Phyllis W. Cheng, Esq., has excelled at every stage of her career. For nearly seven years, she was Director of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), the largest state civil rights agency in the United States. As Director, Ms. Cheng oversaw six and seven-figure settlements, including the largest settlements in DFEH history. She was also a Senior Appellate Court Attorney, a Deputy Attorney General with the Civil Rights Enforcement Section of the California Department of Justice, a partner with DLA Piper’s employment practice, and a two-term Commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. In this episode, Ms. Cheng joins Len to tell the story of a viral video of an arrest in the aftermath of the May 2020 protests, a civil rights lawsuit by the citizen who created the video, who claimed police retaliation for her having done so, and the unique opportunity to accomplish, through mediation, what both parties could not have achieved through a trial.

As a leading scholar in California employment law, Ms. Cheng has made over 500 keynote, panel, webinar, and other multimedia presentations to bar, business, human resources, employer, employee, housing, realtor, apartment, homeowner, condominium association, mediation, civil rights, education, private and public sector groups.

Recognized as the 2012 Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year, Ms. Cheng brings her unwavering work ethic and extensive experience to her dispute resolution practice. As a private mediator and as a panelist for the U.S. District Court and the California Court of Appeal, Ms. Cheng has settled significant matters in the areas of employment, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage and hour; class actions; civil rights; attorney’s fees; housing discrimination; and public accommodations and disability access. Ms. Cheng is a prolific writer and has been published numerous times in various law treatises, legal publications, and law journals. She is the Co-Editor of California Fair Housing & Public Accommodations, part of the Rutter Group California Civil Litigation Series, and Attorney Editor of several chapters of Employment Litigation, the Rutter Group California Practice Guide. Phyllis was also responsible for the enactment of California’s Title IX law.

Please visit her website at www.mediate.work. If you wish to contact Ms. Cheng, please do so by emailing her Case Manager, Haward Cho, at haward@adrservices.com.