EDUCATION

University of San Diego, School of Law - J.D. 1985
         Semi-Finalist, John M. Winters Moot Court Competition, 1983
         Member (1983-1985) University of San Diego Law Review
         Lead Articles Editor (1984-1985) University of San Diego Law Review
The George Washington University - B.A. 1982
         State of Connecticut Scholar, 1977 - 1981

Ms. Zimmer practices primarily in the fields of torts and personal injury, governmental liability and public entity defense, premises liability, employment, and environmental and toxic torts matters.

• Torts and Personal Injury
  
  Ms. Zimmer has defended numerous personal injury lawsuits on behalf of individuals, corporations, and business and public entities in California state and federal courts. The cases range from complex automobile, pedestrian, motorcycle and premises accidents to employment issues and products liability maters. Alleged injuries include neurological deficits, wrongful death, closed head trauma, loss of eyesight, severe burns, emotional distress, fractured limbs, soft tissue injuries, lost earnings and loss of consortium.
  
  
• Governmental Liability and Public Entity Defense
  
  In the area of governmental liability and public entity defense, Ms. Zimmer's practice includes representation of schools, colleges, school districts and college districts and their employees. She is experienced in extricating these entities from lawsuits based on governmental immunities and has successfully obtained many summary judgments and defense arbitration results.
  
  Recently, she defended a school district in an alleged civil rights class action suit by African-American students who claimed physical and verbal assaults by Hispanic school police officers and improper random searches of students in which we successfully opposed class certification, after which Ms. Zimmer was able to settle the matter for minimal amounts as to the two named plaintiffs. She also defended a school district in a personal injury case in which plaintiff, a second grade girl, fell when she was running to the bathroom and lacerated her knee at the threshold of the bathroom door. The matter was arbitrated and Ms. Zimmer obtained a defense award, after which she convinced plaintiff's counsel to dismiss the entire action, thereby avoiding the expense of a trial.
  
  
• Premises Liability
  
  Ms. Zimmer has represented individual homeowners, business owners, corporations, and public entities against allegations of failure to provide safe premises. She has successfully resolved hundreds of these cases to the satisfaction of her clients, either by summary judgment, defense at trial or arbitration, or successful mediation.
  
  
• Employment
  
  From employment discrimination or wrongful termination based on gender, race, age or ethnicity to sexual harassment, civil rights issues and retaliation, Ms. Zimmer has defended various employment matters and counseled clients on employment issues. She has successfully extricated clients from lawsuits by way of summary judgment motions in several employment-related cases, and has co-tried an age discrimination case in downtown Los Angeles. Along with Mr. Messer, she recently defended a college district and its supervising employee against allegations of assault and battery. Ms. Zimmer successfully extricated the college district from the case. Thereafter, plaintiff filed a related action against the college district for failure to accommodate a disability. In defending the action, Ms. Zimmer worked closely with the Personnel Commission and other district staff members.
  
  
• Environmental and Toxic Torts
  
  Ms. Zimmer was involved in the Stealth Fighter cases from their inception in the mid-1980s and assisted in the development of the standard deposition outline for plaintiffs used in those cases. Recently, she has handled mold and mildew litigation matters with claims of substantial exposure, including a case involving 3 year-old twins whose developmental delays were blamed on exposure to mold and mildew in the home.
  
  
• Business, Contract and Commercial Matters
  
  Ms. Zimmer has represented business entities in various litigated matters. For instance, in a commercial case, she compelled a binding arbitration pursuant to an arbitration clause in a contract relating to auction sales after which she received a defense award at the binding arbitration.
  
  
• Suspect Investigations
  
  Ms. Zimmer 's suspect investigations practice is wide-ranging, including swoop and squats, jump in's (where only 2 people were in the car and 6 show up in the complaint), medical build-ups and other fraudulent accident cases. She has counseled a major insurance carrier on fraud matters in Southern California.
  
  
• FDCPA Defense and Collection Matters
  
  Ms. Zimmer routinely counsels clients on compliance with the FDCPA. She also reviews collection agencies' reviews and procedures and counsels them on consumer and commercial letters sent to debtors. Ms. Zimmer is a CNR and MAP attorney through ACA and she also handles commercial and consumer collection matters for several clients. She routinely speaks on issues regarding collection matters and compliance with the FDCPA.

BAR/COURT ADMISSIONS

California
U.S. District Court, Southern, Central and Northern California

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

State Bar of California
Board Member, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 1991
American Collectors Association (ACA):
        Member Attorneys Program (MAP) and
        Collection Notice Review (CNR) attorney
California Council of School Attorneys, member