Velma Lim has extensive experience in representing employers, both private businesses and public entities, in federal and state courts, as well as before administrative agencies in litigated employment matters.  She also provides counseling and advice to employers in all phases of employment law as preventive measures to avoid litigation.  In addition, Ms. Lim represents businesses in litigated matters concerning contract, labor, and other business disputes. Ms. Lim is awarded an AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, which is their highest rating for legal excellence and ethics. She is also designated a Northern California Super Lawyer in Employment Law.

Ms. Lim is well versed in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, wrongful termination, reasonable accommodation, defamation, breach of contract, wage and hour, and the myriad of employment cases. She also represents business owners and employers in individual cases and in class actions. She has successfully concluded numerous cases by obtaining dismissals, prevailing in pre-trial motions, trying cases in arbitrations, and obtaining jury verdicts in federal and state courts in favor of employers.  Ms. Lim is most comfortable trying cases before juries in the courtroom and enjoys trials and working with clients to achieve a successful outcome.

In her employment counseling practice, Ms. Lim reviews and analyzes everyday personnel issues, ranging from wage and hour, policy enforcement, discipline, termination, and unemployment to numerous other issues, then provides advice to employers as to the best and most effective steps to reduce liability exposure. She prepares employment contracts, severance agreements, writes and reviews personnel policies, reviews employee handbooks for legal compliance and negotiates collective bargaining agreements, among numerous other tasks.

With her practice focus in employment law, Ms. Lim is often requested by other attorneys to serve as a mediator. She mediates assorted types of cases and has a high success rate in bringing the parties to middle ground to settle their cases. Ms. Lim also serves as a discovery referee and arbitrator for the Superior Court.

Representative Matters

• Conducts workplace investigations for businesses concerning various workplace complaints, serving as a neutral fact-finding investigator. She provides workplace trainings for managers, supervisors, and employees on various employment related topics.

• Represents small to large employers and public entities in employment litigation matters including sexual harassment, disability discrimination and accommodation, age and sex discrimination, pregnancy and medical leave, wage claims, and whistleblower retaliation.

• Provides advice and counsel to employers relating to employment policies and other employment-related concerns.

• Represents employers in audits and other administrative proceedings involving employees including proper classification of workers as individual contractors and employees.

• Ms. Lim is a frequent speaker and presenter on current employment issues to employers, human resources professionals, and managers.

• She was a panel member for CEB’s employment law seminars for continuing education of attorneys for over 12 years.  She is awarded an AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

• She has been active in many community non-profit organizations.  These include the following:

  • Past board  member of the Women’s Center for San Joaquin County.

  • Past member and president of the American Red Cross, San Joaquin County branch.

  • Current board member and past vice-president of governance with the Stockton Symphony.