Taylor Burras is a partner in the Firm's Labor and Employment group. Her practice focuses on representing management in all facets of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, management/union relations, and wage and hour violations.
Taylor is skilled in all areas of the litigation process and represents employers in class action, collective action, representative action, including PAGA litigation, and single plaintiff cases. She is also experienced with investigations and evidentiary hearings with administrative agencies including the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), the Department of Fair Employment Housing (DFEH), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Employment Development Department (EDD).
Taylor regularly helps clients manage litigation risk through advice related to personnel policies, employee handbooks, arbitration agreements, employment contracts, employee discipline and discharge, accommodations, protected leaves of absence, and labor relations. She investigates claims of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Additionally, she lectures and consults in these areas and on other employment-related matters, including providing sexual harassment training.
Taylor's traditional labor experience includes representing employers in collective bargaining and union representation matters, as well as defending unfair labor practice charges. She also provides advice and counseling regarding grievance management, union avoidance and organizing campaigns.
Amongst other industries, Taylor represents employers in healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, financial services, and transportation industries. Taylor represents both large and small employers and provides a holistic approach to representation focusing on both litigation defense and advice and counseling to avoid future litigation.
Representative Matters- Breach of Contract: Represented a make-up boutique against a make-up artist who made various misrepresentations that caused a significant loss of funds, and delays, relating to the company's store opening. Successfully negotiated a dismissal of the matter with zero settlement dollars paid by the client.
- Employment/Sexual Assault: Defended a global hotel corporation against negligent hiring and premises liability claims arising from allegedly inappropriate touching by a hotel employee. Successfully negotiated a resolution after demonstrating that there was no negligence by the client.
- Employment Discrimination: Represented the proprietor of a chain restaurant property in settling claims of employment discrimination and wrongful termination for a fraction of plaintiffs' original demands.
- Labor Commission Complaint: Settled complaint relating to allegations of failure to pay wages, along with waiting time penalties, on behalf of a Fortune 100 food and beverage company.
- Litigation: A plaintiff sued for $1 million over alleged injuries sustained at a hotel spa during a massage. The defense filed a motion for summary judgment. During depositions, the plaintiff was unable to prove causation, and it was revealed that her back had been pulled post-massage by picking up her children. The hotel spa settled for a small fraction of the original damages sought.
- Litigation: Successfully represented a large insurance company in the settlement of four related lawsuits brought by commercial and residential property owners regarding property damage claims arising from a hail storm in Arizona. In addition to disputes with respect to the value of damages, plaintiffs raised allegations regarding the manner by which the policies were sold.
- Union Negotiations: Represented a public hospital in the negotiation of five collective bargaining agreements over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.