Susan K. Chelsea

Susan Chelsea has over three decades of employment law, business and commercial litigation, automobile dealership representation, construction law, and government contract claims experience. Susans practice primarily focuses on employment law, but over the past 30 years she has handled matters involving general business litigation, contract disputes, construction contract disputes, consumer claims, government contract claims, mechanics lien and stop notice claims, and general liability defense. Susans employment practice includes both counseling and litigation work. She drafts and updates employee handbooks, other employer policies and procedures, employment agreements, severance agreements, nondisclosure agreements, commission agreements, pay plans, and anti-harassment policies. Her employment counseling practice includes wage and hour compliance, hiring and firing, and FMLA, CFRA, and ADA compliance. Susan conducts workplace investigations as an independent investigator. She also counsels employers through the investigation process when the investigation is handled in-house or by an independent third party investigator. An experienced litigator, Susan has successfully tried and arbitrated cases involving wrongful termination, retaliation, wage and hour, trade secrets, and unfair competition as well as real estate issues, business disputes, construction disputes, securities transactions and products liability. Susan has defended employers in over 40 wage claims before the California Labor Commissioner. She has also successfully defended employers subject to Labor Commissioner citations, eliminating or substantially reducing civil penalties assessed against employers. Susan has also successfully defended businesses against OSHA citations, including obtaining dismissal of citations after a successful appeal and hearing. Finally, Susan has defended businesses against ADA claims, both in the employment context and related to accessibility issues. Susan frequently presents on topics related to employment law and provides training to employers on various topics including anti-harassment and bullying, how to conduct proper workplace investigations, and compliance with updated laws and regulations. A leader in the legal community, Susan served as Chair of USLAW Networks Employment & Labor Law Practice Group. Susan was a faculty member of the University of San Diego Lawyers Assistant Program for nine years. She served on the Executive Committee of the State Bar Real Property Law Section and was the Co-Chair of the Litigation Subsection of the State Bar Real Property Law Section. She also served as Co-Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association Construction Law Section, and a barrister with the Inns of Court, Wallace Inn.