Roland M. Juarez

Over the past few years, Juarez's caseload has involved a range of class actions and individual lawsuits.

"I've been blessed to handle them all," said Juarez. "It's a very good variety, which keeps it interesting and challenging."

Juarez said his practice has always involved class action work, mostly around wage and hour claims, website accessibility related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, non-compete clauses and non-solicitation of employees.

Juarez said employment law was the only field that interested him after he graduated law school.

In a recent case, Juarez represented Katmai, a military contractor that provides role players for training missions on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.

The plaintiffs were two role players who claimed they were owed wages for reporting and commute time. Alkhamaisi et al v. Katmai Health Servces, LLC et al. 3:18cv00115 (S. D. Cal. filed Jan. 18, 2018).

Juarez said the case was notable because he "was able to drastically cut Katmai's potential exposure by arguing that California's wage and hour laws did not apply on Camp Pendleton because it's a federal enclave."

Juarez defended the contractor against class and collective action wage/hour claims under California and federal law.

Juarez argued that Katmai's potential exposure was limited to the few minutes at the beginning and end of the workday, when the role players left the Marine base.

A court-approved settlement has been finalized.

Over the past two years, Juarez has represented a large staffing agency in more than 50 cases. Among them is a disability discrimination case in which a plaintiff alleged he was terminated from his temporary job after disclosing a medical condition.

The staffing agency countered that it wasn't liable, based on its joint employer status. Juarez also argued that his client didn't fire the man from the hospital job, and continued attempts to place him on other temporary assignments. Galindo v. Glendale Adventist Medical Center et al. BC673205 (L.A. Super. Ct. filed Aug. 21, 2017).

In February 2019, Los Angeles County Judge Robert S. Draper found no evidence the staffing agency committed any adverse employment action against the plaintiff.

-- Karen Weil