Jessica F. Hahn

Overview

A career devoted exclusively to employer representation gives Jessica Hahn a perspective on how workplace disputes evolve from minor management decisions into significant legal exposure. Her practice spans the entire employment law spectrum: litigation and appeals, administrative agency proceedings, risk management, policy development, disciplinary matters, and training programs. Jessica’s comprehensive approach to advocacy means clients benefit from an attorney who understands how today's termination decision may become tomorrow's lawsuit, and how preventive measures implemented now can eliminate disputes before they require legal intervention.

Jessica’s litigation experience includes all phases of employment disputes in state and federal courts, from initial pleadings through trial preparation. Deposition practice, law and motion advocacy, summary judgment briefing, and motions to compel arbitration form regular components of the work. Her representation extends to proceedings before the California Civil Rights Department, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Employment Development Department, and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Jessica’s agency experience proves particularly valuable because administrative findings often shape subsequent litigation strategy, making early intervention at the agency level critical to favorable outcomes.

Jessica is known for addressing potential issues before a claim can ensue. She evaluates settlement opportunities in pre-litigation disputes, as well as drafts and audits employee handbooks, prepares employment agreements, conducts sexual harassment prevention training, and reviews disciplinary and termination decisions. Jessica’s goal is to establish defensible documentation and decision-making processes that can withstand legal scrutiny while remaining practical for managers to implement. Her training programs emphasize real-world scenarios rather than abstract legal principles, helping supervisors recognize potential issues and respond appropriately. This investment in prevention often reduces litigation frequency and improves outcomes when disputes do arise, because the foundational practices and documentation support the employer's position.

Experience

• Successfully represented lead counsel in a complex professional liability matter involving hundreds of physician plaintiffs following the collapse of a medical malpractice indemnity program. Secured summary judgment affirmed in a published appellate decision, establishing important precedent on trial court authority over successive summary judgment motions. Abassi v. Welke (2004) 118 Cal.App.4th 1353

Publications

• Author, “Tax Practice in the Sunshine:  Application of the Open Meetings Law to Non-Government Entities,” Paul J. Dostart & Jessica A. Fortner, California Tax Lawyer, Spring 1998

Professional

• Member, Professional Liability Underwriting Society
  • Women’s Leadership Network Steering Committee, 2012-2013
• Member, Orange County Bar Association, 1998 to Present
• Member, American Bar Association, 1998 to Present
• Member, USD School of Law Alumni Association, 1998 to Present
• Member, USC Alumni Association, 1994 to Present