Natalie R. Alameddine

LOS ANGELES - An influential labor and employment leader at Blank Rome, Natalie Alameddine routinely counsels and represents employers in litigation regarding federal and state wage and hour issues, class actions, discrimination and harassment issues, retaliation and wrongful termination. "

Alameddine has earned a name in her field as a go-to attorney for national employers accused of unlawful wage practices or wrongful termination. She has also carved a niche for her practice with independent contractor and misclassification issues, which are both hot-button topics in California."

Alameddine said she loves the fact that her area of law is constantly changing."

"My practice area, in particular, is never static and I'm always learning new things to stay on top of legal developments and to incorporate legal strategies into my cases that best serve my clients," she said. "In law school, I used to joke that my employment discrimination textbook was the only one I could read through without falling asleep. I always found those cases to be the most interesting and relatable. I graduated knowing that I wanted to specialize in employment law and here I am, nine years later, having been able to do just that." "

Alameddine said she's proud of a recent case in which she secured a swift dismissal of class wage and hour claims in light of an employee's signed arbitration agreement. She negotiated with counsel to preclude the filing of a PAGA filing despite a PAGA carveout in that particular employee's agreement and settled the claim in June on an individual basis for very favorable terms for the client. "

Alameddine has been the predominant employment counsel for numerous BYD Coach & Bus LLC, BYD Motors, Inc., and BYD America LLC, American subsidiaries of BYD Company Ltd., which is the largest domestic auto-manufacturer and electric- bus manufacturer in China. "

She has successfully managed and resolved numerous matters compelled to arbitration or brought in arbitration, and in addition, has led BYD's pandemic and COVID-related response strategy. Alameddine said one of the biggest challenges in her area is navigating ever-changing state laws. "

"Running a business in the state of California can be really difficult and I cannot tell you the number of times, especially after advising on a nuanced California requirement, that an employer will tell me, 'What am I still doing in California?'" She said. "In some instances, the challenge is having to advise a new client on liability due to a ticky-tack of requirements that they simply were not aware of, or a situation that wasn't documented well and thus lends itself to exposure." "

Alameddine said she likes to take a practical approach with each of her cases and makes sure her clients are aligned on whether to aggressively litigate or assess whether a quick settlement makes sense in that particular instance."

"It is so rewarding to get great results for clients," she said. "For example, I love being able to call a client to let them know that we won an important motion to compel or that I was able to dismiss class claims and settle a matter favorably on an individual basis." "

--Kelly Puente"