Trends and Tips for Success Mediating Employment Law Disputes

Julie Arias Young is a full-time mediator with three decades of experience litigating employment law, wage and hour (individual/class actions/representative actions), sexual assault and sexual misconduct, Title IX, and student and faculty matters. Julie’s ability to skillfully assess the strengths and weaknesses of the parties’ positions is bolstered by her strong interpersonal skills, tenacity, and ability to establish a genuine rapport with all parties.  Julie draws upon her training at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, as well as her own extensive experience litigating and mediating high-profile and emotionally charged matters, to provide a candid, engaged, efficient, and respectful process for the parties. During her legal career, Julie litigated all areas of employment law, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment and related torts, wrongful termination, defamation, privacy rights, breach of contract, wage and hour, and other employment-related claims in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration. Julie’s expertise extends to a wide variety of student and faculty matters and she was one of a select group of lawyers nationwide engaged in Title IX litigation regarding the handling by colleges and universities of sexual assault allegations.

Her peers have recognized her excellence through an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, 19 consecutive years of recognition by Super Lawyers®, and inclusion among Los Angeles Magazine’s Top Women Attorneys in Southern California. A Georgetown University Law Center graduate, Julie also dedicates her time to Street Poets Inc., a nonprofit organization using poetry as a tool for individual and community transformation.  More on Julie’s background and mediation services can be found at www.julieariasyoung.com

Christine Kurek is a full-time mediator at Kurek Dispute Resolution specializing in employment, personal injury, and business disputes, bringing nearly 30 years of legal experience including senior in-house roles at Verily Life Sciences, Activision Blizzard, and Yahoo!, as well as early career experience on both the plaintiff and defense sides of employment and personal injury matters. Named Corporate Counsel of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2023, she serves on the mediation panels of both the Los Angeles Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Cynthia Sandoval is a distinctive mediator with a background as plaintiff, defense, and in-house counsel. Her ability to speak Spanish gives her an edge in communicating with Spanish-speaking participants, helping her build trust and connect with all parties. This combination of skills allows her to understand different perspectives and find creative solutions to achieve successful outcomes.