Alison Willard is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice. Ms. Willard represents employers in all facets of employment law and the employment relationship. She devotes a significant portion of her practice to defending employers in wage and hour class, multi-plaintiff, and collective actions brought under California law and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Her wage and hour experience includes litigation regarding exempt status, off-the-clock work, meal and rest breaks, reimbursement of expenses, and independent contractor status issues. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, focusing on the financial services and technology industries. Ms. Willard counsels employers on compliance with wage and hour laws, and she has drafted and reviewed employee handbooks and employment policies.
Ms. Willard also focuses her practice on representing employers in single-plaintiff and class action litigation arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Her ERISA litigation background includes representing plan sponsors and fiduciaries in lawsuits involving employer securities, retirement plan investments, retiree medical benefits, top-hat plans, alleged cutback or elimination of accrued benefits, claims to recover plan benefits, preemption issues, and a variety of other ERISA matters.
Ms. Willard's litigation practice has also included litigating employment law matters under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, and FMLA, before various administrative agencies and in state and federal courts.
Ms. Willard received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001 and her B.A. in English and criminal justice from Indiana University in 1998.
Ms. Willard is admitted to practice in California and Illinois and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; the U.S. District Courts for Central and Eastern Districts of California; the U.S. District Court of Colorado; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois; and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
