Janice Amenta

Janice Amenta is a Supervising Senior Associate for Harmssen LaPointe’s Employment Practice Liability Insurance (EPLI) Claims Defense Division. Janice provides advice to clients regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, administration of medical leave, disability accommodations, and labor grievances. She also defends employers in arbitrations, administrative hearings, and general litigation from intake to trial and appeal. As a Supervising Attorney, Janice provides oversight over attorney work product and claims review and management and responds to federal, state, and administrative charges on behalf of the firm’s clients. Although Janice has handled all types of litigation and appeals, her true passion lies in labor and employment law.

Janice began her career in San Francisco practicing insurance coverage and defense in private practice for five years until she joined the Office of the County Counsel for Contra Costa County. For more than 20 years, Janice provided labor and employment advice to several County departments with more than 3,000 employees, including Human Resources, Employment and Human Services, Labor Relations, the Fire District, the Equal Opportunity Office, Risk Management, Health Services, and the County Library (if you think all librarians are boring and dutiful, you are wrong–Janice has many tales of librarian wrongdoing). Janice counseled departments regarding employee discipline, medical leaves, and disability accommodations. Janice conducted numerous grievance arbitrations and hearings before California’s Public Employee Relations Board (PERB), the County Merit Board, and other state administrative agencies. She handled complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and California Civil Rights Department (formerly Department of Fair Employment and Housing). Janice also supervised investigations of employee claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Janice represented the County in state and federal litigation, including coordinating with national counsel in the National Opioid Litigation, securing millions of dollars for Contra Costa County’s Health Plan. She authored numerous appeal briefs and appeared before the First District of the California Courts of Appeal.