Ji-In Lee Houck
Ji-In Lee Houck (she/her/hers) is a co-founder and partner of The Houck Firm. Ji-In is a fierce trial attorney and advocate for victims of workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination and has first and second chaired jury and bench trials to verdict in state and federal court and in arbitration. She is passionate about achieving true diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace and in our lives, and takes pride in holding companies accountable for violating the rights of their employees.
Prior to co-founding The Houck Firm, Ji-In served as the Managing Partner of Stalwart Law Group, a boutique litigation firm in Los Angeles, where she focused her practice on employment, legal malpractice, and general business disputes. Prior to that, she represented some of the biggest companies in the world at the multinational law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP where she was a general commercial litigator focusing on employment, professional liability, and business disputes.. Her experience on the other side of the “v” has given her valuable tools to fight for her clients’ rights.
To help combat workplace and street harassment and biases, Ji-In also founded a social media campaign called @interruptingbias to highlight the experiences of women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and other historically and systematically marginalized communities.
Ji-In grew up in Detroit and attended college at the University of Michigan. After living and working in Chicago, she moved to Washington DC to attend law school at Georgetown. While at Georgetown, Ji-In represented low-income DC youth in their juvenile delinquency actions and successfully first-chaired a trial to verdict as a student attorney. After graduation, Ji-In became an advocate for employees at a boutique employment litigation firm, helping her clients obtains millions in damages from employers.
EMPLOYMENT
Ji-In has litigated employment claims both against and on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. She was part of a team that represented Walmart in a groundbreaking wage and hour class action, and has defended claims of discrimination on behalf of other large companies such as Am Law 100 law firms, healthcare conglomerates, and clothing retailers. On the employee-side, Ji-In has represented scores of individuals – from those earning minimum wage to high-income earning executives – in their lawsuits against public and private employers.
Ji-In’s experience representing both employees and employers has given her a unique perspective and insight into all aspects of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases. Currently, Ji-In is proud to use her employment litigation experience to fight exclusively for workers’ rights, representing employees in their disputes against employers including in claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, religion, age, disability (mental and physical), FMLA/CFRA leaves of absences, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, military and veteran status, and all other protected classes and activities.
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
A significant part of Ji-In’s practice has been focused on legal malpractice matters. Ji-In has represented lawyers and clients in a variety of these claims including those involving legal advice and representation on employment litigation, tax, licensing deals, trusts and estates, and partnership dissolution.
Ji-In represents clients in all aspects of general commercial disputes from the filing of the complaint through trial. She’s handled a variety of lawsuits including those involving partnership disputes, real estate, collection issues, movie distribution rights, premises liability, misappropriation of likeness, fraud, and breach of contract.
Ji-In represents clients in all aspects of general commercial disputes from the filing of the complaint through trial. She’s handled a variety of lawsuits including those involving partnership disputes, real estate, collection issues, movie distribution rights, premises liability, misappropriation of likeness, fraud, and breach of contract.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
Prior to co-founding The Houck Firm, Ji-In served as the Managing Partner of Stalwart Law Group, a boutique litigation firm in Los Angeles, where she focused her practice on employment, legal malpractice, and general business disputes. Prior to that, she represented some of the biggest companies in the world at the multinational law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP where she was a general commercial litigator focusing on employment, professional liability, and business disputes.. Her experience on the other side of the “v” has given her valuable tools to fight for her clients’ rights.
To help combat workplace and street harassment and biases, Ji-In also founded a social media campaign called @interruptingbias to highlight the experiences of women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and other historically and systematically marginalized communities.
Ji-In grew up in Detroit and attended college at the University of Michigan. After living and working in Chicago, she moved to Washington DC to attend law school at Georgetown. While at Georgetown, Ji-In represented low-income DC youth in their juvenile delinquency actions and successfully first-chaired a trial to verdict as a student attorney. After graduation, Ji-In became an advocate for employees at a boutique employment litigation firm, helping her clients obtains millions in damages from employers.
EMPLOYMENT
Ji-In has litigated employment claims both against and on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. She was part of a team that represented Walmart in a groundbreaking wage and hour class action, and has defended claims of discrimination on behalf of other large companies such as Am Law 100 law firms, healthcare conglomerates, and clothing retailers. On the employee-side, Ji-In has represented scores of individuals – from those earning minimum wage to high-income earning executives – in their lawsuits against public and private employers.
Ji-In’s experience representing both employees and employers has given her a unique perspective and insight into all aspects of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases. Currently, Ji-In is proud to use her employment litigation experience to fight exclusively for workers’ rights, representing employees in their disputes against employers including in claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on race, religion, age, disability (mental and physical), FMLA/CFRA leaves of absences, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, military and veteran status, and all other protected classes and activities.
PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
A significant part of Ji-In’s practice has been focused on legal malpractice matters. Ji-In has represented lawyers and clients in a variety of these claims including those involving legal advice and representation on employment litigation, tax, licensing deals, trusts and estates, and partnership dissolution.
Ji-In represents clients in all aspects of general commercial disputes from the filing of the complaint through trial. She’s handled a variety of lawsuits including those involving partnership disputes, real estate, collection issues, movie distribution rights, premises liability, misappropriation of likeness, fraud, and breach of contract.
Ji-In represents clients in all aspects of general commercial disputes from the filing of the complaint through trial. She’s handled a variety of lawsuits including those involving partnership disputes, real estate, collection issues, movie distribution rights, premises liability, misappropriation of likeness, fraud, and breach of contract.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Reserve Media, Inc. v. Efficient Frontiers, Inc., 2017 WL 1377591 (C.D. Cal. 2017). Successfully defended tech startup’s right to use the RESERVE trademark, defeating all infringement claims against it on summary judgment.
- H.Y.C v. Hyatt Hotels Corporation, 2016 WL 107924 (D. Del. 2016). Represented a minor child in connection with a tragic drowning accident she suffered at the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa in Danang, Vietnam. Successfully defeated Hyatt’s motion to dismiss on forum non conveniens grounds, keeping the litigation in the Delaware district court, instead of forcing the family to bring an action in Vietnam.
- Shorter v. Baca et al., 101 F.Supp.3d 876 (C.D. Cal. 2015). Represented a pretrial detainee in the Los Angeles County Jails in a civil rights action against former Sheriff Leroy Baca and deputy sheriffs. Successfully defeated the County’s motion for summary judgment. Second-chaired jury trial in federal court to verdict.
- Represented real estate investment firm in lawsuit concerning a breach of contract regarding the bank selling a distressed promissory note secured by valuable real property to another buyer. Defeated the third-party buyer’s attempt to expunge a lis pendens on the real property and defeated the bank’s motion for summary judgment. Second-chaired bench trial in state court to verdict.
- Represented real estate developer in lawsuit regarding priority of liens on investment property.
- Defeated summary judgment in complex lawsuit between former partners in a television production business.
- Represented international film distributor in dispute against production company over rights to a major U.S. motion picture.
- Defended film and television talent against claims brought by a plaintiff claiming the talent owed her management fees.
- Defended Am Law 100 law firms against legal malpractice claims regarding conflicts of interest, licensing, tax advice, and business dissolution.
- Defended Walmart against wage and hour claims in class action lawsuit brought by California warehouse employees.
- Defended Am Law 100 law firm against disability discrimination claims brought by a former legal assistant.
- Represented scores of individuals in lawsuits against their former employers regarding claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, and other protected classes and activities in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), American Disabilities Act (ADA), and public policy.