Arlene Prater

Partner

Ms. Prater is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. For many years, she has provided advice to public and private employers on personnel and labor matters and represented public agencies and private employers in employment law litigation and administrative proceedings.

Ms. Prater regularly handles discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination litigation in State and Federal Court, as well as a wide range of other litigation involving the rights and obligations of employees and employers. Ms. Prater has handled many cases arising under the federal and state discrimination laws and federal and state labor laws. Ms. Prater defends clients against administrative complaints of discrimination pending with the State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and represents clients in employment matters before other state and federal agencies.

Ms. Prater regularly advises clients on all aspects of personnel management, including employee discipline and grievance matters, employee handbooks, employment contracts, personnel policies such as sexual harassment and drug and alcohol, and compliance with the many state and federal constantly changing employment laws including the discrimination laws, the Family Leave Acts, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She advises clients on wage and hour issues, employee safety issues, workplace violence issues, drug and alcohol issues, employee and applicant privacy issues and advises clients and drafts documents for all stages of employee disciplinary matters.

Ms. Prater also advises and represents public and private clients as to matters arising out of the collective bargaining process under state and federal laws. She also conducts and assists in contract negotiations, impasse procedures, grievance and arbitration proceedings, Union representation proceedings and unfair labor practice charges before local, state and federal agencies.

Before joining Best Best & Krieger LLP in October 1993, Ms. Prater was a partner at Jennings, Engstrand & Henrikson, where her emphasis was employment and labor law, and she was chairperson of that firm’s employment and labor practice group. Ms. Prater was employed with the San Diego County Counsel’s office from 1977 to 1988 and represented the County of San Diego and school districts in civil litigation involving employment, labor relations, civil rights, education, tort liability and other substantive areas.

Ms. Prater is an advisor to the State Bar Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee. She regularly conducts human resources trainings for clients and is a frequent speaker at employment law seminars for attorneys and human resource professionals on a wide range of current personnel issues. She is a board member of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, and Serving Seniors, and provides pro bono services to various nonprofit agencies in San Diego.

Education

• University of San Diego (USD), J.D. (1975)
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, B.A.

Bar Admissions

• California (1975)

Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America®, Management, Employment Law (2016-2017)
• San Diego Super Lawyer, Labor and Employment (2007-2010, 2014-2016)

Community Involvement

• Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest (board member)
• Serving Seniors (board member)

Memberships

• State Bar Labor and Employment Law Section Executive Committee, advisor