Ginger L. Grimes

Attorneys

Ginger Grimes

Ginger L. Grimes represents workers seeking fair compensation and working conditions, voters asserting their right to vote free from racial discrimination, and people with disabilities seeking equal access to public spaces.  At DHKL, Ginger has:

  • Litigated through two liability phases of trial a California Private Attorney General Action representative action on behalf of thousands of Oracle America, Inc. sales employees paid commission wages.  Won motions for summary adjudication on the calculation of PAGA civil penalties ahead of a third penalties phase of trial.  Resulted in a $15.5 million settlement.
  • Litigated a class and certified Fair Labor Standards Act collective action for state and federal wage and hour claims of misclassified independent contractor sports journalists and editors for Vox Media, Inc., resulting in a $4 million settlement.
  • Litigated a certified class action of California consumers under California’s Invasion of Privacy Act, resulting in a $10 million settlement.
  • Won after two phases of trial a decision concluding that the City of Santa Clara violated the California Voting Rights Act by maintaining an at-large election system that diluted the votes of Asian American voters and directing the City to transition to district-based elections.  Affirmed on appeal.
  • Litigated a class and collection action involving sales representatives for Behr Process Corporation, resulting in a $5 million settlement.

In 2022, the Asian Law Alliance recognized DHKL’s voting rights team, including Ginger, as a Legal Impact Honoree for the firm’s work representing Asian American voters at trial and on appeal against the City of Santa Clara.   She has been selected by SuperLawyers as a Rising Star in 2022 through 2025 and in 2025 was selected as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers.  Ginger regularly volunteers as a supervising attorney for Legal Aid at Work’s Workers’ Rights Clinic.

Ginger joined DHKL in 2016 as a Social Justice Fellow and became a Partner in 2024.  Prior to joining DHKL, she clerked for the Honorable Daniel R. Foley in the Intermediate Court of Appeals for the State of Hawai’i.  She received her law degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and bachelor’s degree from Occidental College.

see allhide all

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, University of California, Irvine School of Law, 2015
  • B.A., cum laude, Critical Theory and Social Justice, Occidental College, 2011

Bar and Court Admissions

  • State of California, 2015

  • State of Hawaii, 2016

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Awards

  • SuperLawyers Rising Star (2022 – 2025)

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers (2025)

  • Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition (National LGBT Bar Association), Second Place (2015)

  • UC Irvine School of Law Pro Bono High Honors (2015)

  • UC Irvine School of Law 3L Trail Blazer Award (2015)

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • California Employment Association (Education Committee Member (2025)
  • Legal Aid at Work, Volunteer Supervising Attorney (2017 – Present)

Prior Employment

  • The Hon. Daniel R. Foley, Intermediate Court of Appeals for the State of Hawaiʻi, 2015 –2016.

Representative Cases

  • Abrishamcar v. Oracle America, Inc., No. CIV535490 (San Mateo Cnty. Super. Ct.): $15.5 million PAGA-only settlement on behalf of commissioned sales employees involving violations of the California Labor Code.

  • Spruill v. Vox Media, Inc. and Bradley v. Vox Media, Inc., Nos. 1:17-cv-01791-CRC and 1:19-cv-00160-CRC (D.D.C.): class and certified FLSA collective action settlement of $4 million for state and federal wage and hour claims of misclassified independent contractor sports journalists and editors.

  • Flowers v. Twilio Inc., No. RG16804363 (Alameda Cnty. Super. Ct.): certified class action on behalf of California consumers alleging violations of California’s Invasion of Privacy Act resulting in $10 million settlement.

  • Yumori-Kaku v. City of Santa Clara, 17CV319862 (Santa Clara Cnty. Super. Ct.): judgment following a bench trial concluding that the City of Santa Clara violated the California Voting Rights Act by maintaining an at-large election system that diluted the votes of Asian American voters and directing the City to transition to district-based elections; affirmed on appeal in 2020; see 59 Cal. App. 5th 385 (2020).

  • McBain v. Behr, No. RG 17855986 (Alameda Cnty. Super. Ct.): class and collective action settlement of $5 million for exemption misclassification of sales representatives.

Representative Publications

Representative Speaking Engagements

  • California Employment Lawyers Association, 38th Annual Employment Law Conference, “New PAGA Amendments and Insights From the LWDA,” October 25, 2025.

  • National Employment Lawyers Association Spring Seminar, “The Changing Face of Wage & Hour Litigation,” Co-panelist on “Proving Time Worked in the Information Age,” March 24, 2023.

  • Berkeley Journal of Employment & Labor Law, “A Workers’ Rights Evening,” Co-panelist, September 29, 2022.

  • UC Irvine School of Law, “Workers’ Rights Panel,” Co-Panelist, March 29, 2022.

  • County of San Diego Independent Redistricting Commission, “Best Practices for Outreach to Communities of Interest,” Co-presenter, February 25, 2021.

  • The Rose Institute of State and Local Government, “2021 Redistricting: New Rules for California Local Government,” Co-panelist on “Strategic Insights and Practical Lessons,” September 17, 2020.

  • Legal Aid at Work, “Litigation Training – State Court Trials,” Co-panelist, August 3, 2020.