Based in Reed Smith’s San Francisco office, Gehrke is widely recognized for handling sophisticated employment disputes for leading companies, particularly in the transportation, technology, and food service sectors. Her practice spans class actions, discrimination and retaliation claims, wage-and-hour litigation, labor relations, and Railway Labor Act matters. 

In its profile of Gehrke, the Daily Journal highlighted the career path that led her to become one of California’s leading employment litigators. An early assignment in her career working on the shutdown of a cargo airline introduced her to the industry and the Railway Labor Act. “That assignment changed the trajectory of my career as I developed a niche expertise in airline labor and employment law that I’ve been able to grow into a major part of my practice as I have served numerous airline clients over the years,” said Gehrke, reflecting on the evolution of her practice. 

The Daily Journal also highlighted several recent victories for major airlines, including securing a complete summary judgment victory in a disability discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit and obtaining dismissal of all claims, including a rare ruling based in part on Railway Labor Act preemption. She also successfully defended leading airlines in closely watched lawsuits involving a pilot training academy and a ground services subsidiary. 

She is currently representing a leading distributor of specialty building materials in the United States in litigation addressing emerging issues under California’s newly reformed Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). 

The Daily Journal profile emphasized Gehrke’s practical approach to advising employers amid California’s evolving employment laws, underscoring her focus on delivering practical guidance that enables clients to remain compliant while operating efficiently.

“Most of my clients understand employment rules in California are far different and more strict than federal standards,” Gehrke said. “While a single company-wide standard may be the goal, it does not always make business or legal sense.”

Gehrke has been recognized by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top Labor & Employment Lawyers nearly every year since 2018. Her additional honors include rankings in Chambers USA, recognition as a Benchmark Litigation Top 50 Labor & Employment Litigator, inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, and selection as a National Law Journal Employment Law Trailblazer.