Attorneys / Sharilyn R. Payne
Sharilyn R. Payne
Shareholder
Areas of Emphasis
Employment Law
Litigation
Nonprofits
Bar Admissions
California
U.S. District Courts for the
Northern, Eastern, Central and
Southern Districts of California
Education
JD, University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1999 (legal extern to Hon. John Munter, San Francisco County Superior Court, 1998)
MA, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Translation and Interpretation of Spanish/English (Now Middlebury Institute of International Studies), 1988
BA, Latin American Studies, University of California Los Angeles, 1983
AA, Hartnell College, 1980 (Valedictorian)
About Sharilyn
Practice
Sharilyn Payne has been practicing for over 20 years in employment law, Sharilyn’s goal is to educate and counsel employers in the complexities of California employment law so that they can avoid lawsuits and administrative claims. When clients are sued, she works diligently to defend them in the most cost effective way. Sharilyn defends employers against lawsuits brought in state and federal court involving issues including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. She also defends employers before administrative agencies including the California Civil Rights Department, the California Labor Commissioner, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Cal OSHA. Sharilyn provides employers with the tools they need to comply with California law including employee handbooks, policies, and training, such as harassment prevention training. She also conducts workplace investigations. Sharilyn speaks, reads, and writes Spanish fluently.
Background
Sharilyn has served on the Boards of Directors and Committees for various local non-profit organizations including Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley, Girls Inc. of the Central Coast, the Monterey County Bar Association, the Monterey County Women Lawyers Association, and Central Coast Human Resource Agency. She also served as a First Tee of Monterey County Pay It Forward Mentor.
Sharilyn spent part of her childhood in Honduras and the Dominican Republic and learned Spanish at an early age. After earning her Associate of Arts from Hartnell College, her love of the Spanish language led to her earning her Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies from UCLA, and her Master of Arts in Translation and Interpretation of Spanish/English from the Monterey (now Middlebury) Institute of International Studies (“MIIS”). Sharilyn also took an intensive summer course in French at MIIS and studied Portuguese while at UCLA. Before she decided to go to law school, she worked in bilingual positions for The Honorable Leon Panetta, local law firms, and a local agricultural firm. She earned her Juris Doctor from UC Hastings College of the Law (now University of California College of the Law, San Francisco).
In her spare time, Sharilyn enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with her dog – a rescue from a local shelter, working in her garden, and playing the piano.