Briana has experience performing various independent investigations involving employee conduct, claims of harassment and other human resource-related concerns. She has assisted in defending employers against claims of employment discrimination at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and in Massachusetts Federal Court. Additionally, Briana has facilitated training programs for employer clients on preventing unlawful harassment in the workplace.
Prior to joining Litchfield Cavo LLP, Briana was an associate attorney in western Massachusetts and handled employment and litigation matters. While developing her practice, she honed her skills in legal research, discovery, drafting motions, conducting independent investigations and creating investigatory reports. Briana has also drafted and edited employee handbooks to ensure compliance with state, federal and local employment laws. Additionally, she has drafted and revised employment contracts including employment offers, separation of employment and settlement agreements.
Briana began to pursue her interest in the law while earning her bachelor’s degree, first as an intern at the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities where she learned to review employment discrimination claims and conduct mediations. Later, she interned at the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Solicitor where she was tasked with performing background checks and legal research, as well as reviewing case files for attorneys in preparation for trial, among other administrative duties.
In addition to her current legal practice, Briana serves on the board of directors for Tech Foundry Inc., a nonprofit organization in western Massachusetts that provides services to support qualified technology-experienced workforce.
Practices
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of employer client in case involving several claims of discrimination, as well as retaliation; the court found that Plaintiff failed to meet the requisite burden of proof on all claims.
Education
- Western New England University School of Law, JD, 2022
- Student Bar Association, Vice President
- Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association, Student Representative
- Middle School Mock Trial Coach, Discovering Justice, Pro bono
- Curry College, BA, Criminal Justice, 2018, summa cum laude
- Spanish Minor
- Bias Incident Response Team, Member
- New Era Award, Recipient
- Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Gerhard O. W. Mueller and Freda Alder Undergraduate Student Scholarship Award, Recipient
- Spanish Minor
Admissions
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- United States District Court: District of Massachusetts
Affiliations
Professional Memberships
- Tech Foundry Inc., Board of Directors
Languages
- English
Presentations/Publications
- Author, “What Employers and Schools Should Know About the CROWN Act,” BusinessWest (November 2022)