Katessa M. Charles

Charles said a key to being a successful employment defense lawyer is taking the David vs. Goliath image from such a case and turning it around.

An important part of that process is finding relatability between her clients and the community at large from where jurors are pooled.

“You want to convince that jurors or a judge that your client is in tune with their community,” Charles said. “[I] bring real people from my client. I bring the real manager, the real human resources professional.”

She helped settle a dispute in which a former Hispanic employee of a temporary agency raised discrimination claims against two of the company’s African American security managers.

“So the former employee’s perception, he just assumed that these people, these two men, were bad men that they were out against him because of their race,” Charles said. “[H]ere’s someone stereotyping these two Black men and saying, ‘They don’t like me because I’m Hispanic,’ when in fact, there was nothing in the record to that effect.”

She said using lessons from current social and political events, the defense included the argument that the two Black managers were singled out and accused of inappropriate conduct merely because of their race.

The multi-party litigation resolved through a confidential settlement in August.

Charles has practiced law for 26 years and said she believes she’s seen it all. The variety of clients has kept her work refreshing, but there’s always been one constant over the years.

“You’re dealing with different clients that have former employees who are suing for various and different claims and nothing is more personal than someone’s livelihood,” she said. “Nothing is more relevant than someone’s employment. … You’re dealing with something so close and personal.”

“So my job is to show that these companies are good corporate citizens. They’re doing their best that they can for the communities that they’re based in and the venues that they work in and serve.”

— Arin Mikailian