Judicate West, one of California’s leading providers of private dispute resolution services, has added Polina Bernstein, Esq. to its roster of neutrals. Bernstein will be based in the Los Angeles office and is available for mediations and arbitrations statewide.
“Polina has a wealth of experience in the employment law arena, representing both employers and employees throughout her career. She prides herself on diving deep into each matter to understand the facts, applicable law, and unique motivations and circumstances of each party,” said Rosemarie Chiusano Aubert, Executive Vice President of Business Development with Judicate West. “Polina blends skill, compassion and patience to establish her presence as a mediator, and she ensures each side feels heard while also offering a direct approach to guiding disputes toward resolution. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Judicate West team and our Employment Practice Group."
Bernstein possesses over two decades of combined litigation and mediation experience, and she has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in employment law disputes involving claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, misappropriation of trade secrets, wrongful termination, retaliatory discharge, defamation and breach of contract. Bernstein has also handled many single-plaintiff wage and hour and representative PAGA matters, including unpaid commissions claims. She has conducted workplace investigations and counseled clients on their rights and obligations under federal and state laws, including issues related to the payment of wages, hiring and firing, and pregnancy and disability-related leaves of absence and other accommodations. Bernstein was a founding partner at Bernstein & Friedland, P.C. where she practiced for 15 years, and she worked as a private neutral for two years with Bernstein Mediation, Inc. Prior to that, she worked in the Labor and Employment department of Winston & Strawn LLP.
“I am thrilled to join Judicate West's Employment Practice Group, having developed tremendous respect for its mediators after working with many of them over the years in both litigation and mediation contexts,” said Bernstein. “Having worked with Judicate West for many of my own case mediations, I have developed an appreciation for the responsiveness and helpfulness of its staff, which consistently ensured a seamless mediation process.”
Bernstein served two years as a settlement officer in the Resolve Law L.A. Mandatory Settlement Conference Program for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer every year since 2014. Additionally, she received the Business Team of the Year” award in 2014 from the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s “Women in Business” award, and she was named a finalist in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Women Making a Difference” awards in 2012. Bernstein earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law (2001) and her B.A. from Claremont McKenna College (1998). She earned a certificate in “Mediating the Litigated Case” from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Pepperdine School of Law.
