Kelly M. Dermody

Kelly is Managing Partner of the San Francisco office of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. She chairs the firm’s Employment Practice Group and specializes in class and collective actions on behalf of employees. Kelly is a nationally-recognized advocate in the areas of pay equity, #metoo, and diversity and inclusion, and has prosecuted numerous cases challenging unfair hiring, promotion, compensation, and performance systems.

The Daily Journal has observed that Kelly’s

values have translated into real workday value for lots of people - people who have won better job opportunities from companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Home Depot, and Smith Barney, or monetary damages from banks that have engaged in predatory lending and servicing.”

In 2012, Kelly served as President of the Bar Association of San Francisco. She is a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the American Law Institute. She is a past member of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section governing Council, where she also previously served as Co-Chair of the Section’s Annual Conference, Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession, and Equal Employment Opportunity Committee. The Daily Journal has selected Kelly as one of the top 100 attorneys in California, top 75 labor and employment lawyers in California, and top 100 women litigators in California. In 2016, The Recorder awarded her the “Giant Slayer” award for her litigation work.

Kelly has received awards from charitable and civic organizations, including the National Association of Women Judges, the Anti-Defamation League, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, California Rural Legal Assistance, Legal Momentum, Equal Rights Advocates, Centro Legal de la Raza, and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom. Kelly received a B.A. degree from Harvard University and a J.D. degree from Berkeley Law School, UC Berkeley. She clerked for the Hon. John T. Nixon, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, before joining Lieff Cabraser.

In 2019, Kelly received the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, considered the highest honor for women in the legal profession, as well as the Judge Learned Hand Award from the American Jewish Committee.

Classes/Seminars

•“Addressing and Eradicating Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation Against Senior Executives,” International Conference on Risk, Reward and Reputation Management Issues for Senior Executives and Founders, February 2020
•“Women’s Impact Network - No Glass Ceiling 2.0 Conference,” Bar Association of San Francisco, November 2019
• “The Plaintiff Perspective: Mistakes Employers Make and Case Selection Criteria for an Employee Advocate,” California Employment Law Council Annual Meeting, November 2019
•“Trials and Tribulations: Stories from BASF Presidents,” Bar Association of San Francisco Ninth Annual Barristers Meeting, November 2019
•“The Power of People Analytics,” American Bar Association 13th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, Novermber 2019
• “#MeToo and BigLaw,” American Bar Association National Conference on Professional Responsibility, May 2019
•“The World Wide #MeToo Movement: Global Resistance to Sexual Harassment and Violence Conference,” UC Berkeley School of Law, May 2019
•“#MeToo and Beyond: Addressing Sexual Harassment, Pay Inequity and Other Forms of Gender Discrimination in the International Workplace,” American Bar Association International Labor & Employment Law Conference, May 2019
•“Gender Equality in the #MeToo World,” National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity, April 2019
•“#WETOO in the Legal Workplace,” National Association of Women Judges Conference, March 2019
•“The Equal Pay Act and The #TimesUp Movement,” American Bar Association Employment Rights & Responsibilities Committee Conference, March 2019
•“Post-Election Solidarity: Lawyering and Building Alliances Across Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Immigration Status and Practice Areas”, Lavender Law Conference, 2017
•“Class Actions: Latest Developments in Litigating and Settling Employment Discrimination Class Actions”, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Equal Employment Opportunity Committee
•“A Road Map to Discovery in Employment Discrimination and Wage/Hour Class Actions”, with James M. Finberg, Glasser Legal Works Seminar
•“Employment Discrimination Class Actions in the Wake of Allison v. Citgo Petroleum Corp. and Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(f)”, Federal Bar Association

Honors & Awards

•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
•“Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award,” American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession, 2019
•Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in fields of “Employment Law-Individuals” and “Litigation-Labor and Employment,” 2010-2020
•“Lawyer of the Year for Labor and Employment Litigation,” San Francisco Bay Area, Best Lawyers, 2020
•“Outstanding Private Practice Antitrust Achievement,” American Antitrust Institute, 2019
•“500 Leading Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2010-2017, 2019
•“Employment Law Trailblazer, National Law Journal, 2019
•“Super Lawyer for Northern California,” Super Lawyers, 2004-2019
•“Lawyer of the Year,” Best Lawyers, recognized in the category of Employment Law-Individuals for San Francisco, 2014, 2018
•“Top 50 Women Northern California Super Lawyers,” Super Lawyers, 2007-2018
•“Top Labor & Employment Lawyers,” Daily Journal, 2018-2019
•“Top 250 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation, 2016-2018
•“California Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation, 2013-2017
•“Giant Slayer,” The Recorder, 2016
•“Top 100 Attorneys in California,” Daily Journal, 2012-2015
•“Top 75 Labor and Employment Attorneys in California,” Daily Journal, 2011-2015
•“Top California Women Lawyers,” Daily Journal, 2007, 2010, 2012-2018
•“Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers,” Super Lawyers, 2007, 2009-2016
•Distinguished Jurisprudence Award, Anti-Defamation League, 2014
•“Top 10 Northern California Super Lawyers,” Super Lawyers, 2014
•“Dolores Huerta Adelita Award,” California Rural Legal Assistance, 2013
•“Recommended Lawyer,” The Legal 500 (U.S. edition, 2013)
•“Women of Achievement Award,” Legal Momentum (formerly the NOW Legal Defense & Education Fund), 2011
•“Irish Legal 100” Finalist, The Irish Voice, 2010
•“Florence K. Murray Award,” National Association of Women Judges, 2010
•“Lawdragon Finalist,” Lawdragon, 2007-2009
•“Community Service Award,” Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, 2008
•“Community Justice Award,” Centro Legal de la Raza, 2008
•“Award of Merit,” Bar Association of San Francisco, 2007
•“California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award,” California Lawyer, 2007
•“500 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, Winter 2007
•“Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist,” Public Justice Foundation, 2007
•“Consumer Attorney of the Year” Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California, 2006
•“California’s Top 20 Lawyers Under 40,” Daily Journal, 2006
•“Living the Dream Partner,” Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, 2005
•“Top Bay Area Employment Attorney,” The Recorder, 2004

Past Employment Positions

•Golden Gate University School of Law, Adjunct Professor of Law, 2001
•Chief Judge John T. Nixon, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, Law Clerk, 1993-1994

In the News

•December 10, 2019
Vox Talks With Kelly Dermody About Gender Discrimination and Equal Pay
•December 10, 2019
Kelly Dermody Named a 2019 “Lawdragon Legend”
•November 8, 2019
Kelly Dermody Receives AJC 2019 Judge Learned Hand Award
•September 17, 2019
Kelly Dermody Comments on National Effort to Collect Company Pay Data
•August 27, 2019
Benchmark Litigation Names Elizabeth Cabraser and Kelly Dermody “Top 250 Women in Litigation” for 2019
•August 14, 2019
Kelly Dermody and Four Other Outstanding California Women Lawyers Receive the ABA’s 2019 Margaret Brent Award
•July 11, 2019
Daily Journal Recognizes Kelly Dermody & Anne Shaver as 2019 Top Labor & Employment Lawyers
•August 1, 2018
National Law Journal Recognizes Lieff Cabraser Attorneys as 2018 Litigation Trailblazers
•July 18, 2018
Daily Journal Recognizes Kelly Dermody & Anne Shaver as 2018 Top Labor & Employment Lawyers
•June 4, 2018
Recorder Q&A With Kelly Dermody on Employment Cases, Gender Pay Disparaties, and the Future
•May 9, 2018
Kelly Dermody Discusses Gender Pay Legislation and Active Equal Pay Litigation Around the Globe at Italy Conference
•May 2, 2018
Elizabeth Cabraser & Kelly Dermody Receive Daily Journal’s “Top Women Lawyers” Nod for 2018