Meet Jenna Leyton-Jones | Employment Law Attorney/Workplace Investigator/Employee Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenna Leyton-Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenna, how do you think about risk?
As both a Type A personality and attorney, I am naturally pretty risk averse. Leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck and a job I held for over a decade to start my own law firm is, by far, the biggest risk I have taken in my life…and I haven’t looked back for a second. I love building something that is mine, doing the work I want to do, positively impacting the amazing clients with whom I am fortunate to work, and still having time to attend my kids’ sports games and school performances. Hanging my own shingle has undoubtedly allowed me to appreciate and embrace the uncertainty that is inherent in choosing the road less traveled. That said, when it comes to legal advice, I generally dissuade my clients from taking a lot of risk, as my former-litigator self knows all too well the expense, stress, and hassle that often accompany questionable decisions in the employment law arena.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I never thought I’d be a business owner. After graduating from University of San Diego School of Law, I settled comfortably into life as an associate attorney for a mid-size law firm here in San Diego and spent the next decade defending employers in lawsuits brought by their current and former employees. I was fortunate to have wonderful attorney mentors during that time, and for the most part, I was satisfied with traditional law firm life. However, despite eventually being promoted to shareholder and achieving what I subconsciously thought I was *supposed to* achieve as a lawyer, I slowly began to realize that litigation was no longer fulfilling. Around the same time, I also welcomed my second child and found myself struggling to juggle the competing demands of my career and motherhood. In critically thinking about what aspects of my professional life truly made me happy, I realized that I loved educating my clients on their legal obligations and helping them steer clear of financially- and emotionally- draining litigation so that they could instead focus on business growth and success. I was also inspired by several friends who had left larger law firms to start their own practices, thereby enjoying more freedom both professionally and personally. At the end of 2019, I finally mustered enough courage to take the leap of faith, and Leyton Jones Law, APC officially opened its doors on January 1, 2020. Since that time, I have focused exclusively on the proactive and preventive side of employment law, providing practical advice, solutions, and tools to help employers maintain legal compliance and minimize their exposure to claims. In essence, I help employers do the 3 M’s: manage employees, mitigate risk, and maximize their ability to achieve their business goals. My legal services are comprised of cost-effective employment law advice and counsel, impartial workplace investigations, and employee training.

Focused on balancing the operational needs of the business with the demands and expectations of a 21st-century workforce, I partner with my clients to ensure that they are able to fulfill their legal obligations in a manner that fosters employee engagement and drives business growth. My practice areas include:

Wage and hour law

Worker classification/independent contractor status

Leaves of absence

Disability accommodation

Performance management

Termination issues

Severance agreements

Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims

Employee handbook and policy development

Arbitration agreements

Non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements

I wholeheartedly believe in the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and my overarching goal is to give my clients practical tools and information they can use to both protect their organization and create a respectful, congenial working environment for their employees.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough question since San Diego is such an amazing, vibrant city! I’ll answer by providing a list of some of my favorites:

Favorite beach: Seaside (south Cardiff-by-the Sea)

Favorite restaurant: Fidel’s (delicious and reasonably priced Mexican food in Solana Beach)

Favorite day trip: Julian, California (particularly in the fall to pick apples and enjoy other seasonal activities)

Favorite hike: Iron Mountain (a moderately difficult route in Poway that offers spectacular views)

Favorite place to grab a cocktail: Mister A’s (panoramic views of downtown San Diego and the bay)

Favorite place to take the kids: San Diego Zoo (I’m an animal lover)

Favorite hidden gem: Oasis Camel Dairy (Did I mention that I love animals?)

Favorite place to visit during the holidays: Hotel Del Coronado (beautiful decorations and an ice skating rink on the beach–what more could you ask for?)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shout-out to all of the incredible attorneys with whom I have been fortunate to work (as colleagues, as collaborators, and as adversaries on the other side of the table), who have taught me not only the nuts and bolts of my specific practice area, but also what it means to practice law with integrity, collegiality, and a sense of respect and admiration for our legal system.

And of course, I can’t forget to thank all of my friends and family members who have supported me throughout my career and who encouraged me to dip my toe into the world of entrepreneurship.

Website: www.leytonjoneslaw.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-leyton-jones/