Deborah Dixon

Class Actions, Mass Torts & Employment Litigation

San Diego

Deborah Dixon has focused on mass torts and class actions since 2015 and, since 2013, advising and representing clients on issues of gender discrimination and harassment.

"I was drawn to class actions because of the number of people you can help with one lawsuit, it is incredible to see so many people who may not have known they had a claim or could not afford to pursue their claim get relief from one lawsuit (even as long as they take to resolve)," she said.

Over the years, Dixon has secured a $20 million settlement against Apple in a class action involving a defective feature, a $3 million settlement against Monster Energy for mislabeling products in their drinks and represented hundreds of plaintiffs in the Camp Fires against PG&E.

"Representing people who lost their homes and all their personal belongings by the devastating fires caused by utility companies has been important work because of the number of clients we have represented and the real impact on real lives," Dixon said.

She is also working with women scientists in one of the first public lawsuits in the scientific community for gender discrimination.

"It allowed for there to be real change within the institute, as well as creating an open discussion for the lack of transparency that had existed for decades," Dixon explained.

She said a major obstacle is changing the paradigm for what a company "has been doing for years" compared to what she claims they should be doing to ensure the product is safer and that "the consumer is receiving the benefit paid for or an employer is ensuring its employees are being treated fairly and lawfully."

More recently, along with co-counsel Gruenberg Law, she filed a class action lawsuit against San Diego Association of Governments for allegedly imposing false toll violations and excessive fines against thousands of commuters on the SR 125 toll road from January 2020 to February 2024.

The lawsuit asserts SANDAG allowed the improper charges to continue for violations that did not occur.

When asked about recent trends, Dixon said: "I am seeing class action waivers in many contracts, employment handbooks and consumer purchases which will dramatically reduce the consumers ability to participate in class action claims and most people will not be able to bring individual lawsuits because of the expense of the lawsuits compared to the damages alleged."