Amber Healy is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Labor and Employment practice group. Ms. Healy is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Wage & Hour Practice and Chair of the Firm’s PAGA practice.
Ms. Healy represents local, regional and national employers in all aspects of labor and employment law and related litigation. Her practice focuses on the defense of wage and hour class actions and lawsuits under the Labor Code’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Ms. Healy litigates employment law matters in courts throughout the State of California. She also handles individual wage and hour claims, equal pay, whistleblower, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, defamation and wrongful termination matters.
Ms. Healy’s broad labor experience includes representing and defending employers in union grievance proceedings, collective bargaining, and dealings with union locals. Ms. Healy has experience handling matters before the National Labor Relations Board and unfair labor practice charges.
Ms. Healy frequently represents clients in proceedings before state and federal administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, the California Civil Rights Department, Department of Industrial Relations and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
Ms. Healy’s defense of employers in high-stakes wage and hour litigation and PAGA actions allows her to assist employers in implementing proactive measures to avoid and mitigate the risk of litigation. She regularly conducts audits of employment practices and procedures and assists in the development and implementation of updated policies and practices.
Ms. Healy has successfully litigated hundreds of class, collective and representative PAGA matters. Her clients span various industries, including construction, manufacturing, apparel and fashion, hospitality, food service, homecare services, property management, food processing, retail, trucking, shipping, logistics, e-commerce, healthcare and emergency medical services.
Though Ms. Healy now focuses her practice on the defense of class litigation matters on behalf of employers, she spent several years representing plaintiffs in class litigation, successfully representing classes ranging from 50 members to over 100,000 members and securing numerous class settlements exceeding a total recovery of $50 million. With her plaintiff-side background, she brings a unique perspective to the cases she handles.
Awards and Honors
- Ms. Healy received the California State Bar’s Wiley W. Manuel Award for her pro bono legal services.
- Best Lawyers in America – Litigation – Labor and Employment
Professional Involvement
- Board of Governors, Italian American Lawyers Association
- Member, HR Collaborative, California Ambulance Association
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19
Sep
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Buchalter Adds Three Attorneys to Labor and Employment Group
Firm News
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19 September 2024 – Buchalter is pleased to announce that Amber Healy has joined the firm as a Shareholder alongside attorneys Neil Katsuyama in the […]
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15
Aug
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers in America
Awards
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Buchalter, is pleased to announce that 99 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Best Lawyers was founded […]
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Publication
What is the Fair Chance Ordinance?
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September 11th, 2024
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the California Ambulance Association 2024 Annual Convention
September 18th, 2024
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the Desert Communities Employer Advisory Committee
September 11th, 2024
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the California Ambulance Association 2023 Annual Convention
August 29th, 2023
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the Desert Communities Employer Advisory Committee
July 11th, 2023
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the California Ambulance Association 2022 Annual Convention
October 13th, 2022
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the 12th Annual Wage & Hour Conference
September 8th, 2022
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the Desert Communities Employer Advisory Committee
July 13th, 2022
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the California Ambulance Association 2021 Annual Convention
October 19th, 2021
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the CALSPro 50th Anniversary Conference
October 6th, 2018
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the PIHRA CAHR Conference
August 27th, 2018
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Presentation
Amber Healy, Presenter at the 8th Annual Advanced Wage & Hour Conference
July 12th, 2018
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Publication
California Supreme Court Clarifies Overtime on Flat Sum Bonuses
March 15th, 2018
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Publication
Employers Not Required to List Accrued Vacation Time
November 2nd, 2016
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Publication
A Primer on Class Action Litigation
June 1st, 2016
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Publication
(Class) Action Stations
April 1st, 2016
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Publication
Amber Healy, Quoted in Rite Aid Seating Ruling Makes Class Cert. Harder to Beat
May 20th, 2014
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Publication
Troubles with Recognizing Retaliation Under the Stimulus Act
November 2nd, 2013
- Successfully defended numerous employers in class and collective actions under the California Labor Code and the Federal Labor Standards Act
- Obtained judgment in favor of client in putative class action alleging violations of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act
- Won dismissal of lawsuit asserting claims of gender discrimination, harassment, and violation of collective bargaining agreement against union sub-contractor, dismissal affirmed on appeal
- Secured dismissal of all class allegations in putative class action alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act against historic entertainment venue
- Through aggressive motion practice limited the scope of class claims against multi-state operator of assisted living facilities to only the locations that Plaintiffs worked at, significantly reducing value of the alleged wage and hour class claims and ultimately resolved claims on individual basis
- Defeated class certification on behalf large construction company based on claims of unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest breaks, waiting time penalties and unfair business practices
- Obtained summary adjudication of claims for meal and rest break violations against union construction company
- Resolved class action against major food processing company alleging failure to compensate time spent donning and doffing protective equipment on favorable terms
- Repeated closure of administrative agency investigations with finding of no fault or no basis for claims asserted
- Achieved favorable resolution Department of Labor investigations against large janitorial companies and construction companies based on claims for failure to comply with the Davis-Bacon Act and the Federal Labor Standards Act
Ms. Healy earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School. She earned her B.A. in History and Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles.
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
- Litigation Section, Executive Committee Member
- President’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession
- Elizabeth L. Kenney Achievement Award, Co-Chair Selection Committee
- California Lawyers Association, Labor & Employment Section Member
- National Association of Women Lawyers, Member
- Professionals in Human Resources Association, Member