Alison D. Alpert

Alison D. Alpert is a partner and a member of Best Best & Krieger LLP’s (BBK) Labor and Employment practice group. She previously served for several years as the practice group leader of the Labor and Employment Practice Group at the firm.  

For more than 25 years, Alison has been representing public agencies in all areas of labor and employment law, including both advisory and litigation work. She advises cities and all types of public agencies on issues involving employment policies, discipline and termination, issues relating to CalPERS benefits and disability retirements, wage and hour issues, and labor issues, in addition to other general issues applicable to public agency employment. Alison also handles labor negotiations, labor grievances, and complaints before PERB and represents and advises clients on issues related to public access and accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Alison also provides counsel and advises employers addressing complaints involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation and all types of employment claims, and how to avoid those claims through good employment practices. Issues relating to the various discrimination, harassment and retaliation laws are often interrelated with discipline issues, and used as defense in disciplinary appeals and lawsuits. Recognition of the significance of these issues comes from Alison’s experience in handling disciplinary appeals, employment litigation and conducting workplace investigations into complaints of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. She has handled claims in state and federal court, before administrative agencies including the Department of Labor, the Department of Industrial Relations, Cal OSHA, the CRD (formerly the DFEH), the EEOC, and before arbitrators.

A frequent speaker at employment law seminars for attorneys and human resources professionals, Alison provides insight on a wide range of personnel issues. She has spoken to the County Counsels’ Association of California Employment Law Study Section, San Diego County and Los Angeles County City Attorneys’ Associations, the International Public Management Association (“IPMA”), the California State Bar Conference, and to many other groups of public agency employees. She is a regular speaker at the annual conference of the California Public Employers’ Labor Relations Association (“CALPELRA”) and the Public Employers’ Labor Relations Association of California (“PELRAC”), addressing various topics from marijuana in the workplace, disability, employee discipline, family leave, investigations to off-duty conduct, social networking and retaliation. She also participates in BBK’s annual labor and employment law update seminar on new legislation and cases. Throughout the year, Alison presents to other organizations on updates in the law as well as on issues of importance to public employers.

Alison also regularly conducts training in-house to clients, on issues such as harassment avoidance, discipline, disability discrimination laws, FBOR, workplace violence, drug and alcohol policies, employment issues related to new technology, discrimination in the workplace and other issues of relevance for employers.

Alison serves on the Board of the Toby Wells YMCA. She also serves on the Board of Teen Volunteers in Action (TVIA), a service organization for teen boys. Alison has previously served on the League of California Cities Employee Relations Policy Committee.