Kelly D. Gemelli

Kelly (Wood) Gemelli is a Principal in the San Diego, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is a certified leave of absence specialist and holds a certificate from the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI). She is active member of the California Advice and Counsel Resource Group. For 20 years, she has litigated a broad range of employment matters including:

•Discrimination and harassment suits on the basis of age, race, national origin, gender, pregnancy, and disability
•Leave issues
•Retaliation claims
•Wage and Hour claims, including class actions, and PAGA representative actions

Ms. Gemelli is well-versed in matters that arise under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Paid Family Leave, Family and Medical Leave, Pregnancy Disability Leave, and various California state employment-related laws. Ms. Gemelli regularly conducts and supervises workplace investigations.

Ms. Gemelli also routinely provides training seminars on a wide variety of employment topics. She has presented and trained professional groups in specialized areas of employment law, including: preventing sexual harassment, workplace investigations, anti-harassment/sensitivity in the workplace, unconscious bias, managing leaves of absence under FMLA and California state leave laws, workplace accommodations, wage and hour, and effective management/prevention of claims.

Previously, Ms. Gemelli worked in-house for a leading Lloyd’s Insurance Company, providing in-house legal advice on a broad mixture of contracts, insurance policies, and programs placed throughout North America. She analyzed complex legal claims, investigated and evaluated coverage issues, assessed exposure risks and managed multifaceted litigation.

Ms. Gemelli resides in San Diego with her husband and their two young sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, going to the beach, camping, and hiking. She has been to over 42 countries, and has lived in England, Netherlands, and Spain.

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

•Professional Alliance for Children
•Wounded Warriors

Speeches

•“Avoiding Costly Mistakes in Public Agency Hiring and Drug Testing,” State Bar of California (San Diego, CA, September 2016) (presenter)
•“Disability, Leave, and Lactation Accommodation Requests: Your Duties and Rights Under the ADA/FEHA, FMLA/CFRA, AB 1976, and Other Applicable Laws,” HR Comply California Summit (Los Angeles, CA, October 2019)(presenter)
•“Disciplining and Firing Employees,” National Business Institute (San Diego, CA, October 2016) (presenter)
• Employee Handbook, Best Practices” National Business Institute (San Diego, CA, June 2018) (presenter)
•“Opioids, Workers’ Comp, and Return to Work: Best Practices for Staying Compliant under ADA’s/FEHA’s 'Reasonable Accommodation' Provisions While Maintaining a Safe Working Environment,” CAL/OSHA Summit (Los Angeles, CA, October 2019) (presenter)
•“Using Alternative Dispute Resolution Tactics in Employment Matters,” National Business Institute (San Diego, CA, June 2018)(presenter)
•“Workplace Behavioral Issues: Appropriately Handling Thorny Situations,” National Business Institute (San Diego, CA, October 2016) (presenter)

Kelly D. Gemelli In the News

Kelly Gemelli Discusses Implications of Supreme Court Ruling Allowing PAGA Claims After Initial Settlements

April 7, 2020 • Northern California Record

Kelly Gemelli and Jason Dawson Comment on Implications of California PAGA Law

March 20, 2020 • SHRM

Jackson Lewis' Recently Elevated and Promoted Attorneys Spotlighted

May 8, 2019 • Law360

Webinars

webinar

Social Distancing and Employee Safety Protocols to Ensure California Employment Law Compliance

10 - 11:00 AM PST
Archived

webinar

Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training in the #MeToo Era: Will Your State Require It?

1 - 2:00 PM EST
Archived

Kelly D. Gemelli Blog Posts

COVID-19 Workplace Law Advisor

San Diego County Approved for State Variance

May 22, 2020
California Workplace Law

San Diego County Approved for State Variance

May 22, 2020
California Workplace Law

California Resources Available to Employers Dealing with COVID-19 Related Issues

April 10, 2020