Nancy L. Abell

Partner, Employment Law Department

Los Angeles

T 1(213) 683-6162

F 1(213) 996-3162

Nancy Abell is a partner in the Employment Law Department of Paul Hastings. She previously served as the global chair of the firm's Employment Law Department. Resident in the firm’s Los Angeles office, Ms. Abell is a trial lawyer who works exclusively in the representation of private and public employers in all aspects of employment law and litigation, including discrimination, fair pay and wage and hour class actions; trials of statutory and common law claims; Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs systemic cases and affirmative action compliance reviews; unfair labor practice charges and other proceedings before the NLRB; organizing campaigns; labor negotiations; arbitrations; systemic charges and complaints before the EEOC, state anti-discrimination agencies, the Department of Labor and state wage and hour compliance agencies; and disability access cases under Title III and state laws.

Her clients include major technology companies, defense contractors, manufacturing companies, law and other professional firms, entertainment companies, financial institutions, and retailers. She has successfully defeated numerous high-profile discrimination and wage-hour class actions, represented numerous leading national law firms in partner and glass ceiling cases and defended members of the judiciary.

Accolades and Recognitions

Consistently recognized as one of the top employment defense lawyers in California by Chambers USA
Long recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Labor and Employment Disputes and one of America’s top Workplace and Employment Counseling attorneys by The Legal 500 US
One of 50 lawyers recognized on The National Law Journal’s inaugural “Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers” list of professionals who have changed the practice of litigation through the use of innovative legal strategies
Named as one of the decade’s 40 most influential lawyers (one of three employment lawyers) by The National Law Journal
Recipient of the Learned Hand Award for professional achievement and contributions to the community and human rights
Named in The Best Lawyers in America for more than 25 years and for many years by Lawdragon as one of America’s 500 leading lawyers

Speaking Engagements and Publications

Author of “An Employer’s Guide for Preparing Affirmative Action Programs”
Author of the Federal Contractor Affirmative Action Compliance chapter of Employment Discrimination Law
Lectures extensively on a variety of employment matters for a wide range of professional associations
Writes for several legal and personnel publications
Regularly presents training sessions for justices and judges, including the Council of Chief Judges, representatives of the United States Courts and the Justices of the California Supreme Court, California Courts of Appeals, and the Connecticut and Washington judiciaries on employment issues
Co-author of An Employer’s Guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act (1991)

Professional and Community Involvement

Co-Founder and Co-Chair of UCLA Law Women LEAD
Member and past chair, Board of Governors of the Institute for Corporate Counsel
Board of Advisors Member, UCLA School of Law
Board of Advisors Member, National Employment Law Institute and American Employment Law Council
Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Education

UCLA School of Law, (Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers), 1979
Pitzer College of the Claremont Colleges, 1972

Rankings & Awards

Recognized by Chambers USA 2018
Chambers USA 2018: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business listed the firm in 45 research areas and named 112 firm lawyers to its rankings of leading lawyers and law firms in the United States.
May 15, 2018

Daily Journal's Top Labor & Employment Lawyers
Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Paul Cane, and Donna Melby were recognized by The Daily Journal in their annual series celebrating the “Top Labor & Employment Lawyers” in California.
July 19, 2017

Human Resource Executive Magazine - Most Powerful Employment Attorneys
Nancy Abell, Paul Cane Jr., Neal Mollen, Patrick Shea, and Kirby Wilcox have been recognized as five of the Most Powerful Employment Attorneys for 2017 by Human Resource Executive Magazine.
June 16, 2017

Recognized by Chambers USA 2017
Chambers USA 2017: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business named 46 of the firm’s practice areas and 112 individuals to its ranking of leading lawyers and law firms in the United States.
June 05, 2017

AJC's Learned Hand Award

Nancy Abell was honored with the Learned Hand Award by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The Learned Hand Award is presented to outstanding leaders in the legal profession who exemplify the principles for which Judge Learned Hand was renowned. The award was presented at AJC’s 36th Annual Learned Hand Award Dinner on September 22, 2016.

September 27, 2016

Recognized by Chambers USA 2016
Chambers USA 2016: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business named 47 of the firm’s practice areas and 112 individuals to its ranking of leading lawyers and law firms in the United States.
June 08, 2016

Daily Journal Top Women Lawyers
Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Holly House, and Donna Melby were recognized by the Daily Journal in its Top Women Lawyers 2016 list, which recognized 100 leading women attorneys in California.
April 21, 2016

Paul Hastings Receives Most Individual Rankings in Daily Journal’s 2015 Top Labor and Employment Lawyers
Nancy Abell, Leslie Abbott, Elena Baca, Paul Cane, Stephen Harris, Donna Melby, and Jeffrey Wohl were recognized by the Daily Journal in its Top Labor and Employment list for 2015, which honored California’s top labor and employment lawyers. Paul Hastings received more individual rankings than any other firm.
June 03, 2015

Daily Journal Recognizes Top Women Lawyers

Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Holly House, and Donna Melby were recognized by the Daily Journal in its Top Women Lawyers 2015 list, which recognized 100 leading women attorneys in California.

May 13, 2015

National Law Journal Recognizes Nancy Abell in Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers List

Nancy Abell was recognized by National Law Journal in its inaugural Litigation Trailblazers & Pioneers list, which honors individuals who have changed the practice of litigation through the use of innovative legal strategies.

January 09, 2015

Recognized with an Award for Excellence by Chambers and Partners
The Firm’s Employment practice was honored with an Award for Excellence by Chambers and Partners.
May 24, 2013

Law360 Awards - Top Practice Groups of the Year
Paul Hastings' Employment Law practice was recognized as one of Law360s "Top Practice Groups of The Year."
January 02, 2013

The Daily Journal, Top Labor & Employment Lawyers 2012
Los Angeles partner Nancy Abell, Los Angeles partner Elena Baca, Orange County partner Stephen Berry, San Francisco partner Paul Cane, Palo Alto partner Bradford Newman and San Francisco partner Kirby Wilcox, were listed in The Daily Journals list of Top Labor & Employment Lawyers.
July 18, 2012

The Daily Journal, Top Women Lawyers
Partners Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Holly House, Donna Melby, and Teri OBrien were named to The Daily Journal's Top Women Lawyers list for 2012.
May 09, 2012

Daily Journal Top Labor & Employment Lawyers 2011
Six Paul Hastings lawyers were named to the Daily Journals annual list of Top Labor & Employment lawyers: George Abele, Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Paul Cane, Donna Melby, and Kirby Wilcox. Of the 250 lawyers from various firms considered, 75 were selected for this distinction, which focuses on litigators and corporate and regulatory specialists on both the plaintiff and defense side of major labor and employment issues.
July 13, 2011

The Daily Journal
Los Angeles partners Nancy Abell, Elena Baca and Donna Melby were recognized by The Daily Journal as Top Women Lawyers of 2011 in California.
May 11, 2011

America's Top 50 Advocates
Nancy Abell was named one of America's Top 50 Advocates by writing expert and law professor Ross Guberman in his latest book titled Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates.
February 23, 2011

The Daily Journal
The Daily Journal named Nancy Abell, Rick Kirkbride, Bill Sullivan, and Charlie Thornton to its list of Top 100 California Leading Lawyers of 2010.
September 22, 2010

The Daily Journal
The Daily Journal named Nancy Abell, Elena Baca, Paul Cane, Jr., Donna Melby and Kirby Wilcox to their 2010 list of Top Employment Lawyers. Paul Hastings secured the most lawyers on the Top Employment Lawyers list than any other firm.
July 14, 2010

Legal Media Group II
Nancy Abell, Stephen Berry, Barbara Brown, Paul Cane, Jr., Paul Grossman, Geoff Weirich, Kirby Wilcox , and Jeffrey Wohl have been recognized by Legal Media Group as leading experts in the Labor and Employment field.
May 23, 2010

Legal Media Group
Legal Media Group recognized Nancy Abell, Barbara Brown, Paul Cane, Jr., Marty Edelman, Paul Grossman, Geoff Weirich, and John Wymer, III as The Best of the Best USA in 2009.
May 19, 2010

Best of the Best Recognition for 2009
Legal Media Group recognized Nancy Abell and Marty Edelman as The Best of the Best in 2009 in the areas of Labor and Employment and Real Estate, respectively.
May 17, 2010

Daily Journal
Nancy Abell and Donna Melby have been selected as two of 2010's Top Women Litigators by the Daily Journal.
May 12, 2010

Who's Who Legal
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, a leading global law firm, announced today that Who's Who Legal has named 16 of the firm's lawyers to The International Who's Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers 2010 list. The lawyers include:

Nancy Abell
Barbara Brown
Paul Cane, Jr.
Kenneth Gage
Paul Grossman
Barbara Johnson
Lesli Ligorner
Neal Mollen
Deborah Sankowicz
Setsuko Ueno
Christopher Walter
Geoff Weirich
Kirby Wilcox
John Wymer III
May 06, 2010

Human Resource Executive Magazine
Nancy Abell, Barbara Brown, Paul Grossman, and John Wymer have been recognized as five of the Most Powerful Employment Attorneys for 2010 by Human Resource Executive Magazine. Jack Gallagher also made the 2010 Top Ten List for Labor in Human Resource Executive Magazine.

April 01, 2010

Ethisphere Magazine's Attorneys Who Matter for 2009
The Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think-tank focusing on business ethics, has named Nancy L. Abell and Tim L. Dickinson to its 2009 Attorneys Who Matter list.

This achievement recognizes lawyers who have made exceptional contributions to the corporate compliance field. The Ethisphere Institute selected lawyers based on area of expertise, peer/client endorsements, high-profile litigation cases handled, public service and legal community engagement, as well as academic involvement. The organization recognized Nancy within the Labor & Employment category and Tim within the FCPA category.
July 30, 2009

Paul Hastings Lawyers Nancy Abell ...
Paul Hastings Lawyers Nancy Abell, Paul Grossman and Al Latham Selected to the Daily Journal's Top California Labor & Employment Attorneys List (2009)
June 24, 2009

Paul Hastings' Donna Melby and Nancy Abell Named Top Women Litigators by ...
Paul Hastings' Donna Melby and Nancy Abell Named Top Women Litigators by the Daily Journal (2006)
January 06, 2006

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