend on Alice for clear guidance, vigorous advocacy, and successful resolution of their most challenging employment disputes.
Alice maintains an active pro bono practice, focusing primarily on issues relating to criminal justice reform.
Prior to joining Orrick, Alice worked as an associate in Latham & Watkins’ Century City office. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School where she graduated cum laude.
Before joining Orrick, Ernan served as a law clerk for the Honorable Mary H. Murguia of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable David G. Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
Ernan earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he served as Executive Editor on the California Law Review. He also earned a Masters in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (Austria) and a B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University.
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