Karin M. Cogbill

Karin Cogbill is a member of Hopkins & Carley’s Employment & Labor Law Practice in the San Jose office. She represents and counsels employers in connection with all types of labor and employment matters arising under federal and state laws.

Karin devotes a significant portion of her practice to representing employers in wage and hour litigation, with an emphasis on class, collective and hybrid actions, in state and federal courts throughout the United States. Her experience also includes:

• Investigating and responding to claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation
• Ensuring compliant written policies and procedures, including employee handbooks
• Advising on leaves of absence and requests for accommodation
• Advising on wage and hour compliance, including payroll practice audits
• Advising on exempt/non-exempt employee classification, and employee vs. independent contractor classification
• Representing employers in discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits
• Representing employers before the Labor Commissioner and in wage and hour audits conducted by the Department of Labor

Karin's litigation experience encompasses all phases of litigation, from inception to trial, in both federal and state courts. She has successfully represented clients in enforcing arbitration agreements and class-action waivers.

Karin has taken and defended countless depositions, successfully obtained summary judgment, achieved full and partial defense verdicts in arbitration, handled complex class actions, including opposing class and conditional certification, managed detailed factual investigations, and negotiated resolutions to numerous legal matters.   

Prior to joining Hopkins & Carley, Karin was a partner at Littler Mendelson P.C. She started her legal career as an associate in the San Jose office of Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, LLP.

During law school, Karin served as a judicial extern to the Hon. Ronald M. Whyte of the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She was director of the Honors Moot Court Board and she earned a Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate. She attended the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.