Kristine Kwong is a business and corporate transactions attorney with particular focus on labor and employment law. She represents both private and public sector employers in federal and state courts throughout California in counseling and litigation.

Ms. Kwong advises and counsels clients on a wide range of business and employment issues, including wage and hour matters, non-compete and restrictive covenant agreements, executive compensation packages, the full range of disciplinary matters, discrimination, harassment and leaves of absences, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA).

Ms. Kwong has been heavily involved in matters pertaining to the California Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Cal/OSHA), and has litigated numerous administrative hearings on behalf of employers. She also litigates hearings before arbitrators and other state administrative agencies, including the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. In addition, Ms. Kwong is highly experienced in labor negotiations with employee associations, including SEIU, CTA, CSEA and SBPEA. Ms. Kwong’s practice also includes the drafting and updating of handbooks, policy manuals, codes of conduct and severance packages. Ms. Kwong joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in April 2005. She was previously with the Los Angeles law firm of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore where she specialized in labor and employment law.

Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Kwong clerked for the Honorable Morio L. Fukuto, of the California Court of Appeal, Second District.

In 2005, 2006 and again in 2007, Ms. Kwong was named a Southern California Super Lawyer “Rising Star” by both Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine, a designation reserved for only 2.5 percent of all attorneys in Southern California. Ms. Kwong is a prolific and sought-after trainer. She regularly produces and presents training programs for employers throughout the State of Californiaon current issues of employment law, particularly in the area of government-mandated programs such as the FMLA, FEHA, CFRA, PDL and ADA. Her training programs also include business issues such as wage and hour compliance, and trade secret and non-compete agreements.

Ms. Kwong is frequently requested as a speaker throughout the state and regularly presents to various associations, including the following:

• “Pre-Employment Inquiries,” Hinshaw’s 2008 Annual Labor & Employment Seminar, Oak Brook, Illinois, November 2008.
• “Legal Update,” National Human Resources Association.
• “Legal Update," California Association of School Business Officers.
• "Preventing Harassment," City of San Luis Obispo.
• “Facilitating Employment Discussion,“ Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance.
• “Discrimination and Harassment,” Los Angeles County Bar Association seminar, “From Hiring to Firing: The Nuts and Bolts of Employment Law (2007).
• “Complying with AB 1825 – Mandatory Sexual Harassment Training,” California Personnel Commissioners Association.
• “Advantages and Pitfalls of Arbitration Agreements,” Professionals in Human Resources Management.
• “Legal Update,” California Special Districts Association.
• “Religious Discrimination,” Los Angeles County Bar Association.
• “Legal Issues for Site Administrators,” School Employers Association.
• “No Rotten Apples,” California Association of Joint Powers Authority.
• “Americans With Disabilities Act,” Personnel Testing Council.
• “Recognizing Discrimination,” California Hotel Motel Association.
• “The Brown Act,” Special District Institute.
• “Family Medical Leave Act,” California Association of School Business Officers.
• “Exempt Employees,” California Judicial Branch HR Conference.
• “Legal Update,” California School Personnel Commissioners,
• “Navigating the Disability Maze,” Tri-Counties Personnel Symposium.
• “Preventing Violence in the Workplace,” Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures.
• “CAL/OSHA,” Public Agency Risk Management Authority.
• “Alphabet of Leaves,” Alliance of School for Cooperative Insurance Programs.
• “Wage & Hour Update,” Public Counsel.
• “Ethics in Governance,” California Association of Joint Powers Authority.
• “Federal and State Leaves,” Council on Education Management.

Ms. Kwong also writes in her areas of emphasis. Her publications include:

• “Termination of Employee with Syncope Did Not Violet the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Council on Education in Management’s newsletter, “HR Watch,” April 2007.
• “Employee’s Complaints About his Medical Condition are Sufficient Notice to Trigger FMLA Leave Entitlement,” Employment Law Update, Council on Education in Management’s newsletter, “HR Watch,” March 2007.
• “When Resident Misbehave: Employer Liability for Third Party Harassment,” Assisted Living Management Report, March 2007.
• “Navigating the Disability Maze,” Alliance of Schools for Cooperative Insurance Programs’ newsletter, “ASCIP Views,” December 2006.
• "The First Amendment is Alive and Well in the Public Sector," Public Sector Employment Law Update, August 2006.
• “Sexual Harassment Among Friends? The Latest Developments in Sexual Harassment,” Council on Education Management, July 2006.
• “California Mandates Sexual Harassment Training,” Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures, July 2005.