Jacqueline is an associate in the Firm’s Litigation practice group.
She regularly defends businesses and nonprofits facing litigation in California state and federal courts. She has litigated matters before international arbitral forums, including the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the International Chamber of Commerce. Jacqueline handles a wide range of issues for her clients, including contractual, employment, and tort disputes, as well as constitutional issues.
Jacqueline works to improve diversity within the legal profession through her role as Diversity Director for the Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco. In this role, she plans and executes the Barristers Annual Diversity Conference and Awards, which highlights issues facing underrepresented attorneys. She also frequently presents and writes about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues within the legal profession.
Jacqueline is also a certified yoga instructor and developed Yoga for Lawyers to help other attorneys manage a demanding and often sedentary profession. As her Yoga for Lawyers website says, “Being a Lawyer is Stressful. Yoga is Not.”
Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) Barristers’ Club
Board Secretary, Diversity Director
BASF Barristers’ Club Litigation Section Executive Committee
Member, 2022-2023
Awards
San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 honoree – 2024
The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, 2024-2025, Commercial Litigation
Northern California Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2023, 2024
Minority Bar Coalition Unity Award, 2022
Firm Costume Contest, Scariest Halloween Costume: “Drainer of Opposing Counsel,” 2024
J.D., University of California, Berkeley, Prosser Prize, Health Law and Policy, 2017
M.A., New York University, Draper Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Humanities and Social Thought, 2011
B.A., summa cum laude with high honors in English, Muhlenberg College, Phi Beta Kappa, 2008
On October 17th and 18th, The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barristers Club Diversity and Inclusion Committee presented the Diversity Conference 2024. The 2024 Diversity Conference theme was “Defending Democracy.” The conference included five sessions over two days and sought to deepen awareness and engagement around racial equity and inclusion efforts…
Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich is a featured presenter in the Practising Law Institute’s (PLI) Civility Series, an on-demand video CLE program focusing on the intersection of civility and bias and how incivility can relate to certain rules of professional conduct. This program will teach participants how to: Explore best practices for…
On Thursday, June 6th, Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich presents, “Everyone’s a Little Uncivil (And Biased Too)” with the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. Joining Jacqueline will be panelists Kevin Benedicto, Police Commissioner SF Police Department, Sydney Allen, Sr Managing Associate at Benesh Law,…
On Wednesday, May 29th, Weintraub attorneys will participate in a panel from the Barristers’ Club of San Francisco Bar Association’s (BASF) Pathways to Partnership Series. This second of two presentations, “Transitioning from Junior to Senior Partner,” will focus the panel discussion on the journey from junior to senior partner and the…
On Tuesday, April 9th, Weintraub attorneys will participate in a panel from the Barristers’ Club of San Francisco Bar Association’s (BASF) Pathways to Partnership Series. Part 1 of 2, “Transitioning from Senior Associate to Junior Partner,” will focus the panel discussion on the journey from associate to junior partner and…
On July 12, 2023, The Bar Association of San Francisco hosted a seminar titled Interviewing Tips from Underrepresented & 1st Gen Attorneys. Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich moderated the event, which covered the following topics: How to Prepare for a legal interview (i.e., research, resume, and interview strategies) What Law…
WHEN: Thursday, June 1, 2023 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM (PST) WHERE: Venable, 101 California St, Suite 3800, San Francisco, CA Join the Barristers Wellness Committee for a 1 hour all levels yoga class taught by Jackie Simonovich, Esq. (RYT-200), followed by a networking reception. Free yoga mat and accessories…
Like other employment claims in recent times, we are seeing more retaliation and “whistleblower” claims against California employers. Employers need to know what to listen for or they can find themselves accused of retaliating against a “whistleblower.” On April 12th, Lukas Clary, Meagan Bainbridge, and Jacqueline Simonovich of Weintraub Tobin’s…
On Tuesday, June 14, The Litigation Section of the Barristers will present a webinar that aims to provide an in-depth look at attorney-client privilege in employment, white collar, and commercial litigation. Weintraub shareholder Lizbeth (Beth) V. West will speak at the event, alongside Aviva Gilbert of Farella Braun + Martel…
On November 17, The Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Barristers Club of BASF presented A Conversation with First Generation Attorneys – Advice to my Younger Self. Jacqueline Simonovich served as the event moderator. The webinar featured five attorneys at various phases in their careers, from junior associates to experienced in-house…
On November 21st, 2017, The Bar Association of San Francisco hosted a seminar for newer attorneys titled, A Conversation with First Generation Attorneys: Advice to My Younger Self. Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich moderated the event, which covered the following topics: Specific obstacles faced by first-generation attorneys How to be…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 41 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2025 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. 32 Weintraub attorneys are included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, of which six…
Jacqueline Simonovich is featured in the 2024 issue of Northern California Super Lawyers Magazine. In an article titled “The Movement,” Jacqueline discusses integrating her passion for yoga with her legal career, emphasizing the importance of movement and wellness for lawyers’ mental clarity and stress relief. “I find I can’t just…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 45 of the Firm’s attorneys have been recognized on the 2024 Northern California Super Lawyers® and Rising Star lists. These lists, selected annually on a state-by-state basis, recognize outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in…
On Wednesday, May 29th, Weintraub attorneys will participate in a panel from the Barristers’ Club of San Francisco Bar Association’s (BASF) Pathways to Partnership Series. This second of two presentations, “Transitioning from Junior to Senior Partner,” will focus the panel discussion on the journey from junior to senior partner and the…
On May 6, 2024, Ryan Abernethy and Jacqueline Simonovich overwhelmingly prevailed in a case brought by two plaintiffs, who were asked to withdraw from a private religious high school after taking a photo that appeared to be “an overt act of racism.” Plaintiffs brought five causes of action, including breach…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Jacqueline M. Simonovich has been named a 40 Under 40 honoree by the San Francisco Business Times. Each year the publication recognizes outstanding young professionals, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and executives who are making a difference in the local business community. An attorney in Weintraub’s…
Weintraub was proud to support the 2023 Barristers Club Diversity Conference, “Defending Diversity!” The two-day event was presented by the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barristers Club Diversity and Inclusion Committee and aimed to deepen awareness around racial equity and inclusion efforts within the legal industry. Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M.…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 25 of its attorneys have been recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, and eight attorneys have been named to the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Three attorneys have also named “Lawyer of…
Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that 47 of the Firm’s attorneys have been selected to the 2023 Northern California Super Lawyers® and Rising Star lists. These lists, selected annually on a state-by-state basis, recognize outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in…
On April 6, 2023, Paul Gaspari, Jackie Simonovich, and Ryan Abernethy won a Motion for Summary Judgment in its entirety in a case alleging discrimination due to a private school’s response to COVID-19. The Court granted summary judgment as to Plaintiffs’ four causes of action, including disability-based discrimination in violation…
Weintraub Tobin attorney Jacqueline Simonovich has been elected as the Diversity Director for the Barristers Board of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF). The Diversity Director leads the Barristers Diversity & Inclusion Committee and spearheads the planning and execution of the Barristers annual Diversity Conference and Awards. Jacqueline has…
On November 9, 2022 Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich was honored as one of the 2022 recipients of the Minority Bar Coalition Unity Awards. These awards, given annually, recognize leaders from the member organizations of the Minority Bar Coalition for exemplary service in promoting the cause of diversity in the…
The Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco hosted the 13th Annual Barristers Club Diversity Awards Reception. The awards are meant to recognize individuals for their efforts to raise awareness of diversity issues in the Bay Area Legal Community. Jacqueline Simonovich introduced a panel that discussed racial disparities…
Jacqueline Simonovich serves on the Bar Association of San Francisco Barristers Club Diversity and Inclusion Committee and runs the Committee’s Book Club. Jacqueline drafted a review of the Book Club’s most recent book, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Delila Harris, for the Fall 2021 edition of San Francisco Attorney…
Weintraub is pleased to welcome Jacqueline M. Simonovich to the Firm’s Litigation Group. Jackie has represented a wide variety of clients in both state and federal court and has litigated matters before international arbitral forums, including the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the International Chamber of Commerce.
In a Nov. 12th article for Yoga Journal, Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich shares good practices to help minimize exposure to potential liability for yoga teachers offering hands-on alignment suggestions with students who have consented to receiving them. Jacqueline explains the potential risks that come with physically adjusting a student’s posture.…
On July 1, 2024 Governor Newsom signed SB-92 and AB-2288 into law, which instituted sweeping reforms to California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”). PAGA was passed 20 years ago to provide a private mechanism for employees to pursue claims on behalf of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (“LWDA”) against…
On May 10, 2024, the Ninth Circuit decided Yuriria Diaz v. Macys West Stores, Inc. In that case, Diaz brought California Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) claims against her former employer. The district court compelled both Plaintiff’s individual and non-individual PAGA claims to arbitration, reasoning that the arbitration agreement’s broad…
In a January 31st article for The Daily Journal, Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich writes about California’s new civility MCLE requirement. While civility training can focus on the “link between civility and bias,” it can also focus on broader forms of incivility. Jacqueline suggests that education on bias-based incivility should…
Yesterday, the California Supreme Court, in Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc., addressed the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana, 142 S.Ct. 1906 (2022). The much-anticipated Adolph decision, addresses the question of whether an “aggrieved employee,” who has been compelled to arbitrate individual PAGA claims (i.e.…
COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave (“SPSL”) was set to expire on September 30, 2022. However, on September 29, 2022 Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 152 (“AB 152”), which extends SPSL through the end of the year. The bill took effect immediately.
In the summer of 2020, we saw a flurry of diversity and inclusion activity at law firms in response to the murder of George Floyd and the general social unrest in this country at that time. Many firms ostensibly renewed their diversity and inclusion initiatives. While these renewed commitments were…
In a June 22, 2020, article for Law 360, Weintraub attorney Jacqueline M. Simonovich and Edward Tillinghast write about the COVID pandemic’s impact on business’ contractual defenses, such as force majeure and frustration of purpose. Law 360 subscribers can read the full article here.
