Susan Kalra’s practice focuses on complex litigation matters, including labor and employment and business and commercial litigation disputes.
In her employment law practice, Susan advises companies regarding employment classification, employee termination, leaves of absence, discrimination, and harassment, as well as counseling clients in the drafting of effective and enforceable employment policies and procedures.
Prior to joining Murphy Austin, Susan served as Counsel at an intellectual property and trial firm, where she represented clients in patent litigation cases. Susan also served as General Counsel and Litigation and Compliance at a law firm focused on intellectual property, where she advised clients on compliance and employment matters and provided training in employment law and ethics, and represented clients in disputes concerning trade secrets, contracts, and employment matters.
Susan received her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, where she earned American Jurisprudence honors for Legal Writing and Research. She received her B.A. from California State University, East Bay in Hayward.
Education
- Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco
J.D., 1993, Am Jur Award, Legal Writing and Research - California State University, East Bay, Hayward
B.A., Liberal Studies with Philosophy Emphasis, 1990
Admissions
- State Bar of California
Leadership
- ProNet, Co-Chair, Training & Development Committee (2010 – 2011)
Memberships
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Member, Labor and Employment and Civil Litigation Sections
Representative Matters
- Advises employers on compliance, personnel, and employment matters, including leaves of absence and employee mobility.
- Represents employers in matters involving wage and hour disputes, retaliation, workplace injury, and discrimination claims.
- Negotiates and provides counsel related to employment contracts.
- Prepares and revises business documents and employee handbooks to ensure policies and procedures comply with legal and industry standards.
- Reviewed client marketing and advertising materials and business plans for compliance.
- Provided training regarding employment law and ethics.
- Represented clients in federal and state court, mediation, and arbitration, in cases involving trade secrets, contracts, business torts, partnership and corporate disputes, TROs, preliminary injunctions, and employment matters (wage and hour, harassment, discrimination), among others.
- Represented clients in patent litigation cases, primarily technology patents.
- Represented clients in matters of business formation, and dissolution or winding up.
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “100 Days Before Trial,” Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association and Orange County Legal Professionals Association (November 2022, June 2022, April 2017)
- Speaker, “Post-Trial Motion Practice,” Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (August 2019)
- Speaker, “2018 Updates in the Law,” Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (February 2018)
- Speaker, “State/Federal Calendaring and Procedure,” Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (October 2017)
- Speaker, “Litigation Docketing for Beginners & Not-So Beginners,” Santa Clara County Legal Professionals Association (July 2016)
