Hon. Maria A. Audero (Ret.)

Hon. Maria A. Audero (Ret.) joins Signature Resolution following a federal judicial career defined by a commitment to fair resolution, a command of data-driven litigation strategy, and a depth of employment law expertise developed across private practice, the federal bench, and recognized national leadership in discovery and electronically stored information. Her unique ability to meet parties where they are, listen beyond the brief, and maintain a cooperative relationship with all litigants results in resolutions that never feel forced, but rather the result of collaboration.

In 2018, Judge Audero was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where she presided over a wide range of civil matters with her characteristic helpfulness and genuine respect for all parties. During her eight-year tenure, Judge Audero’s unflagging pursuit of the hidden drivers behind a dispute earned her a reputation for holding settlement conferences well into the early morning hours, and she is known to stay at the table as long as resolution remains within reach.

For Judge Audero, trust and preparation are the foundation of good settlements. She arrives knowing the record and case details thoroughly, so that everyone’s time will be spent on resolution, not case education. Judge Audero reads parties carefully and takes pride in providing ample time for litigants to share their story, a practice she holds is often the key to unlocking durable solutions. She believes that when trust is built early and equally, parties can more quickly work together towards settlement.

Before her appointment to the federal bench, Judge Audero expanded her career in employment law at Paul Hastings, a leading global firm, where she became partner in 2011 and went on to co-chair the firm’s Los Angeles employment law department. Her practice spanned the full range of federal and state employment disputes, including complex state and federal wage-and-hour nationwide class, collective, and representative actions, multi-district litigation, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, pay equity cases, EEO pattern and practice claims, leave and disability laws, and single-plaintiff matters. Her litigation work at Paul Hastings also established her as a thought leader in discovery and electronically stored information, an expertise that continues to distinguish her in complex employment and wage-and-hour matters.

Early in her career and at Paul Hastings, Judge Audero represented large and small institutions on the defense side while developing, through years of mediation and coordinated work with plaintiff-side counsel, a substantive understanding of how individuals experience conflict. As a mediator and arbitrator, Judge Audero blends that perspective with her deep employment law expertise and judicial experience, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a case to move parties beyond posturing toward honest conversation and real resolution.