Patricia Kinaga

Patricia represents employers in complex employment litigation and provides strategic counsel on workplace compliance and risk management.

With more than 30 years of experience, she defends clients in high-stakes matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour claims, and workplace investigations. Patricia has successfully represented employers across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, technology, higher education, retail, and entertainment in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings. Her deep litigation background includes numerous jury and bench trials, making her a trusted advocate in challenging and sensitive disputes.

Patricia also advises employers on day-to-day compliance, workplace policy development, and employment strategy. She counsels on executive agreements, employee discipline, accommodations, leaves of absence, classification audits, and reductions in force, including WARN Act compliance. Her experience spans both public and private sectors, shaped by her background as a former prosecutor, law firm founder, and in-house counsel during M&A transitions.

Honors & Recognition

• Elaine R. “Boots” Fisher Public Service Award, Federal Bar Association, FBA Annual National Convention
• Peter Haas Public Service Award, University of California, Berkeley
• 28^th Congressional District Woman of the Year, Congressman Adam Schiff
• NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Public Service Award
• Public Service Award, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
• Mayor’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month Award, City of Los Angeles
• Emmy nomination for “About Love” docu-drama on domestic violence.

About Me

Award-winning documentary filmmaker. Additional interests: ballet and chorale performances. 

Representative Matters

• Represented large employers on sexual harassment, disability discrimination, and retaliation cases: Verdict for defense in jury trials.
• Represented large employer on appeal in race case: Appeal granted in favor of employer.
• Assisted publicly traded national companies on corporate reorganizations.
• Conducted sexual harassment, race, gender identity, whistleblower, theft, sexual battery, and policy violation workplace investigations on behalf of employers in the public sector, retail, technology, higher education, financial services, and legal industries, including matters in which the subject of the investigation is an executive level employee.
• Conducted training on wage-hour policies, workplace investigations, annual labor and employment updates
• Assisted employers involved in high-profile matters, including union actions
• Drafted and reviewed executive hiring and separation agreements
• Conducted wage-hour and independent contractor audits

Education

Georgetown University Law Center

• J.D.

University of California, Berkeley

• Master’s in City and Regional Planning

University of California, Berkeley

• B.A.

News

Civic

• Japanese American Bar Association, Advisory Council and Past President
• National Asian and Pacific Islander American Bar Association (NAPABA), Member, California Host Steering Committee
• Asians and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California, Chair/Co-Founder
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Southern California, Advisory Council
• Asian Pacific Women’s Center domestic violence shelter, Co-Founder/Former Chair
• Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center for mediation services, Co-Founder/Former Chair

Professional

• Federal Bar Association, Los Angeles, appointed member, Board of Directors
• Appointed former member:
  • President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
  • American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights
  • California State Bar Committee on Women
  • Public Sector Subcommittee, California State Bar Committee on Labor and Employment