Our female client worked for a large industrial manufacturing company on the assembly line. She was the only female worker on the night shift and suffered numerous racial and sexual comments such as “Ho in the House” repeatedly spoken over the loudspeaker by a male supervisor on the same shift. When our client complained, she was subjected to ostracism, not invited to team events and made to watch over nearly a city-block long factory by herself while co workers held Barbecues in the parking lot. Our client received nearly half a million dollars in settlement. We also were successful in getting this out of state company to reform their wage and hour practices to give breaks and lunches in accordance with the California Labor Code. Employees had been told to “choose” between lunch or rest breaks. The law requires both.
Ms. Pip N. Smits moved to the USA from The Netherlands in 1985, with one suitcase and $100.00, to pursue an acting career. She has since gone on to a great career in law, working as co counsel with Steve Danz in the representation of hundreds of California employees. Pip is lead attorney in our Inland Empire office, located in San Bernardino. Her geographic areas include all of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Her office is located across the street from the San Bernardino County Courthouse with ample free parking for our clients. Pip’s successful cases have included health care employees and, as she is former in house counsel for a major regional hospital, she brings special expertise and “view from the other side” to her work. She is a highly energetic, caring attorney who routinely swamps the opposition with discovery requests. This assists us not only in uncovering all aspects of our client’s cases, but in encouraging defendants to consider early settlements.