Liesel B. Stevens serves as the chair of our Employment and Labor Law Section. Her employment practice focuses on defending employers in litigation matters and advising employers on various state and federal employment laws. She has experience in a wide variety of employment law areas including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Title VII, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. She has spoken at seminars and provided training to clients on various employment laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. In addition, Ms. Stevens has extensive experience with conducting independent investigations in response to employee complaints.
Ms. Stevens also represents clients in a broad variety of commercial and business litigation matters, including commercial contracts, unfair competition, trade secrets, and other complex commercial claims. She has handled cases in all phases of litigation, including discovery, mediation, arbitration and trial. Ms. Stevens’ clients include companies in Utah and throughout the country.
Ms. Stevens chaired Ray Quinney & Nebeker’s Associates Committee for the years 2015-2019 and the firm’s Women Lawyers Group for the years 2010-2014.
Awards and Recognition
- Mountain States Super Lawyers (2018-2024) in the category of Employment and Labor
- Utah’s “Legal Elite,” as published in Utah Business Magazine (2012-2014, 2017)
- The Best Lawyers in America© 2026 in Employment Law.
Representative Highlights
- Won jury trial in federal court on behalf of government employer on claims for whistleblower retaliation and breach of contract
- Won appeal before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed dismissal of employee’s wrongful termination claims
- Obtained jury verdict in federal court on behalf of defendant employer on ADEA and FMLA claims
- Won petition for certiorari and successfully argued appeal before the Utah Supreme Court, which reinstated the trial court’s order of summary judgment in favor of employer in employment contract case
- Won appeal before the Utah Court of Appeals, which affirmed summary judgment in favor of employer in wrongful termination case
- Won motion to dismiss complaint alleging failure to provide public accommodation under the ADA
- Prevailed on motion for summary judgment of FLSA claims and defeated plaintiffs’ motion for conditional certification of FLSA collective action in Utah federal court
Education
University of Michigan, J.D.
- Contributing Editor, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform
Michigan State University, B.A.
- Senior Editor, James Madison College Journal of International Relations
Professional and Civic Activity
- Board Member, Kimball Art Center, Park City, Utah, December 2021 - present
- Board of Trustees, Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, 2014 - 2017
Affiliations / Memberships
- Federal Bar Association
- Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
- Park City Bar Association
- Women Lawyers of Utah
Professional Experience
- Cook & Roos, San Francisco, CA, 1996-2000
- Raifman & Edwards, San Francisco, CA, 1994-1996
- Admitted to Practice
- Utah State Bar
California State Bar
Utah Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
Utah Court of Appeals
United States District Court, District of Utah
United States District Court, Districts of Northern and Central California
Awards
Presentations and
Publications
- Speaker, "Status of the FTC Non-Compete Ban," Employment Law Webinar, June 5, 2024
- Moderator, RQN Employment Law Webinar, October 2023
- Presenter, "Reopening After COVID," CLE May 2021
- Author, "Should Employers Mandate a COVID-19 Vaccine For Their Employees?", Legal Update, February 2021
- Author, "Utah Employers: Checklist for Returning Employees to Work", Legal Update, June 2020
- Author, CDC Issues New Guidance for Office Safety, Legal Update, June 2020
- Author, "Coronavirus Issues in the Workplace: Do’s and Don’ts for Managers and Supervisors", Legal Update, March 2020
- Author, U.S. Department of Labor Announces Final Rule on Overtime Exemption, September 2019
- Stevens, L., (Panelist), Employment Law Alliance (Producer), U.S. Year in Review [Webinar], February 4, 2019
- Co-authored, "USA Regional Employment 2019 Guide for Utah", Chambers and Partners, 2018
- Presenter, “Employment Law Primer: Select Issues for Small Business Owners,” June 2018, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Legal Clinic
- Presenter, “Employee Handbooks: Do’s and Don’ts,” June 2018, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Legal Clinic
- Presenter, “A Primer on Employment Laws for Small Businesses,” 2013 Salt Lake SHRM Employment Law Seminar
- Presenter, “How the Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease: Understanding Whistleblower Laws,” 2013 Salt Lake SHRM Employment Law Seminar
