Cari A. Cohorn
Senior Counsel and Director of Litigation
Cari is a dedicated and skilled litigator whose practice focuses on wage-and-hour, PAGA, wrongful termination, breach of contract (including trade secrets and confidentiality/non-disclosure agreements), whistleblower, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment claims. She represents employers and high-level executives in disputes before federal and state courts, state and federal administrative agencies, the California Labor Commissioner, and in private arbitrations and mediations across California.
Cari’s experience in employment litigation dates back to her master’s degree research, which focused on the measurement and impact of sexual and racial harassment and discrimination and on the use of social science research in decision-making in civil litigation (e.g., class certification and calculations of damages). Cari brings this background to her work in certifying – or opposing certification – of classes and in her close collaboration with expert witnesses and consultants which is so critical in high-stakes employment litigation matters.
Cari attended law school at Boalt Hall (UC Berkeley), where she was a member of the California Law Review. Following law school, Cari became an associate at a multi-national, San Francisco-based litigation firm, focusing her practice from day one on employment law. She next practiced with, and became an equity partner with, one of San Francisco’s preeminent litigation boutiques. Having gained experience co-managing a partnership, Cari launched her own law firm in 2015. That experience gave Cari a deep and personal insight into the challenges that her employer clients face every day in California.
Cari is admitted to practice in all California state courts, as well as all of the federal district courts in California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Cari was named to the Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list multiple times and has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in 2024 and 2025. She is committed to community engagement and to teaching and supporting law students and junior attorneys in their career development; among other things, she has been an adjunct professor, and she routinely volunteers as a judge for Boalt Hall’s moot court and appellate advocacy programs.
Education:
- Southwestern University (B.A.)
- University of Illinois (M.A.)
- UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D.)
Bar Admissions:
- California
Memberships:
- The California State Bar
- California Lawyers Association, Labor & Employment Law and Litigation Sections
- Bar Association of San Francisco
Court Admissions:
- All California State and Federal Courts
Wage and Hour, Class Action, and PAGA Litigation:
- Defend health care employer against class and PAGA wage and hour claims; analyze personnel, time, and payroll records of potential class of over 400 employees to assess the employer’s potential exposure; develop arguments for defeating class certification and for minimizing potential PAGA penalties; represent client at mediation and in negotiations to efficiently resolve the dispute.
- Quickly obtain favorable settlement on behalf of Northern California produce company in class and PAGA action alleging numerous Labor Code violations, including (among others) failure to pay for all hours worked, failure to pay overtime, and failure to provide meal and rest periods; analyze evidence and advise client on liability and damages; represent client and mediation; obtain settlement agreement allowing employer to pay settlement in installments over nearly a year.
- Served as lead class counsel, representing class of restaurant workers asserting claims for, e.g., meal and rest period premium pay, overtime, split shift and reporting time pay, and penalties for failure to provide complete and accurate wage statements; engage in extensive discovery and motion practice; obtain order from federal district court certifying the class; obtain settlement providing significant award of damages and penalties to class members.
- Represented class of over 500 restaurant workers in parallel proceedings in arbitration and in state court (on behalf of those workers who had not signed an arbitration agreement) pursuing individual claims, as well as class wide wage-and-hour claims and claims for PAGA penalties; defeat motion by employer to dismiss PAGA and class claims; defeat motion to limit proposed class to only those employees who had worked at one of defendants’ locations; obtain large settlement, resulting in one of the largest payments of PAGA penalties to the Labor & Workforce Development Agency to date.
Harassment, Discrimination, and Wrongful Termination:
- Defend limousine company against allegations that an employee had sexually harassed a coworker; coordinate with attorney investigating the allegations; advise the employer as to its potential liability for the actions of the harasser and ways of limiting risk going forward, including advising regarding issues related to negligent hiring, supervision, and retention; negotiate a confidential settlement and release of claims by the target of the harassment, avoiding litigation; oversee supplemental training of employees on preventing, recognizing, and reporting harassment.
- Represent technology professional whose employment was terminated after she developed a serious medical condition and requested accommodations; obtained extensive evidence despite employer’s repeated attempts to block or limit discovery; represent the client at mediation and weeks of continuing post-mediation negotiations, ultimately obtaining a settlement including amounts for back-and front-pay, lost benefits, emotional distress, and attorneys’ fees.
- Defend operator of residential facilities against claims that it had negligently hired, supervised, and/or retained employees who had sexually and racially harassed residents; engage in hotly contested motion practice concerning what information could be sufficient to put employer on notice that an employee posed a risk to others and allocation of damages between an intentional tortfeasor and a party who allegedly acted negligently; obtained confidential settlements with multiple residents who alleged they’d been harassed
Mediation and Arbitration:
- In action where former employee simultaneously filed individual claims in arbitration and PAGA claim in state court, successfully moved to stay the court case pending litigation; through effective discovery in arbitration, including obtaining deposition testimony from the claimant that contradicted many of his allegations, persuaded the claimant and his counsel that he was likely to lose his individual claims entirely and as a result be unable to pursue a representative PAGA claim; obtained a very favorable settlement of both the arbitration and the PAGA claim.
- Advise former Chief Financial Officer of technology following the termination of his employment allegedly due to age and disability discrimination; engage in limited pre-litigation discovery and mediation, including the client’s deposition; negotiate a favorable settlement without need for litigation.
- Represent hotel chain in arbitration of former employee’s allegations that he was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for complaining about purportedly unlawful pay practices, such as failure to pay for all hours worked; thoroughly investigate allegations concerning pay practices and evidence of the claimant’s poor job performance and the reasons for his termination; act as lead counsel during 5-day arbitration, resulting in defense award.
Administrative Proceedings:
- Represent technology education company at Labor Commissioner claim conference and demonstrate lack of factual and legal basis for some of employee’s central claims; successfully negotiate settlement of wage claim for an amount significantly below former employee’s demand.
- Defend law firm in Berman hearing before Labor Commissioner against claims of unpaid overtime and failure to provide meal and rest period; examine and cross examine witnesses and present documentary evidence disproving bulk of former employee’s allegations; obtain a favorable Order Decision or Award following full hearing.
- Represent private transportation company in EEOC investigation of alleged systematic gender discrimination; advise client on all communications with and production of evidence to EEOC; prepare management and key witnesses for interviews by investigators; resolve matter without litigation.
- Northern California “Super Lawer” in Employment Litigation (Super Lawyers magazine) 2024, 2025
- Northern California “Rising Star” in Litigation (Super Lawyers magazine) 2015-2017
- “Best Employment Lawyers in San Francisco” (Expertise.com) 2023, 2024, 2025
Cari A. Cohorn’S THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
