Katessa Charles Davis

Partner

• kdavis@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Century City Office

Katessa Charles Davis is a partner in the Century City office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Her practice focuses on commercial and employment disputes, including unfair competition, trade secrets, breach of contract, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. Ms. Davis has experience in a broad range of industries, from manufacturing to entertainment, and has arbitration as well as jury trial experience in state and federal courts.

Ms. Davis counsels companies in all areas of commercial and employment law, including state and federal wage and hour matters, all aspects of employee personnel issues, privacy in the workplace, HIPAA, development of company policies, documentation of employee performance, employment and service agreements, outside salespersons, and independent contractors. Ms. Davis also represents employers in administrative proceedings, including responding to charges filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, California Labor Commissioner, and U.S. Department of Labor. Ms. Davis also litigates on behalf of employers in wage and hour, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, breach of employment contract, unlawful business practices, non-solicitation, and trade secret claims.

Ms. Davis assists employers with reducing their workforce, creating personnel handbooks, and training employees on the prevention of sexual harassment.

Ms. Davis also speaks on a multitude of employment and management related topics, including hiring and firing; leaves of absence; disability accommodation; personnel policies; discrimination laws; trade secrets; unfair business practices; and privacy in the workplace.

Ms. Davis is the past President of the Los Angeles County Bar Foundation and a member of the Legal Advisory Board of the Jenesse Center, Inc., a domestic violence intervention program. Ms. Davis is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Sections of the State Bar of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She is also a past member of the Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of California, a past Trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and past President of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc.

Noteworthy

• Southern California Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor, 2004 - 2010, 2012
• LA Focus Newspaper's "Top Black Attorneys" List, 2011

Select News & Events

• Southern California Super Lawyers Recognizes 12 Steptoe Attorneys
• Katessa Davis on Panel: "Branding Yourself and Marketing Your Practice for Women," Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, January 20, 2012
• Katessa Davis on Panel: "Workplace Discrimination and Harassment," Equal Employment Opportunity Seminar, Los Angeles Association of Black Personnel, June 14, 2011
• Steptoe Claims Two Spots on Daily Journal’s Top Defense Verdicts
• Katessa Davis on Panel: "The Practice of Law and Motion," Employment Matters: Navigating the Nuances of Employment Law, December 3, 2010
• Law 360 Quotes Katessa Charles Davis on Independent Contractors
• Annual Employment Law Update: What In-House Counsel and HR Executives Need to Know, March 2, 2010, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Southern California Super Lawyers Honors 14 Steptoe Attorneys
• Law360 Quotes Partner Katessa Charles Davis on Trends in Federal Discrimination Litigation
• Katessa Davis on Panel: The ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries, October 17, 2008
• Katessa Davis on Panel: Century City Chamber of Commerce: Raising the Bar: Retention and Promotion of Women and Minorities, June 19, 2008

Professional Affiliations

• 2012 Board of Directors, Crystal Stairs, Inc.
• 2010-2014 International Parliamentarian, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• 2007-2009 Member, Finance Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• 2007-2009 Member, Legal Advisory Board of the Jenessee Center, Inc.
• 2007-2008 President, Los Angeles County Bar Foundation
• 2004-2007 Member, ABA Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Profession
• 2003-2005 Trustee, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• 1998-1999 President, Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc.
• 1997-2000 Member, Executive Committee, Litigation Section, State Bar of California
• 1999 Editor-in-Chief, California Litigation Review, State Bar of California