Peter J. Woo

Peter J. Woo is the office litigation manager in the Riverside, California, office and a principal in the Orange County, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He also serves as the Office Business Development Leader of the Orange County Office, and a member of the Firm’s EPLI Leadership Steering Committee with respect to its nationwide insurance practice. Peter believes that equally important to knowing and understanding the law, a legal advisor must earn the trust of clients by anticipating their questions and offering solutions before they even know there is an issue requiring attention. Peter advises corporations, not-for profit companies, and private entities who benefit from his experience gained working in-house, in litigation and at trial.

Peter defends clients facing claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, contractual disputes and fraud, as well as professional liability claims such as directors and officers (D&O) insurance. He also defends clients against claims made under the Americans with Disabilities Act and equivalent state-based claims involving public accommodations. Peter also defends clients against wage and hour claims on an individual, class, and/or representative basis.

In his legal career, Peter worked at several insurance companies as a claims professional. He successfully handled complex coverage issues, managed litigation and supervised outside counsel on thousands of complex EPL, D&O, and E&O professional liability matters. This experience enables Peter to look at issues from both an in-house and litigation point of view, helping him to better serve his clients.

Peter also advises clients on issues such as risk-management, hiring and termination, workplace investigations, and drafting employee policies, and when faced with litigation, Peter helps his clients each step of the way. He facilitates sexual harassment training and develops materials for executives, managers, and employees under current California and federal law with emphasis on practical solutions.

Outside of the office, Peter is very active in the Asian American legal and business communities nationally and in Southern California. He currently serves as co-chair of the Litigation Committee for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association to promote trial and other advocacy skills. Peter is also founder, chairperson and president of the Asian American Insurance Network, a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of Asian-Pacific Islander professionals in the insurance and risk management industries. Finally, he is an active Board Member of the Orange County Korean Bar Association working to promote deeper connections between the legal system and the Korean-American community.

Before joining Jackson Lewis, Peter was the vice-chair of the Labor and Employment practice group at an AMLaw 200 national law firm overseeing the firm’s employment practice nationwide and leading the firm’s team of employment attorneys in California. As a law student, Peter gained experience as an extern for the Honorable Maureen A. Tighe of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of California, and after graduating, he served as a clerk for the Honorable Alison Y. Tuitt of the New York State Supreme Court, Civil Division, Bronx County.

Litigation Experience

• Trial counsel on numerous employment and professional liability cases that resolved favorably for client, including obtaining defense verdict on case involving $3M exposure
• Lead counsel who brokered a non-monetary settlement of a shareholder derivative lawsuit by significantly restructuring six major corporate transactions while negotiating employment termination and release of all claims of its chief executive officer
• Obtained dismissal of all wage and hour and breach of contract claims made by employee in an employment and wage action
• Obtained favorable ruling in dispositive motion resulting in dismissal of $10 million union wage and hour class action
• Successfully defended multiple Class and/or PAGA wage and hour actions in posturing cases to secure dismissals of multi-plaintiff claims and resolve individual claims for de minimis amounts
• Vigorously defended a $3 million employment disability-related lawsuit through summary judgment, which resulted in a nuisance value settlement
• Obtained dismissal of a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) nationwide federal class action against a major employer after contentious class wide discovery
• Obtained favorable resolution of a highly publicized lawsuit alleging sexual harassment while negotiating separation of employment with executive
• Strategically defended a gender and national origin discrimination case involving a minimum wage employee resulting in a settlement of one week of wages, inclusive of attorney fees
• Vigorously defended two sexual harassment cases brought by a prominent plaintiff’s law firm against the same employer, leading to the plaintiff’s firm withdrawing as counsel and resulting in a de minimis settlement
• Obtained dismissal of claims from law firm partner involving multi-million dollar claim against national law firm
• Obtained dismissal of numerous administrative complaints filed with the California Civil Rights Department involving claims of discrimination and retaliation
• Obtained dismissal of harassment claims in three weeks after assignment of claim
• Obtained dismissal of wage-and-hour matter after negotiating settlement of 4 percent of opening demand

Honors and Recognitions

• Los Angeles Times, "DEIA Visionary” (2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Litigation - Labor and Employment” (2023-present)
• Chambers USA, “Labor & Employment” (2021-present)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, “Leaders in Law for Employment Law” inductee, (2019-2020)
• Los Angeles Business Journal, ”Diversity and Inclusion Executive of the Year” inductee, (2021)
• Martindale-Hubbell®, “AV Preeminent® - Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence” (2018-present)
• Southern California Super Lawyers,® “Rising Stars” (2020) and “Super Lawyers” (2023-present)

Published Works

• “Why is California Such a Hotbed for Employment Litigation,” Willis Tower Watson (August 2022) [Co-Author]
• “Employers are Bracing for Four Types of Employment Claims Arising Out of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Advisen Front Page News (May 2020) [Co-Author]
• “Virus Could Spur Avalanche of Tort and Employment Litigation,” Courthouse News (March 2020)

Speeches

• “2024 Update – What We Are Watching in Employment Law”, Markel (Virtual, September 2024)”
• “Moving the Diversity Needle”, PLUS International Conference (Las Vegas, December 2023) (presenter)
• “DEI in the Insurance and Risk Management Industry: Where Are We Now?“, Marsh (Los Angeles, CA, June 2023) (presenter)
• “Wage and Hour Law and EPLI Update in 2023“, Allied World Bermuda (Bermuda, June 2023) (presenter)
• “Employment Practices Liability Trends: The Impact on Insurers and Insureds“, AON (Bermuda, June 2023) (presenter)
• “Pay Transparency Trends”, Markel Claims (New York, NY, February 2023) (presenter)
• “Latest Trends in Employment Practice Liability Claims”, Renaissance Re (Virtual, September 2022) (presenter)
• “California Mid-Year Employment Law Update”, Jackson Lewis Webinar (Virtual, August 2022) (presenter)
• “California as a Hotbed for Employment Litigation: Why and How to Mitigate Risks”, Willis Tower Watson (Virtual, July 2022) (presenter)
• “The New Reality of Discrimination Claims in a Post-COVID World”, Annual CLM Conference (Palm Desert, CA, March 2022) (presenter)
• “EPL Quarterly: COVID-19 and Federal/State Law Update”, Jackson Lewis Webinar (Virtual, March 2022) (presenter)
• “Coronavirus Risk Forecast: Coverage and Claims Analysis for Toxic tort, Employment, Workers’ Compensation, Cyber, and Insurance Policy Concerns,” Perrin Conferences (Virtual, March 2020) (presenter)
• “The Current Legal Landscape of Website Accessibility,” Allied World Assurance Company (Virtual, March 2020) (presenter)
• “Stay tuned with Employment Law Issues,” New York City Association of Insurance Women (New York, NY, June 2019) (presenter)
• “Ensuring that #METOO is Not You Too: Defending a #MeToo Claim, Including Practical Tips for Clients,” International Association of Defense Counsel Professional Liability Roundtable (New York, NY, May 2019) (presenter)
• “What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You! – Avoiding Accounting Malpractice and California Employment Law Update,” Korean American CPA Society of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, April 2019) (presenter)
• “Sex Drugs and Real Estate”, Korean American Real Estate Brokers Association (Los Angeles, CA, April 2019) (presenter)
• “Sex, Drugs and Claims Management: 2019 Developments on #MeToo and Marijuana in the Workpace,” Starr Indemnity Insurance Company, Allied World Assurance Company (New York, NY, June 2019) (presenter)
• “Construction Law 101: Tools to Manage Risk in Employment, Contracts, Insurance, Bonds, and More,” Chinese American Construction Professionals (Los Angeles, CA, January 2019)
• “Employment and Wage and Hour Issues Today: A Guide on New and Existing Labor Laws in California,” Marsh (Los Angeles, CA, August 2018)
• “Employment and Labor Issues Facing the Apparel Industry,” Korean American Apparel Manufacturers Association (Los Angeles, CA, June 2018)
• “California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations,” Arya Claims Services, LLC (New York, NY, June 2016 and September 2017)
• “Recent Developments in Federal and California Employment Law,” University of California Los Angeles School of Law LL.M. Program (Los Angeles, CA, February 2016)