Overview
Cameron W. Fox is the chair of the Los Angeles office and chair of the firm’s Traditional Labor Practice Group. She works in the firm’s Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. Cameron represents employers in the areas of employment law and traditional labor, with a particular emphasis in the technology industry.
Employment Law. Cameron has successfully defended employers in numerous jury trials and bench trials, in arbitration, and on appeal against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, breach of contract, and defamation. For example, she has secured full defense verdicts in high-profile state court cases involving allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers and in cases alleging discrimination and retaliation for political and religious expression in the workplace. She has also secured several full defense verdicts in arbitration on behalf of employers.
Cameron is experienced in handling the press with regard to high-profile cases, and she works closely with her clients on communications strategy.
Cameron also has nearly a decade of experience representing institutions of higher education in matters involving student and faculty discipline, allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault (including litigation of and related to Title IX actions), free speech and academic freedom, and allegations of wrongful termination and retaliation.
In addition, Cameron has a robust advising practice. She has extensive experience advising employers on the handling of employee activism in the workplace, and sensitive workplace investigations. Cameron also advises employers working to adapt to the fast-changing new realities of the workplace, including on matters of workplace safety and whistleblowing.
She regularly assists employers with separations of high-level officers and managers, as well as the drafting and negotiation of non-disclosure agreements and employment agreements.
Traditional Labor. Cameron represents employers in traditional labor matters, including collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, election petitions, and organizing campaigns. Cameron has represented clients in multiple unfair labor practices cases before the National Labor Relations Board, including several cases that have involved multi-day trials before various Administrative Law Judges. She has also represented employers on appeal to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington D.C. and to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal. On the union election side, Cameron has successfully represented major employers in responding to election petitions, including handling complex representation case hearings involving novel issues of law, and representing employers in all aspects of Board procedure with regard to representation cases, up through and including tests of cert in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals.
Accolades
- Employment and Litigation — Labor and Employment, Best Lawyers
- Top Labor and Employment Lawyer, Chambers USA
- Top Women Lawyers in California, Daily Journal
- Top Labor and Employment Lawyers in California, Daily Journal
- “LA Leader of Influence: Thriving in Their 40s,” Los Angeles Business Journal
- Labor and Employment Disputes Including Collective Actions: Defense, Legal 500 USA
- Southern California’s Outstanding Young Lawyers and Top Women Attorneys
Education
- Northwestern University, B.A., 1997 (Mortar Board Scholar)
- University of California, Davis, J.D., 2001 (Lead Advocate, National Moot Court Team)
Representations
Employment Law
- Won a full defense verdict for a major clothing retailer after a 5-day jury trial. The case involved allegations of gender and pregnancy discrimination, as well as constructive discharge. The jury returned a unanimous verdict for the defense after 15 minutes of deliberation.
- Won a multi-million dollar verdict for a technology company after a seven-week jury trial. The verdict included punitive damages against the individual employees who breached their contracts and defrauded the company in order to steal technology for their own use.
- Won a crucial jury verdict for an esteemed educational institution in a retaliatory discharge lawsuit. After a six-week trial, the jury returned a complete defense verdict, concluding that there was no causal connection between the plaintiff’s discharge and his alleged whistleblowing activities.
- Won a full defense verdict in arbitration (JAMS) for a professional services firm, defeating claims by a female director who was not placed on partnership track and then sued for "gender plus" discrimination on account of her status as a woman with young children, whose schedule prevented her from working the same hours as male colleagues.
- Won an early dismissal with prejudice of 17 causes of action against a technology company in a multi-million dollar action under the Private Attorneys’ General Act for alleged violations of the California Labor Code.
- Won a full defense verdict for an employer in a highly publicized, five-week bench trial in which the employer was alleged to have disciplined and terminated an employee for advocating his religious and political beliefs during work hours.
- Won a full defense verdict in arbitration (JAMS) against claims of disability discrimination, violation of FMLA and CFRA, failure to accommodate, failure to engage, and infliction of emotional distress, where plaintiff struggled with substance abuse and anxiety, which negatively affected his work performance.
- Successfully represented a venture capital startup in litigation filed by the founders’ former employer, alleging theft of customer lists and financial models. After we successfully defended the startup against a restraining order, the former employer quickly settled.
- Secured a full defense verdict for a video game equipment maker after a three-week jury trial in which a rival gaming company alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and tortious interference with employee and customer relationships.
- Obtained summary judgment on an employer’s complaint for declaratory relief on a contract with a temporary staffing company, as well as summary judgment against the staffing company’s cross-claims for breach of contract. Also obtained terminating sanctions against the staffing company’s business tort cross-claims as a consequence for its litigation misconduct. All rulings affirmed by the California Court of Appeal.
- Won a full defense verdict for a consulting firm in a breach of contract action brought by a former employee for additional commissions and compensation. After a two-week bench trial, the judge ruled for the employer on all claims.
- Won summary judgment denying a Labor Code Section 2802 claim by a terminated senior employee who sought reimbursement of legal fees for three years of litigation brought by a junior colleague who sued for sexual harassment.
Traditional Labor
- Successfully represented global staffing company in a test of cert case before the DC Circuit Court of Appeal after the NLRB affirmed a Regional Director decision that the staffing company was jointly employing the workers at issue with a technology company that was the staffing company’s client.
- Defeated 38 consecutive unfair labor practice charges filed as part of a large-scale campaign to oust senior management and successfully defeated later attempts by a startup employee group to petition NLRB for a union election.
- Successfully represented major educational institution through filing of election petition, representation case hearing, election, and test of cert in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in the employer’s favor that the petitioned-for unit consisted of managerial employees under the Act.
- Successfully represented prominent apparel maker in responding to election petition, including representation case hearing, subpoena enforcement proceedings (on behalf of the employer) in federal court, and eventual withdrawal of the petition.
- Successfully represented global technology company in high-profile unfair labor practice charge that garnered international attention. The matter ended in dismissal of the charge and issuance of an important Advice Memorandum confirming employers’ rights to make decisions in support of Equal Employment Opportunity policies.
- Secured dismissal of unfair labor practice charge by charging party alleging violations of 8(a)(3) and 8(a)(4) in the wake of multi-year Board litigation over the employer’s speech policies (affirmed by Office of Appeals).
Engagement & Publications
- “Be True To Your School: Emerging NLRA Issues in Higher Education,” ABA Developing Labor Law Committee, Mid-Winter Conference (February 26, 2025)
- “An Important Look at the Lesser-Known Claims, Remedies and Defenses in Employment Law,” LA County Bar Association (December 7, 2024)
- “Latest Developments in EEO Law,” DRI (May 20, 2024)
- “Sound the Alarm: Trends and Risk Management Relating to Whistleblowers,” Paul Hastings Consumer Financial Services Webinar Series (May 1, 2024)
- "Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law," National Employment Law Institute (March 12, 2024)
- "Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law," National Employment Law Institute (November 16, 2023)
- “The Emerging Protected Class: Caste Discrimination in the United States,” Practicing Law Institute (PLI) (April 26, 2023)
- “Employee Activism in the Workplace; Does Anything Cross the Line These Days?,” The Rutter Group and California Judges Association, 2023 Employment Litigation Update Program (March 7, 2023)
- “Latest NLRA Developments and What They Mean for Unionized and Non-Unionized Employers,” (January 11, 2023)
- “Social Media: What’s New, What’s The Risk, and What’s It Worth?,” Los Angeles County Bar Association (March 15, 2022)
- “The Growing Impact of Social Justice and Employee Advocacy on the Global Workplace,” (May 19, 2021)
- "Speech in the Workplace: When Is It Protected?," (April 27, 2021)
- "Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law," National Employment Law Institute (February 24, 2021)
- "Legal Issues Presented by Workplace Activism in the Social Media Age," Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (February 18, 2021)
- “Union Fundamentals and Related Labor Law Issues” (January 27, 2021)
- "Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law," National Employment Law Institute (December 2, 2020)
- "Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law," National Employment Law Institute (August 26, 2020)
- “The Future of Work: Workplace Activism & Diversity,” (July 15, 2020)
- “How Sexual Harassment and #MeToo Investigations Unfold in Litigation and at Trial,” (June 1, 2020)
- “COVID-19 Series: Workforce Planning Strategies,” (April 1, 2020)
- “They’re Doing What?!: Handling and Preparing For Employee Activism in the Social Media Age,” (January 14, 2020)
- Daily Journal Employment Law Forum, Co-Chair and Presenter (July 11, 2019)
- “Effectively Responding to #MeToo Issues: Perspective from the Trenches,” Institute for Corporate Counsel, Annual Meeting, (December 5, 2018)
- “Developments in Equal Employment Opportunity Law,” National Employment Law Institute (May 4, 2017)
- “The Dawn of a New Administration or an Earthquake: Employment Law 2017,” Association of Corporate Counsel (November 9, 2016)
- “Proactive Tips for Navigating Transgender Issues in the Workplace,” Employment Roundtable of Southern California (November 3, 2016)
- “Annual Review – The California Labor Code Private Attorney General Act,” Beverly Hills Bar Association (October 27, 2016)
Involvement
- Member – Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles Associates & Affiliates (Children’s Chain)
- Member – American Bar Association, State Bar of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association, and Women Lawyers of Los Angeles
- Pro Bono Counsel – AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA Health)
- Former Member – Board of Directors, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA Health)
- Former Executive Committee Member – Los Angeles County Bar Barristers