Peter J. Woo

Biography

Peter J. Woo is the office litigation manager in the Riverside, California, office and a principal in the Orange County, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Peter believes that equally important to knowing and understanding the law, a legal advisor must earn the trust of clients by anticipating their questions and offering solutions before they even know there is an issue requiring attention. Peter advises corporations, not-for profit companies, and private entities who benefit from his experience gained working in-house, in litigation and at trial.

Peter defends clients facing claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, contractual disputes and fraud, as well as professional liability claims such as directors and officers (D&O) insurance. He also defends clients against claims made under the Americans with Disabilities Act and equivalent state-based claims involving public accommodations. Peter also defends clients against wage and hour claims on an individual, class, and/or representative basis.

In his legal career, Peter worked at several insurance companies as a claims professional. He successfully handled complex coverage issues, managed litigation and supervised outside counsel on thousands of complex EPL, D&O, and E&O professional liability matters. This experience enables Peter to look at issues from both an in-house and litigation point of view, helping him to better serve his clients.

Peter also advises clients on issues such as risk-management, hiring and termination, workplace investigations, and drafting employee policies, and when faced with litigation, Peter helps his clients each step of the way. He facilitates sexual harassment training and develops materials for executives, managers, and employees under current California and federal law with emphasis on practical solutions.

Outside of the office, Peter is active in the Los Angeles and Asian American legal and business communities, serving as general counsel for A-List Magazine, a nonprofit periodical that highlights Asian professional leadership and success in the United States and Canada. He previously was as a volunteer attorney for the Los Angeles County Bar Association Domestic Violence Services Project, assisting with preparing the paperwork necessary to protect survivors of domestic violence and their children, including sexually abused minors and abused elderly persons.

Before joining Jackson Lewis, Peter was the vice-chair of the Labor and Employment practice group at an AMLaw 200 national law firm overseeing the firm’s employment practice nationwide and leading the firm’s team of employment attorneys in California. As a law student, Peter gained experience as an extern for the Honorable Maureen A. Tighe of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of California, and after graduating, he served as a clerk for the Honorable Alison Y. Tuitt of the New York State Supreme Court, Civil Division, Bronx County.

Published Works

• “Employers are Bracing for Four Types of Employment Claims Arising Out of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Advisen Front Page News (May 2020) [Co-Author]
• “Virus Could Spur Avalanche of Tort and Employment Litigation,” Courthouse News (March 2020)

Speeches

• “Pay Transparency Trends”, Markel Claims (New York, NY, February 2023) (presenter)
• "Latest Trends in Employment Practice Liability Claims”, Renaissance Re (Virtual, September 2022) (presenter)
• "California Mid-Year Employment Law Update”, Jackson Lewis Webinar (Virtual, August 2022) (presenter)
• “California as a Hotbed for Employment Litigation: Why and How to Mitigate Risks”, Willis Tower Watson (Virtual, July 2022) (presenter)
• “The New Reality of Discrimination Claims in a Post-COVID World”, Annual CLM Conference (Palm Desert, CA, March 2022) (presenter)
• “EPL Quarterly: COVID-19 and Federal/State Law Update”, Jackson Lewis Webinar (Virtual, March 2022) (presenter)
• “Coronavirus Risk Forecast: Coverage and Claims Analysis for Toxic tort, Employment, Workers’ Compensation, Cyber, and Insurance Policy Concerns,” Perrin Conferences (Virtual, March 2020) (presenter)
• “The Current Legal Landscape of Website Accessibility,” Allied World Assurance Company (Virtual, March 2020) (presenter)
• “Stay tuned with Employment Law Issues,” New York City Association of Insurance Women (New York, NY, June 2019) (presenter)
• “Ensuring that #METOO is Not You Too: Defending a #MeToo Claim, Including Practical Tips for Clients,” International Association of Defense Counsel Professional Liability Roundtable (New York, NY, May 2019) (presenter)
• “What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You! – Avoiding Accounting Malpractice and California Employment Law Update,” Korean American CPA Society of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA, April 2019) (presenter)
• “Sex Drugs and Real Estate”, Korean American Real Estate Brokers Association (Los Angeles, CA, April 2019) (presenter)
• “Sex, Drugs and Claims Management: 2019 Developments on #MeToo and Marijuana in the Workpace,” Starr Indemnity Insurance Company, Allied World Assurance Company (New York, NY, June 2019) (presenter)
• “Construction Law 101: Tools to Manage Risk in Employment, Contracts, Insurance, Bonds, and More,” Chinese American Construction Professionals (Los Angeles, CA, January 2019)
• “Employment and Wage and Hour Issues Today: A Guide on New and Existing Labor Laws in California,” Marsh (Los Angeles, CA, August 2018)
• “Employment and Labor Issues Facing the Apparel Industry,” Korean American Apparel Manufacturers Association (Los Angeles, CA, June 2018)
• “California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations,” Arya Claims Services, LLC (New York, NY, June 2016 and September 2017)
• “Recent Developments in Federal and California Employment Law,” University of California Los Angeles School of Law LL.M. Program (Los Angeles, CA, February 2016)