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 clients including household names in the entertainment elite.” 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 notable experience includes her representation of: 

  • 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.
  • IMAX Corporation, in an arbitration brought by a former executive claiming entitlement to $7+ million in commissions.
  • Media firm Infillion (formerly PaeDae, Inc.), 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.
  • Jeff Zucker, in connection with his termination as CNN’s long-serving president.
  • 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.
  • Film producer Victoria Alonso, one of the three founding members of Marvel Studios, in connection with her termination.
  • 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.

Insights

Awards and Recognition

Awards and Recognition

Litigation Star (US-National and California), Benchmark Litigation, 2019-2024

"500 Leading Litigators in America," Lawdragon, 2022, 2024

Labor & Employment, California (Band 5), Chambers USA, 2023

“Employment Lawyer of the Year,” Century City Bar Association, 2023

Labor & Employment Star (US-National), Benchmark Litigation, 2023

“Legal Impact Report,” Variety, 2023

"Top Labor and Employment Lawyers" in California, Daily Journal, 2016, 2018-2021, 2023

“Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 2022

“Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Lawyers,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 2022

Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

Related links

Leadership and Community

Western Justice Center Board of Directors, Justice Awards Co-Chair 2016 - 2017 

Education

University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., cum laude

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, B.S., Business, with honors

Admissions

  • California
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