For over two decades, Ms. Sampath's legal career has been dedicated to serving the needs of those who have been denied justice. Ms. Sampath's practice focuses exclusively on employee-side employment law. In recognition of her professional achievements, From 2011-2013 Ms. Sampath was selected by Los Angeles Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star in the field of Labor and Employment through a rigorous peer-review selection process. From 2014 through 2020 she has been selected as a Super Lawyer in Southern (2014) and Northern California (2015-2020) respectively, a distinction given to no more than 5% of attorneys in the state.
Ms. Sampath recently served on the Executive Board of The California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) for six years, the premier organization in California of employee rights advocates. She also served as President of the Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion and Resources (FAIR) from 2016-2018 and continues to serve on the FAIR board. In 2020, Ms. Sampath joined the Board of Directors of Legal Aid at Work.
In Salinda v. DIRECTV LLC (BC 475499; Los Angeles Superior Court), Ms. Sampath, along with her co-counsel Bernard Alexander, obtained a $1,178,000 jury verdict in a disability discrimination and failure to accommodate case. The court subsequently awarded Ms. Salinda $874,403.12 in attorneys' fees and costs. The Court of Appeal upheld the jury's verdict and court awarded fees; remanded the case to be tried for punitive damages and awarded Ms. Salinda attorneys' fees on appeal. The matter resolved before the next phase of the trial.
With countless successful settlements to her credit, Ms. Sampath has optimally resolved cases for her clients at various stages of the pre-litigation and litigation process, including just weeks before trial and after appeal. While no one case is the same, below are select examples of cases Ms. Sampath has settled:
- $250,000-Gender discrimination of female executive at Silicon Valley startup (pre-litigation).
- $325,000-Sexual harassment of female employee working for a defense contractor.
- $500,000-Pregnancy, gender discrimination of accomplished female biotech employee.
- $750,000-Disability discrimination of employee suffering from a life-threatening disability.
- $760,000 - National origin discrimination and retaliation of a public employee.
- $850,000-False arrest and civil rights violations against employee of a major retail store.
- $1.40 Million -Multi-plaintiff age discrimination case against a hotel and its owners.
While in law school Ms. Sampath had the honor of externing for Senior Judge and Chief Judge Emeritus, Thelton E. Henderson (U.S. District Court for Northern California) and clerking at The Legal Aid Society, Employment Law Center in San Francisco (now known as Legal Aid at Work). Upon graduation, Ms. Sampath was one of four graduates honored by Northeastern School of Law for her outstanding advocacy and commitment to social justice.
Prior to practicing law, Ms. Sampath served as the first Director of the Legal Aid Association of California, a statewide membership organization of legal services programs. As Director of LAAC, Ms. Sampath worked with nonprofit legal services organizations, the private bar, Judicial Council and the State Bar of California to ensure meaningful statewide access to justice.
EDUCATION
- J.D., Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- B.A., Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley
- Mediation Certification, UC Hastings Law
ADMISSIONS
- California Supreme Court
- California Court of Appeals
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
PUBLISHED DECISIONS
Ms. Sampath briefed and argued the case of Wason v. AIG, 2010 WL 1881067 (S.D. Cal.)(2010). The Court held that a supervisor's disability discrimination against an employee constitutes extreme and outrageous conduct under California law and is sufficient to maintain an infliction of emotional distress claim against an individual.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Ms. Sampath passionately believes in the importance of giving back to the profession, community, and cultivating the next generation of public interest lawyers. Furthering this philosophy, In addition to frequently speaking at various professional forums on current issues in employment law, Ms. Sampath extensively volunteers her time with CELA and other professional organizations and assists local legal institutions actualize their public interest mission. (Click here to read more).
Recent Blog Posts
Landmark Legislation Passes For Survivors of Workplace Sexual Assault and Harassment
2 New California Laws You Should Know About in 2022
$137 Million Historic Jury Verdict Against Tesla in Racial Harassment Case
Ways Employers Discourage Employees From Taking Family Medical Leave
2021 Significant Amendments to The California Family Rights Act
Recommendations
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- Supreeta provided me legal support when I was experiencing potential gender discrimination after the birth of my second child and the retaliation I faced upon returning to work from parental leave. I felt like I was in very good hands with her, given how knowledgeable and action-oriented she is. ...
- Supreeta Sampath litigated my age discrimination lawsuit and is a lawyer who will fight for you! She is very compassionate, honest and dedicated to you and your case! She is extremely knowledgeable and experienced! Another best part about retaining Supreeta was her willingness to always be avail...
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Successful Female Director of Technology Discriminated Against on the Basis of Race and Gender
I am a senior woman in tech and I had a great experience working with Supreeta. I would highly recommend her to anyone seeking legal advice on an employment situation. Supreeta gave me the confidence on how best to approach my unfair work situation after she carefully listened. She quickly provid... - I was going to quit my high-level position at a large Pharmaceutical Company after 13 years due to discrimination after having a child. I was just going to walk away because I knew I would find another company who would treat me better. The issue I had was, how could I just walk away when what th...
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Supreeta is Super Professional and Responsive and Relieved My Stress!
Supreeta is absolutely amazing! My case was not trivial. It was mixed with sexual harassment, gender discrimination/inequities, and disability discrimination. Supreeta is super professional and responsive. She took care of everything which relieved a lot of stress for me; she answered all my ques... - Supreeta is extremely professional and responsive. After a thorough review of my situation, she provided thoughtful recommendations— along with a clear and concise strategy on how to proceed. Her outstanding legal expertise and strong negotiation skills made the difficult situation I was facing m...
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Exceptionally Empathetic, Thorough and Professional - A Fierce Advocate
I had never needed to seek professional legal counsel before working with Supreeta, and she took the time necessary to make sure I understood the process we were going through every step of the way in my sexual harassment case. This was a highly emotional situation for me and Supreeta went out of... - Ms. Sampath represented me in a discrimination claim. I talked to a variety of attorneys before choosing her to represent me. She stood out by being both highly professional and understanding that my goal was not only to set right an individual wrong but also to improve the culture of my former w...
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Senior Executive - Gender Discrimination and Pay Equity Case
I was a senior female executive at a predominately male company and discriminated against on the basis of gender in compensation. I also suffered a hostile work environment for years. I'm grateful for Supreeta's counsel and representation. She knows the law and worked tirelessly to ob...