Jennifer Burns

Principal

Jennifer Burns is a seasoned employment law compliance attorney, widely regarded as a trusted advisor to business leaders and Human Resources professionals navigating California’s intricate and evolving regulatory environment. Known for her practical and strategic counsel, Jennifer partners with clients to develop effective solutions to complex employment issues—from diffusing high-risk workplace situations through day-to-day guidance to crafting technical commission compensation agreements and tailored pay calculation tools.

A skilled advocate, Jennifer has successfully defended employers in litigation and before regulatory agencies, consistently achieving favorable outcomes through her proactive and prevention-oriented approach. Clients frequently view Jennifer as an integral extension of their leadership teams, collaborating with her to design compliance strategies, compensation structures, and personnel documents that align precisely with their organizational goals and operational realities.

Jennifer delivers hands-on compliance resources, including comprehensive toolkits, step-by-step guides, forms, and checklists to empower employers with actionable knowledge. Drawing on her previous experience as a Human Resources Manager and in-house counsel for both publicly held and family-owned enterprises, she bridges the gap between business imperatives and legal requirements with uncommon insight and practical judgment.

Education is a cornerstone of Jennifer’s compliance philosophy. She conducts in-person and virtual training programs for management and staff, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and business forums. Her monthly articles provide timely compliance updates and best practices for HR and management professionals.

A lifelong Southern Californian, Jennifer earned her degrees from UCLA and Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. She is a member of the West Ventura County Business Alliance and the Asian Pacific Alumni Association of UCLA. Outside of work, she enjoys watching NFL football, playing golf, hosting friends and family, and exploring new travel destinations.

Representative matters
  • Provides advice/counsel to clients in complex medical leave of absence and disability accommodation situations and drafts related correspondence/policies.
  • Creates complex commission pay plans and assists clients with tools to properly calculate overtime pay, meal/rest break premiums; vacation/sick leave pay; final vacation pay and other regulated methods of employee compensation.
  • Performs in-depth audits of Labor Code compliance by employers for purposes of meeting the eligibility standards for reduced penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).
  • Conducted thorough investigations for clients in multiple employment law settings, including potential fraudulent conduct; complaints of harassment/retaliation; wage and hour practices; and wrongful termination allegations.
  • Analysis and calculation of potential exposure for multiple wage/hour class action and PAGA cases resulting in expedient and favorable resolutions for clients.
  • 100% dismissal rate of charges of discrimination brought with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and California Civil Rights Department.
  • Author of comprehensive Human Resources process and compliance manual and accompanying personnel forms library that span the employment lifecycle.
Education
  • Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, University of California, Los Angeles 1990
  • Juris Doctor, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles 1993
Bar Admissions
  • State Bar of California, 1993
Professional Affiliations
  • Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego
  • Founding Board Member — Wish Circle, Make-A-Wish San Diego Chapter