Paul Hastings Adds High-Profile Trial Lawyer to Los Angeles Employment Law Department

June 02, 2006

Paul Hastings Adds High-Profile Trial Lawyer to Los Angeles Employment Law Department

Los Angeles, CA (June 2, 2006) - Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP (Paul Hastings), whose top-ranked global employment law department is best known for successfully defending employers in high-stakes employment cases, is pleased to announce that award-winning trial lawyer Donna Melby has joined the Los Angeles office as a partner.

Donna is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers. She served as the 2005 National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the first woman to attain this honor in the organization's 50-year history. In 2006, she was listed among Lawdragon's 500 top litigators in the United States.

In recent years she has been recognized by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals as one of California's most talented trial lawyers and listed among the "Top 100" attorneys in California.

Donna is a business trial lawyer whose practice emphasizes litigation and trial of complex business and employment cases, including class actions and mass tort cases in state and federal court. She has tried dozens of civil jury trials to successful conclusions, including race, gender, disability and age discrimination, retaliation, same-sex harassment, trade secrets/ Business and Professions Code 17200 violations, insurance bad faith, products liability, mass torts, anti-trust, contract disputes, serious personal injury, entertainment litigation, civil rights and police brutality, professional negligence and housing discrimination claims.

"We have had tremendous respect for Donna's trial skills and strategic thinking, impressive track record of high profile jury trial wins, and inspirational leadership of the Bar and the community over the years. Her clients have deep admiration for her sound advice on a broad range of legal issues, as well as her superb courtroom skills," said Nancy Abell, Global Employment Law Department Chair.

"Donna's expertise straddles both employment law and complex business and commercial litigation," said Jamie Wareham, Global Litigation Department Chair. "Her wealth of trial experience and class action expertise will be a tremendous asset to our client base."

Paul Hastings Employment Law Department. Paul Hastings has one of the largest and most accomplished employment practices in the United States and abroad. It was named "Global Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year" in 2006 by the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers. Chambers USA has described the practice as "Phenomenal; the clear leaders in a league of their own" (2004) and "the best employment practice in [California] by some margin" (2005). In 2006 The American Lawyer noted that "no firm has scored as many class action wins as Paul, Hastings." Many of the Department's partners have been elected to membership in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and/or American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, and 27 are listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Through its employment law attorneys in key capital markets around the globe, Paul Hastings coordinates global employment and benefits strategies and solutions, as well as inbound and outbound immigration through its globally-acclaimed immigration practice group. The Department is frequently called upon by many of the nation's leading law firms to represent them in their employment law litigation and advice matters.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, founded in 1951, is a leading international law firm with 1,000 attorneys in 17 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including many of the top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies, supports clients in all of their legal needs and offers deep capabilities in Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M+A, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Project Finance, Investment Management, Real Estate, Labor and Employment and Tax Advisory Services. For additional information, please visit our website at www.paulhastings.com.

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