Delia Isvoranu

Duane Morris • San Francisco


Delia Isvoranu specializes in defense of all types of employment-related matters, wage and hour claims and class actions and commercial disputes. 


The clients in some of her recent victories are confidential. In November, she handled a nearly three-month trial in Sacramento County that had been awaiting trial for 12 years. The case was a complex whistleblower retaliation case, which involved more than 25 witnesses. The matter stemmed from an action by a former physician against a public entity. The unanimous defense verdict was obtained in the Northern District of California. 


"The poor clients and witnesses, some died, many retired, you know, a lot of things can happen in 12 years," she explained. "Finally, it came to trial, and it was awesome. The jury came back in 35 minutes."


The action started with 27 causes of action, 24 of which were adjudicated in her client's favor on the pleadings. The remaining three claims were tried. Her client declined an offered waiver of appeal in exchange for a waiver of costs. She obtained a unanimous defense verdict in the jury trial, as well as the denial of an equitable claim for reinstatement on behalf of the state entity.


Other recent highlights from her case files are a string of summary judgment victories across California's courts, slaying discrimination and retaliation claims with surgical precision and a double triumph in San Diego, where she emerged victorious in not one, but two writ of mandamus bench trials. 


Isvoranu is actively involved in pro bono work for the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. She is also a member of several professional associations, including the Bar Association of Alameda County, where she serves on the executive committee of the Labor and Employment Section.


Isvoranu was born in Romania and her parents brought her to the United States when she was 6. 


"Every summer until I started college, I would still go back to Romania. It was still under communist control for seven or so years after we left," she said. "I would still go back every summer to visit my grandparents who were still there. It was not easy because I had a U.S. passport. There were still the secret police. I remember we used to have to go through checkpoints in Bucharest and they used to cover me with a blanket because the police would stop you at checkpoints. They'd want IDs for everyone, and they didn't want to be hassled by the fact that I had a U.S. passport."


Isvoranu frequently speaks at legal conferences and authors articles for the California Employment Law Letter. Her recent speaking engagements covered topics like disability law developments and litigating employment cases after the pandemic.