Irma Rodríguez Moisa

After earning a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Rodríguez Moisa went to law school “to change the world,” she said. Before going into employment law representing public and private entities, she worked as a civil rights attorney — an experience she said has helped her to see issues from the other side.

“It allows me to say, ‘How is someone else going to look at this? What’s the other perspective?’” Rodríguez Moisa said. “Particularly in trial work, and even in very difficult employment situations, I’m putting myself in those shoes. It gives me a greater depth of understanding.”

She represented the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in a suit brought by a former employee, who alleged he was terminated due to religious discrimination and retaliation. The plaintiff requested $1.6 million in economic damages in addition to an award for emotional distress.

After six hours of deliberation, the civil jury returned a 12-0 defense verdict on the plaintiff’s religious discrimination claim and an 11-1 defense verdict on the retaliation claim. Nutt v. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, BC550863 (L.A. Super. Ct. June 1, 2016).

In addition to being an experienced litigator and trial attorney, Rodríguez Moisa has conducted labor negotiations on behalf of public agencies since 1999. As chief negotiator, she provides strategic labor advice to clients, helping them reach their short- and long-term organizational and financial goals.

“With collective bargaining, it’s a very different use of skills,” Rodríguez Moisa said. “It’s about relationship building. It’s about trust, honesty and integrity. Not that being a litigator isn’t about those things, but when you represent a client in labor negotiations, you represent their missions and values, how they feel about their employees.”

The city of Long Beach hired Rodríguez Moisa to handle negotiations with its largest union, which represents 60 percent of its workforce.

The relationship between the city and the union was contentious and had been marked with litigation and mistrust. After nine months of negotiations, Rodríguez Moisa obtained a four-year labor agreement with the union and helped repair the labor-management relationship.

— Jennifer Chung Klam