Susan V. Arduengo, AWI-CH

Susan V. Arduengo, AWI-CH

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Susan Arduengo is a partner in Burke’s Labor and Employment Law practice group and a core member of Burke’s Workplace Investigations team.

Susan is an Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI) Certificate Holder, the convener for the AWI Los Angeles Mentoring Circle, and a member of AWI’s Membership & Marketing Committee and Public Sector Affinity Group.  Susan is also a frequent speaker on best practices in conducting workplace investigations.

Susan conducts workplace investigations as a neutral fact-finder.  She has investigated numerous employment-related complaints including allegations of harassment and discrimination based on sex, race, disability, marital status, national origin, and religion, abusive conduct, mismanagement/negligence, retaliation, sexual assault, workplace violence, workplace sabotage, policy violations, and wage and hour violations. Susan regularly investigates allegations against elected officials, sworn personnel, as well as anonymous complaints.  Employers rely on her findings to make informed decisions on how to resolve internal workplace complaints. Susan also oversees and advises clients on investigations conducted by external investigators.

Additionally, Susan is a frequent public speaker and provides California’s mandatory sexual harassment prevention training for supervisory and non-supervisory employees of public and private employers.  She is experienced in virtual and in-person training to groups both large and small.

Susan’s litigation experience defending employers provides her an advantage in providing her clients preventative employment counseling. Susan’s counseling work is focused on litigation avoidance on matters related to employee discipline, leaves of absences, and separation issues. Susan is also experienced in drafting employment policies, handbooks, and separation agreements as well as performing employment law compliance audits.

  • J.D., Stetson University College of Law, 2009
  • B.A., Business Administration, minor in Mass Communications, University of Florida, 2005
  • State Bar of California
  • State Bar of Illinois (Inactive)
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • United Stated District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Association of Workplace Investigators, Public Sector Affinity Group, Founding Member (2023 - present)
  • Association of Workplace Investigators, Membership & Marketing Committee, Member (2023 - present)
  • Association of Workplace Investigators, Los Angeles Mentoring Circle, Convener
  • Association of Workplace Investigators, Certificate Holder
  • Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
  • Los Angeles Bar Association
  • State Bar of California, Labor & Employment Law Section
  • Orange County Bar Association, Entertainment, Sports & Marketing Section, Chair-Elect (2018)
  • Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (2017-2018)
  • Ellevate, Orange County Chapter, Founding Co-President (2016-2017)