Ms. Fitzsimmons is a partner in the San Francisco Office of GRSM. She represents both private and public entities in employment matters, focusing her practice on defending employers against discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims. Ms. Fitzsimmons also litigates cases concerning alleged violations of wage and hour laws, Title IX, family medical leave laws, violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and ERISA.
Ms. Fitzsimmons counsels corporations, non-profit organizations, individuals, and educational institutions on a wide-range of employment issues including employee discipline and termination, wage and hour issues, misconduct investigations, Title IX, and family and medical leaves.
Ms. Fitzsimmons has tried cases successfully in both federal and state court. She recently prevailed in a four week trial and successfully secured a fees and costs award of over $1.2 million for her client. She has successfully appeared before the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit. Ms. Fitzsimmons has also handled a number of complex internal hearings for several universities. She has had considerable success in pretrial motion practice, most recently prevailing on summary judgment in an age discrimination and constructive discharge case.
In addition to her regular practice, Ms. Fitzsimmons has served as an instructor for the HR Generalist Certificate Program, in which she teaches HR professionals about the practical application of various employment laws. Ms. Fitzsimmons also serves on the United Educator’s Defense Counsel Advisory Committee.
Ms. Fitzsimmons often speaks and conducts training on a variety of employment and litigation topics. Ms. Fitzsimmons also conducts workplace investigations and is also trained as a Title IX Coordinator.
Admissions
California
U.S. District Courts, California
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Memberships
California State Bar, Employment Law Section
American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Sections
National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
Northern California HR Association (NCHRA)
National Association of Professional Women (NAPW)
Legislative Chair of the Board of the Peninsula Chapter of the Northern
California HR Association (NCHRA) (2010-2011)