Janine Braxton advises and represents California and national employers with a wide scope of claims before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. With a practice emphasis on class action wage and hour employment defense, including PAGA claims, Janine regularly defends employers with complex employment matters. Janine also has extensive experience defending single plaintiff claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, and other labor code violations. She routinely defends employers in actions filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) (formerly known as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH)), and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).
Janine is a board member on the California Lawyers Association Labor & Employment Executive Committee and served for several years on the board of the Northern California Chapter of the National Labor and Employment Relations Association. Janine has also been named as a California Rising Star in Employment & Labor in Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers magazine for 2023 - 2025.
Additionally, Janine assists clients with developing, implementing, and auditing their employment policies and practices, and provides effective recommendations for risk avoidance. She also provides ongoing advice and counsel to ensure her clients maintain policies, practices and procedures in compliance with applicable statutes and regulations.
Prior to transitioning to full-time employment defense, Janine spent several years as a workplace investigator at premier workplace investigation Firm, where she gained extensive experience navigating complex, and often sensitive, workplace complaints. Janine incorporates this invaluable experience into her current practice.
Presentations and Publications
• Presenter, “Wage and Hour Essentials: What Every In-House/HR Practitioner Should Know to Ensure Compliance,” California Lawyers Association, Labor and Employment Law Section webinar (April 22, 2024)
• Presenter, “2024 Employment Law Update – Public Entity Employers,” Webinar (January 11, 2024)
• Presenter, “2024 Employment Law Update – Private Sector and Non-Profit Employers,” Webinar (December 12, 2023)
• “Advanced Mediation Conference: Practical Skills for Experienced Litigators” Panelist, California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Section, Sacramento County Bar Association Labor and Employment Section (December 2022)
• “Legal Strategies for a Remote Workforce” California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) (September 2022)
• “Lactation in the Workplace” Book Review for national Perspectives on Work Magazine, National Labor and Employment Relations Association (2022)
• “Employment and Labor Law Update: Construction” Co-Presenter, California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) (August 2022)
• “Your Legal Rights: The Great Resignation” KALW Public Media 91.7 FM Bay Area Public Media Radio Guest (August 2022)
• “Annual Meeting” Conference Co-Chair, California Lawyers Association (July 2022)
• “Retaliation Claims – How to Manage, Respond and Reduce Liability” Central Valley SHRM (April 2022)
• “Labor Relations in the Time of Social Change – Negotiating Police Reforms” Moderator, Northern California Labor & Employment Relations Association (April 2022)
• “Workers App” Content Contributor to California Lawyers Association-Sponsored Mobile Application (July 2022)
• “Connecting Law Students with Labor and Employment Law Practitioners” California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Diversity and Mentorship Event (February 2022)
• “2022 Employment Law Legislative Update” Co-Presenter, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Practice Managers Association (January 2022)
• “Fresh Perspectives: Nuts and Bolts of Preparing Your Best Oral Argument” California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Review (January 2022)
• “Effective 'Presuasion' & Persuasion in Mediated Settlement Negotiations - The Subtle Science Behind Influence” ABA Section of Dispute Resolution’s Virtual Advanced Mediation & Advocacy Skills Institute, Labor and Employment Facilitator (November 2021)
• “Fresh Perspectives: Tips for Avoiding Discovery Disputes” California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Review (November 2021)
• “Harassment; What to do?” San Joaquin Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) (October 2021)
• “The Dichotomy, Origin and Legislative Frameworks of Labor and Employment Law” California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Review (July 2021)
• “Can You Really Say That? First Amendment Rights In the Age of Protests and a Pandemic |Discipline & Employment Relations” Moderator, Northern California Labor & Employment Relations Association (April 2021)
• "Pathways to Careers in Employment and Labor Law" Panel Member co-hosted by the California Lawyers Association Labor & Employment Executive Committee and California Young Lawyers Association (April 2021)
• “Fresh Perspectives: A Deposition Toolkit For The New Lawyer” California Lawyers Association Labor and Employment Law Review (March 2021)
• “Wage and Hour 101” Panel Member, California Lawyers Association New Employment Practitioner Conference (January 2021)
• “California Labor & Employment Law Year in Review | Key Developments From 2020 and Tips to Prepare For 2021,” Co-Presenter, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Practice Managers Association (January 2021)
• “Claim Preclusion – A Bar to Duplicate PAGA Claims” California Lawyers Association Employment/Public Law Journal (Fourth Quarter 2020)
• (Webinar) “Best Practices for Terminating Employees” San Joaquin Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) (November 2020)
• (Webinar) “Northern California Labor and Employment Relations Association Inaugural Welcome” Moderator, Northern California Labor & Employment Relations Association (October 2020)
• (Webinar) “COVID-19 Update for Employment Practitioners: What You Need to Know to Navigate Reopening” Panel Member, Sacramento County Bar Association Labor and Employment Section (October 2020)
• (Webinar) "Parenthood, Womanhood, and the Profession During and Post COVID" Panel Member for the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division (August 2020)
• “California Labor & Employment Law Year in Review | Key Developments From 2019 & Tips to Prepare For 2020” Co-Presenter, Sacramento Valley Veterinary Practice Managers Association (January 2020)
• “Implementing Strategies to Avoid Workplace Retaliation Claims” San Joaquin Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (October 2019)
• “Top 10 Essential Workplace Policies and Why Every Employer Needs Them” San Joaquin Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) (August 2018)
• Sacramento Employment Advisory Counsel, monthly legal updates authored and published (2016 – 2017)
