Margaret Bell, Esq.
President Elect

Margaret (“Margi”) C. Bell is a founding member of Andrews ∙ Lagasse ∙ Branch & Bell llp and specializes in all aspects of employment law.   She provides quality and result-oriented representation for employers who are sued for harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, breach of contract and other related issues.  She also represents employers before administrative agencies, such as the California Labor Commissioner, the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and others.   Ms. Bell’s clients include public and privately held companies, as well as public institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Ms. Bell also provides counseling and training to employers on best employment practices for the workplace.  Ms. Bell offers a highly energetic and interactive training program on preventing unlawful harassment in the workplace, in compliance with the California mandatory training provisions.  Ms. Bell lectures throughout the state at seminars and conferences on employment law issues.

Ms. Bell completed her undergraduate education in Communications at the University of California, San Diego in 1987.  From 1985 to 1986, she attended the University of Paris (La Sarbonne) on a UCSD International Center scholarship.  She graduated cum laude  from Tulane Law School in 1991, where she served as an Editor on the Tulane Environmental Law Journal. 

Before founding Andrews ∙ Lagasse ∙ Branch ∙ Bell llp in 2007, Ms. Bell was a shareholder at Littler Mendelson, where she practiced from 1991 to 2000, and a partner at Gordon & Rees LLP from 2000 to 2007, where she co-chaired the San Diego Employment Group.

Ms. Bell was voted by her peers as a 2007 and 2008 Southern California – San Diego “Super Lawyer,” representing the top 5% of San Diego attorneys.  She also has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating (AV Peer Review Rated) for her legal ability and ethical standards.
 
Ms. Bell is active in the San Diego Society of Human Resource Management, where she currently serves on its Board of Directors as President-Elect.  From 2006 to 2007, she served as its Vice President, Legislation.  Ms. Bell is a former member of the Point Loma Rotary Club, where she served on its Board of Directors and as a Co-Chair of the District-wide Task Force on Jobs for the Disabled. 

Ms. Bell is licensed to practice before all state and federal courts in California and the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Bell can be contacted at Andrews ∙ Lagasse ∙ Branch & Bell llp, 11232 El Camino Real, Suite 250, San Diego, CA  92130, (ph) 858.345.5075, (f) 858.345.5076, mbell@albblaw.com.