Stephanie S. Ponek

Stephanie S. Ponek is an Associate in the Los Angeles office of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, where she provides advice and counsel on labor and employment law matters. She assists public and private sector employers with a wide range of workplace issues, including wage-and-hour compliance, discrimination and harassment claims, policy development, and litigation strategy. Stephanie is committed to helping employers navigate the complexities of state and federal employment laws while implementing best practices to foster positive and legally compliant work environments.

Prior to joining LCW, Stephanie worked in HR compliance at a large nonprofit academic medical center, where she managed employment litigation matters, assessed issues relating to compliance with federal and state employment laws, and collaborated with internal stakeholders. She has extensive experience counseling employers on wage-and-hour compliance, equal employment opportunity requirements, and human resources policies and procedures.

Before her role in HR compliance, Stephanie litigated wage-and-hour class actions and represented clients in employment disputes involving wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. She has overseen multi-attorney legal teams, managed settlement processes, and successfully negotiated resolutions on behalf of employers. Her legal expertise also includes advising on employee handbooks, workplace policies, and compliance best practices.

Stephanie earned her Juris Doctor from UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), where she served as Lead Editor of the Hastings Women’s Law Journal and received multiple CALI Awards for academic excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.