Overview
Litigation partner, trial attorney and chair of Glaser Weil’s Employment Practice, Kerry Garvis Wright is widely recognized for her experience and caliber of service. Since launching the firm’s employment practice, she has been consistently named one of the Daily Journal’s Top Labor & Employment Lawyers in California and a Benchmark Litigation Labor and Employment Star. As Benchmark observed, Kerry “has earned her stripes as a ‘warrior in court and therapist out of court,’” with a portfolio of large corporate clients including household names in the entertainment, private equity and technology sectors, as well as high-level executives. In earning her Chambers ranking, clients shared that Kerry is “tough, smart, strategic, focused and knows employment matters inside and out,” and “she doesn’t miss a beat.”
Kerry has extensive experience representing employers and employees in high-stakes litigation, having first- and second-chaired dozens of jury trials and arbitrations involving claims of workplace discrimination, harassment, whistleblower and other retaliation claims; wage-and-hour claims, including claims brought under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA); and breach of contract and related claims, such as trade secret misappropriation and employee solicitation.
Kerry is particularly sought after for:
- High-stakes employment litigation:
- Sexual harassment and other alleged workplace misconduct
- Discrimination and harassment
- Whistleblower and other retaliation claims
- Wage-and-hour claims
- Strategic employment counseling and advice:
- Executive and other employee separations
- Employee discipline
- Labor Code compliance
- Workplace investigations
- Entertainment litigation
- Crisis management
In addition to her litigation practice, Kerry regularly provides strategic advice and counseling to employers regarding challenges ranging from the commonplace—such as employee separations and discipline and negotiating executive and other employee agreements—to those involving emerging, cutting-edge principles of law.
Kerry also has led noteworthy workplace investigations involving highly sensitive allegations, including sexual harassment and other workplace misconduct. Since the watershed #MeToo movement was sparked, Kerry has handled claims by and against some of the most significant names in the entertainment, private equity and tech industries. Due to the nature of these claims, however, many of Kerry’s successes never see the light of day; they are handled swiftly and discreetly with a highly coordinated approach. In the event that a particular matter cannot be resolved before a lawsuit is filed or it otherwise goes public, Kerry utilizes contingency press and other sophisticated strategies to protect her clients.
Kerry serves on the board of the Western Justice Center, an organization that empowers people to strengthen their communities by growing the conflict resolution skills and capacities of youth, educators, schools and community partners.
Results
Kerry's recent notable experience includes her representation of:
- A global private equity firm and its chairman and CEO in claims brought by a former employee, including under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).
- A publicly-traded global motion picture company in two lawsuits by former employees alleging gender discrimination and one specifically alleging pregnancy discrimination.
- A former managing director of a prominent private equity firm in connection with her claims for gender discrimination, pay inequity and racial discrimination.
- A global live entertainment company and its concessionaire in claims brought by a former employee alleging whistleblower retaliation, discrimination and harassment based upon national origin and disability discrimination.
- Film producer Victoria Alonso, one of the three founding members of Marvel Studios, in connection with her termination.
- Jeff Zucker, in connection with his termination as CNN’s long-serving president.
- Current and former members of the Board of Directors of Guess?, Inc., in a lawsuit by two Jane Doe plaintiffs for allegedly “aiding and abetting” alleged sexual harassment by the company’s CEO.
- Adel Hagekhalil, former Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California—the agency responsible for supplying water to 19 million people across six counties—in a series of significant and highly politicized and publicized workplace investigations, as well as addressing the discriminatory and retaliatory actions that led to his removal. (See news coverage.)
- A private security services company in a wage and hour class action and PAGA litigation, replacing existing counsel and bringing the matter to a favorable conclusion.
- An employee in claims against her former employer, a global placement and organizational consulting firm, for wrongful termination, gender discrimination and sexual harassment. The matter evolved from an arbitration proceeding into multiple appeals and a writ proceeding before the California Court of Appeal, involving several issues of first impression.
- A law firm and its two named partners in a lawsuit arising from a highly contentious dispute with a former income partner who voluntarily resigned his employment. The former partner asserts, among others, claims for whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation and interference with prospective economic advantage.
Additional experience includes her representation of:
- IMAX Corporation, in an arbitration brought by a former executive claiming entitlement to $7+ million in commissions.
- Infillion, a prominent adtech company, in defeating a former employee’s $25+ million claims in a three-year-long legal battle involving arbitration, federal and state court actions, and a Ninth Circuit appeal.
- Founders and principals of The FeedFeed, an online food network, in a federal lawsuit brought by two former employees asserting discrimination and wage and hour claims.
- A multibillion-dollar public retirement fund, in a large-scale investigation of allegations of misconduct by its CEO.
- The U.S. subsidiary of a German toy manufacturer, in a workplace investigation of allegations of sexual harassment by its CEO.
- An artist and her studio in an employment dispute in which the plaintiff brought allegations of harassment against the studio based on a manager/supervisor who worked there. Glaser Weil was hired following an unsuccessful mediation led by our clients' prior counsel, and we brought the matter to a swift and favorable resolution.
- The founder and CEO of a Black-owned skincare line in both a business dispute and also with allegations of racial and sexual harassment. Our client’s business partners, who are not people of color, were taking advantage of him and the company’s prior status as a Black-owned business.
Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
Thought Leadership
Awards and Recognition
Awards and Recognition
California: Labor & Employment, Chambers USA, 2023-24
Benchmark Litigation
- Litigation Star (US-National, California), 2019-25
- Litigation Star (Labor and Employment - West), 2025
- Labor & Employment Star (US-National), Benchmark Litigation, 2023
Lawdragon
- “500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers,” 2025-26
- “500 Leading Litigators in America,” 2022, 2024-26
Los Angeles Business Journal
- “Top 100 Lawyers,” 2025
- “Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys,” 2022-24
- “Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers,” 2022
Daily Journal
- “Top Women Lawyers,” 2024
- “Top Labor and Employment Lawyers” in California, 2016, 2018-2021, 2023-24
“Employment Lawyer of the Year,” Century City Bar Association, 2023
“Legal Impact Report,” Variety, 2023
“Legal Visionaries,” L.A. Times B2B Publishing, 2021
Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
Related links
Leadership and Community
Western Justice Center Board of Directors, Justice Awards Co-Chair 2016 - 2017
Services
Industries
Education
University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., cum laude
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, B.S., Business, with honors
Admissions
- California
Insights This just in.
Award |Garvis Wright Named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers- Award |
- Award |
- Award |
“Kerry is an exceptionally strong attorney with a wealth of experience that truly sets her apart. She consistently delivers outstanding results and demonstrates a deep understanding of our legal needs.”