Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation; view more
Licensed in California since: 2002
Education: Loyola Law School Los Angeles
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2017 - 2018 Details
Attorney Adriana Cara is a partner with FisherBroyles, LLP, a national law firm. She is part of the firm's Los Angeles, California office, but works primarily in Carlsbad, California. A top-rated litigation attorney with more than 18 years of legal experience, Ms. Cara provides unmatched representation and support to employers, business owners and managers throughout Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties who have legal needs involving employment law.
Over the course of her legal career, Ms. Cara has counseled a wide range of Fortune 500 corporations as well as startups and established small businesses, school districts, financial institutions, accounting and law firms, restaurants, and others in various industries with their employment-related legal issues. She has also delivered invaluable advice to her clients to help remain in compliance with all applicable law and regulations in order to mitigate their risk exposure while assisting them in the creation of employment policies, handbooks and other materials.
A seasoned and highly effective litigator, Mr. Cara has also fought hard to defend her clients' rights and interests against meritless claims of workplace discrimination and harassment, wage and hour disputes, wrongful termination and other serious grievances. From her efforts, she has achieved considerable success helping them achieve the favorable outcomes they seek in state and federal courts for their serious and pressing legal challenges.
Honored for her outstanding legal abilities and unwavering commitment to her clients, Ms. Cara has received perennial designation as one of the Top Women Attorneys as well as one of the Top Latino Lawyers in her region, and she has appeared on local news programs as well as in print publications, where she has offered in-depth legal commentary on a variety of subjects. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego Paralegal Program for several years.
A 1993 honors graduate of the program herself, Ms. Cara served as a paralegal for six years before attending Loyola Law School of Los Angeles, where she obtained her Juris Doctor in 2002. During her time in law school, she earned the highest grade in several of her classes, and was Chief Articles Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review.
Practice areas
Employment & Labor: Employer, Employment Litigation: DefenseFocus areas
Employment Discrimination, Employment Law - Employee, Retaliation, Sexual Harassment, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- 60% Employment & Labor: Employer
- 40% Employment Litigation: Defense
First Admitted: 2002, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.fisherbroyles.com/people/adriana-cara
- Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (So. California) (2017 and 2018)
- Top 25 labor & employment law attorneys, San Diego Daily Transcript (2015)
- “Women Who Mean Business” – Finalist, San Diego Business Journal (2015 and 2016)
- 2015 SD Metro: Women Who Impact San Diego - This distinction was awarded to 19 women in San Diego who have made outstanding professional contributions to the community.
- Top Latino Lawyers, Latino Leaders Magazine (2017) – a national publication
- 2016 Finalist: San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Awards - Honors exceptional women who have made a difference in San Diego's business, cultural, and civil scene.
- 2017 Nominee for San Diego Magazine's "Woman of the Year" - This recognition is bestowed on San Diego's most inspiring female leaders, movers, shakers, and entrepreneurs in the following categories: Industry Leaders, Nonprofit Visionaries, Rising Stars, and Military Service. The Woman of the Year is selected from among the nominees.
- 2015 San Diego Daily Transcript Top Attorneys Semi-Finalist - The Transcript conducts a peer voting process to determine the best lawyers in private, corporate, academic and government practice in San Diego County in key categories. The categories have been selected to represent the main areas of law practiced in San Diego County. The top 25 nominated attorneys in each of the categories are considered semi-finalists. Ms. Cara was a semi-finalist in the Labor & Employment Law category.
- 2015 Union Tribune: People Who Define San Diego County - This one-on-one profile appears in the "People" section of the Union Tribune, and features persons that the Union Tribune believes define San Diego County.
- 2017 Influential Women: San Diego Daily Transcript - Recognizes women who have impacted their company, industry, and community; women who are paving the way for future generations and making life better, not only for women, but for men, too.
- 2015 SD Metro Movers to Watch - The SD Metro Movers to Watch designation is awarded to men and women who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and who are poised to add to their achievements in 2015.
- 2015 Finalist: San Diego Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Awards - Honors exceptional women who have made a difference in San Diego's business, cultural, and civil scene.
- 2017 Top Attorney: SD Metro Magazine - A recognition bestowed on individuals recognized as one of the best attorneys in San Diego.
- California Supreme Court clarifies ‘day of rest’ (Wednesday, June 21, 2017)
- Chief Articles Editor for the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review (2001 – 2002)
- The fate of class action waivers hangs in the balance (Wednesday, January 4, 2016)
- Franchisors face broader liability in employment lawsuits (Wednesday, February 8, 2017)
- Court rules advance on commission is not rest period pay (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)
- Federal court to student athletes: You’re not employees (Wednesday, May 10, 2017)
- Federal court invalidates DOL Overtime Rule (Thursday, September 14, 2017)
- PAGA ruling a boon for plaintiff employees (Thursday, July 27, 2017)
- 2015 San Diego Daily Transcript (Co-Author)- Not So Fast…Banner Health Systems is Still the Writing on the Wall for All Employers: This article summarizes the impact of the US Supreme Court's decision in NLRB v. Noel Canning on workplace investigations generally.
- California bans questions about salary history (Thursday, October 19, 2017)
- Small employers face mandated baby bonding leave (Thursday, December 7, 2017)
- New Year brings changes to state employment law (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)
- USD Paralegal Program, San Diego, CA (September 2015 through March 2018)
- 2015 SD Metro Magazine (Co-Author) - Empowering Women of Color to Blaze Their Own Trails in the Legal Profession: This article discusses the challenges faced by minorities and female attorneys in the legal profession.
- 2016 Daily Transcript: Fate of Class Action Waivers in California: This article discusses the viability of class action waivers in employment contracts, particularly in arbitration agreements.
- Barrister of The Honorable Fiorenzo V. Lopardo American Inns of Court Member of the San Diego County Bar Association Member of Lawyers Club of San Diego (Women’s Diversity Taskforce Committee) Member of the California State Bar Labor & Employment Law Section Member of the Association of Workplace Investigators San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association
- New 2017 Employment Laws - KUSI Morning Newshttp://www.kusi.com/clip/13003400/2017s-new-employment-laws
- UCSD, Revelle College - Bachelor of Arts, English and American Literature, 1992
- University of San Diego(ABA Approved), San Diego, CA, Lawyer’s Assistant Program Certificate, May 1993 (Honors)
- In 2014, Adriana Cara opened one of the only female- and minority-owned law firms in California. She was a shareholder of Cara & Garland, APLC, and practiced with her African-American partner, Meagan E. Garland. In the Fall of 2015, Ms. Cara was selected to serve as an instructor at the USD Paralegal Program. As a proud alumni of this Program, Ms. Cara takes her role as an educator very seriously given the impact her position has on the professional development of her students. Ms. Cara recognizes that she may very well be the first individual to introduce her pupils to the legal industry and its mechanics, which may affect their ultimate decision to pursue a career as either legal assistants or (as in her case), attorneys. Ms. Cara is currently a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in San Diego. When Ms. Cara was approached by Dinsmore & Shohl to head its Labor and Employment Practice in San Diego, she was humbled to learn that she would become its first female Latina partner., 2014
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2017 - 2018
