Maria Bourn is the Managing Attorney and Lead Employment Litigator at Gomerman | Bourn & Associates, a top-rated law firm proudly serving clients throughout California. Maria has dedicated her career to representing employees who have experienced discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, and disability.
 

With extensive trial and appellate experience, Maria takes on complex cases with confidence and care, combining sharp legal strategy with genuine empathy. Her track record includes multiple seven-figure verdicts on behalf of employees facing some of the most difficult and uncertain times in the workplace. Many of her clients become more than just clients—they stay in touch long after their case ends, often feeling like part of her extended family.
 

Maria’s passion for trial advocacy began early in her career. While in law school, she became a certified law student in order to advocate for individuals who had been unlawfully evicted or arrested. That same drive to fight for fairness continues to shape the way she approaches every case.
 

In 2014, she secured a trial win in Alameda County on behalf of an employee who experienced sexual harassment at a trucking company—earning praise from the judge for her exceptional trial skills. Since then, she has prevailed in arbitration and at trial in cases where employers refused to make any settlement offers, including a 2016 arbitration win in a case where the defense declined to settle, confident they would win.
 

Her courtroom success includes a win against a cosmetic surgeon who fired his employee after she took protected military leave. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Maria tried the first case in San Francisco during the shutdown period, successfully going up against one of the most seasoned defense teams in California.
 

In Tulare County, she won a $1.28 million verdict for a janitor fired while on medical leave. She also secured a favorable mid-trial settlement in another discrimination case that had previously stalled in negotiations. In yet another case, she obtained a $3.005 million verdict for a plaintiff injured while walking to complete his shift. These outcomes are just a few examples of Maria’s commitment to standing up for workers when it matters most.
 

Even when a case doesn’t go her way in Superior Court, Maria doesn’t back down. She has taken several matters to the appellate level, including Moore v. Regents (2016) 248 Cal.App.4th 216, where she successfully overturned an entire decision. That ruling helped clarify how California law protects employees perceived to have a disability and remains one of the most frequently cited decisions in jury instructions and employment law guides across the state.
 

From 2016 through 2019, Maria was named a Super Lawyers “Northern California Rising Star,” a recognition awarded to just 2.5% of attorneys under the age of 40 or in practice for fewer than ten years. From 2020 through 2022, she was named a Northern California Super Lawyer, an honor given to the top 5% of attorneys statewide.
 

In 2016, she received the Lawyer Monthly Magazine Women in Law Award for her contributions to the labor and employment field. She has also been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers, The Trial Lawyer Magazine, Daily Journal, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
 

Maria graduated magna cum laude from Oregon State University on a full academic scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in science. She ranked in the top 1% of her class, was named Outstanding Graduate of the Year, and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
 

She went on to earn her J.D. from John F. Kennedy University School of Law, graduating in the top 10% of her class. During law school, Maria volunteered over 1,200 hours as a certified law student and received a Public Interest Law Certificate for her dedication to pro bono work both in and out of court.
 

Maria has been a member of the State Bar of California since 2010 and is admitted to practice before all state courts, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California.
 

She is an active member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), where she served as co-chair of the Public Employees Committee. She has also held leadership positions with the San Francisco Barristers Labor & Employment Section and the San Mateo Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section.
 

Maria previously served on the Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Regional Center. She is also a frequent speaker at legal conferences across California and has presented on a range of employment law topics, including arbitration, privacy in litigation, post-COVID trial strategies, and new employer regulations.
 

Mentoring attorneys and sharing insights from her years of advocacy is one of the ways Maria carries forward her hope of making the workplace safer for all employees.
 

Outside of work, Maria enjoys friends, family, travel, gardening, and bird watching. 

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Practice Areas

Employment Law
 

• Workplace Discrimination
   

• Retaliation & Whistleblower Cases
   

• Wrongful Termination
   

• Military Leave & USERRA Violations
   

• Gender, Race, Ethnicity & Disability Discrimination
   

• Disability & Perceived Disability Claims
   

• Appellate Advocacy in Employment Law
   

• Civil Rights Litigation
   

 

Honors & Recognition
 

• Super Lawyers Rising Stars - 2016 through 2019 (Top 2.5% of attorneys under 40 or first 10 years)
   

• Super Lawyer Northern California - 2020 through 2022 (Top 5% of attorneys statewide)
   

• Women in Law Award – Lawyer Monthly Magazine (2016)
   

• Featured Attorney – The Trial Lawyer Magazine, Daily Journal
   

• Recognized by – The National Trial Lawyers, National Association of Distinguished Counsel
   

 

Legal Experience
 

• Managing Attorney & Lead Employment Litigator, Gomerman | Bourn & Associates
   

• Former Certified Law Student, Representing Clients in Eviction and Arrest Defense
   

 

Education
 

• John F. Kennedy University School of Law – Juris Doctor
   

  • Top 10% of class
     

  • Dean’s List (All Semesters)
     

  • Public Interest Law Certificate
     

  • 1,200+ hours of pro bono legal service

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• Oregon State University – Bachelor of Science
   

  • Magna Cum Laude
     

  • Top 1% of class
     

  • Outstanding Graduate of the Year
     

  • President’s List, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
     

 

Bar Admission
 

• Member, State Bar of California (since 2010)
   

• Admitted to U.S. District Courts: Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California

Leadership & Mentorship
 

• Co-Chair, California Employment Lawyers Association – Public Employees Committee
   

• Co-Chair, San Francisco Barristers Labor & Employment Section
   

• Co-Chair, San Mateo Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section
   

• Former Board Member, Golden Gate Regional Center
   

• CLE Speaker, Employment Law Conferences Statewide