Top Investigations Law Firm Opens Los Angeles Office

Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation, the thought-leader in workplace investigations, opens a Los Angeles office as part of the long-term strategy to grow in California and nationally.  Daphne Pierre Bishop, a trusted expert in the area of employment law and workplace investigations, joins VM as Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office.

Bishop, who has been practicing employment law since 2001, said, “When I transitioned my practice from employment litigation to neutral investigations, I looked to VM as a model of what I wanted to do. I am so excited to join the team and bring my investigations practice to VM.”

“We are thrilled that Daphne agreed to join VM to lead our Los Angeles presence. She has an excellent and long-standing reputation in the workplace investigation space and embodies VM’s values,” said Eli Makus, the Managing Partner of Van Dermyden Makus. “We couldn’t be happier to have her on the team.”

Since 2001, Daphne has advised small to Fortune 500 companies in various industries on how to comply with the law, and defended employers against the gamut of employment-related claims ranging from single-plaintiff discrimination cases to wage-and-hour class actions.

Combining her litigation and counseling experience, Daphne’s practice now focuses on conducting and supervising workplace investigations as a neutral third party. Daphne’s clients trust her to investigate high-profile and complex workplace matters, including #MeToo complaints, race discrimination allegations, and toxic workplace claims.

Over the past decade, VM Law, which has offices in Sacramento, the Bay Area, and San Diego, has grown rapidly each year since its founding, identifying early opportunities in employment law such as the demand for neutral investigations and specific Title IX expertise.

Sue Ann Van Dermyden and Eli Makus have extensive experience conducting and overseeing complex investigations. They have also demonstrated a deep commitment to the growth and development of the industry. They play significant roles in the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI), the leading international association devoted to enhancing and promoting the quality of impartial workplace investigations. Sue Ann is a former founding member and past President. Eli is the current President. Both are active Senior Faculty in AWI’s week-long Training Institute. Sue Ann also created McGeorge School of Law’s first Workplace Investigations class and has acted as adjunct professor since 2021.

In addition to developing its newly established presence in Los Angeles, VM Law is exploring expansion opportunities in other states, and expanding T9 Mastered, a parallel training company focused on educating Title IX sexual assault investigators, for which Sue Ann Van Dermyden and Eli Makus are partners.

Workplace investigations developed into a robust industry, which the Firm leads, because legislatures and courts recognized employers have a duty to understand, and act upon, complaints of employee mistreatment. In turn, employers came to recognize the benefit of conducting thorough, unbiased investigations early in an employment dispute so they can make better decisions to protect their employees and their businesses. Through this work, employees have a fair, neutral forum in which to raise and address their concerns.