Hon. Candace Cooper (Ret.) has nearly three decades of judicial experience and has earned a reputation as a highly accomplished judge with a common sense approach to resolving disputes. Justice Cooper brings an ideal temperament and a wealth of legal expertise in handling complex, often highly publicized cases.
She served for nine years on the California Court of Appeal, Second District, most recently as Presiding Justice of Division Eight from 2001-2008. Justice Cooper has been described as an ideal neutral for employment cases because of her patient style, her excellent listening skills, and ability to work well in highly emotionally charged cases.
Since joining JAMS Justice Cooper has handled numerous Employment Arbitrations, Mediations and Special Master matters. The cases include, but are not limited to:
Representative Matters
- Numerous cases that involved the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA) and/or Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Matters involving disability and race discrimination, family medical leave violations and failure to make reasonable accommodations
- Breach of contract claims for failure to pay a severance benefit
- Class action wage and hour claims regarding meal and rest breaks, wage statements, and unfair business practices
- Claims by individuals against corporations for unlawful deductions from commissions, unreimbursed business expenses, failure to provide accurate itemized wage statements, and unfair business practices
- Heard many cases involving wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination
- Matters related to violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), gender discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, retaliation, and wrongful termination
- “Whistle blower” claims related to negligent supervision and wrongful termination
- Disputes involving disability discrimination and wrongful termination
- Claims by parent company against subsidiary for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of loyalty
- Matter related to female employee alleging gender discrimination and retaliation at a male-dominated company
- Claim alleging wrongful termination for retaliation for actions made by the union
- Heard matters related to appellants requesting personal information regarding Writers’ Guild members for purpose of class action lawsuit against studio, networks, production companies, and talent agencies asserting age discrimination
- Cases involving suit for FEHA Attorneys
- Petitions for reconsideration of decision by Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board
- Summary judgments on ADA claims involving employers who failed to replace motorized scooter for long-term warehouse employee after original scooter was damaged beyond repair
- Worker’s compensation penalty claims for late payments of temporary and permanent disability
