Amy Semmel Mediator

Amy Semmel

In 2016, Amy Semmel was honored to be appointed to the American Arbitration Association National Roster of Employment Arbitrators. She has served as arbitrator in excess of 180 matters addressing a wide range of employment and consumer law claims, including race discrimination, disability discrimination, gender discrimination age discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, wrongful termination, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, and breaches of non-disclosure agreements, as well as many wage and hour matters and consumer disputes.

Ms. Semmel also serves on the American Arbitration Association National Roster of Employment Mediators as well as the Resolve LA Employment Panel (Los Angeles Superior Court), Central District of California Mediation Panel and the Mediation Center of Los Angeles Panel. Ms. Semmel is available to mediate employment and business litigation cases either privately or through these organizations.

“Amy Semmel was professional, knowledgeable, inspired confidence, sought out factual information to facilitate resolution, and was an excellent mediator. I would use Amy Semmel again and enjoyed her approach to bringing the parties to resolution.”
— Employment Defense Counsel

General Experience

 

Presided over more than 180 AAA arbitrations and represented both employees and employers in hundreds of employment disputes, including multi-party disputes, including the following subject matters:

  • Wrongful termination: federal and California False Claims Act, California Labor Code §§ 1102.5 & 6310; Fair Employment and Housing Act;  California Health &

  • Safety Code §1278.5, Sarbanes-Oxley and other anti-retaliation statutes;

  • Equal Pay Act, Labor Code §1197.5; • Sexual Harassment, Pregnancy Discrimination, Marital Status Discrimination and other Gender Discrimination Claims;

  • Disability and Medical Condition Discrimination, including HIV/AIDS;

  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CRFA);

  • Age Discrimination;

  • Race and National Origin Discrimination;

  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination;

  • Wage and Hour, including class actions and PAGA—unpaid wages, overtime, donning and doffing; meal and rest periods;

  • Breach of employment contract and fraud;

  • Fraud in the inducement and Labor Code §970 claims;

  • Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets;

  • WARN Act and California WARN Act claims;

  • Breach of contract, breach of loyalty, violation of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, conversion

  • Business litigation matters include breach of contract, fraud, dissolution of partnership; shareholder disputes, unfair competition, real estate disputes.

 

Parties involved include employees from security guards to C-Suite Executives, professionals, and academics as well as numerous industries including, entertainment, manufacturing, technology, marketing, security, accounting, law, medicine, retail, non-profits, banking, retail, and telecommunications.  

ADR Training

Certificate -- Mediating the Litigated Case (Pepperdine) 2020. Central District of California 2021.

ACE 21 – Impartiality: Do You Know Where Your Biases Are?, 2021; 2021

AAA-ICDR Panel Conference; Pepperdine, Certificate -- Mediating the Litigated Case, 2020;

ACE20 - Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility, 2020;

AAA Adoption of Initial Employment and FLSA Discovery Protocols, 2020;

AAA Pro Se: Managing Cases With Self-Represented Parties, 2020;

AAA ACE 19 Case Finances: What Arbitrators Need to Know, 2019;

Arbitrator Performance and Demeanor: Meeting Participant Expectations, 2018;

Applying the Rules of Evidence (Or Not) In the Final Hearing, 2018;

Arbitrator Subpoenas - Are They Worth the Paper They're Printed On?, 2017;

Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New AAA Arbitrators, 2016;

Arbitration Awards; Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards, 2016

 

 Professional Associations

  • California State Bar, Labor & Employment Section

  • Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment & Small Firms Sections 

  • TEN Esquire, Moderator of Employment Affinity Group

  • California Employment Lawyers Association 

  • Beverly Hills Bar Association

Education

 University of California at Berkeley Law School (J.D.-1984); University of Pennsylvania (B.A., Psychology - 1980).

Publications and Speaking Engagements

RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:  

  • Drafting Enforceable Settlement Agreements, TEN Esquire, March 2020

  • The Art of Settlement Agreements, Los Angeles County Bar Labor & Employment Section, November 2019

  • Sexual Harassment and Settlements in the #MeToo and Trump Era, Los Angeles County Bar Association, April 2018

  • "Ending Tit for Tat: Sexual Harassment in California," Century City Bar Association

  • “Electronically Stored Evidence,” California Employment Lawyers Conference; “FB Friends and Other BFF’s in the Biz and Law: Social Media 4 Employees,” Beverly Hills Bar Association;

  • “Show Me the Money: Successor Liability,” Los Angeles County Bar Labor & Employment Section;

  • “Will the Real Employer Please Stand Up: Alter Ego and Successor Liability in Employment Litigation,” California Employment Lawyers Conference.

 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:  

  • Third-Party Discovery in Arbitration: Be Careful What You Ask For, Daily Journal (June 2021)

  • Proving Disability Discrimination in California, Daily Journal (March 2016); 

  • Proving Disability Discrimination in California, Daily Journal, March 2016

  • Employers Just Can’t Drag Plaintiff to Another State, Daily Journal (June 2015)

  • Worker Privacy in Peril, Amy Semmel, Daily Journal (January 2011)

  • The Battle for Third-Party Information in Discrimination Claims, Daily Journal (August 2011)

Languages

English. Proficient in Spanish.

Locale

Mid-Wilshire. Zoom or conference facilities are available.

 

 

Arbitration