Daijogo & Pedersen, LLP specializes in employment law counseling and strategic advice for employers. Kristin Pedersen and Maki Daijogo have practiced management-side employment law for 18 and 19 years, respectively. Both partners developed their practices at large, national law firms. They founded Daijogo & Pedersen with the goal of providing their high level of expertise and responsive personal service with the efficiencies and cost savings of a small firm practice. Their clients include local, national, and international businesses.

Maki Daijogo, Partner

Ms. Daijogo has been practicing labor and employment law exclusively since 1993. She focuses on counseling and advising employers on workplace issues such as family and medical leaves, wage and hour law compliance, affirmative action compliance, workplace violence, reasonable accommodation, unfair competition, and reductions in work force. Prior to devoting her practice solely to counseling, Ms. Daijogo litigated employment actions in both state and federal court, defending employers against charges of sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, invasion of privacy, and unfair competition. While her objective is to help clients avoid litigation, when claims do arise, she is skilled at negotiating and resolving disputes. Ms. Daijogo regularly represents employers in administrative actions before the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Labor Commissioner, the Employment Development Department, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She guides employers through facility closures and layoffs, government audits (EDD, DOL, and OFCCP), and all varieties of thorny employment situations.

Active in the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP), Ms. Daijogo serves on CMCP's Board of Directors and chairs the Personnel Committee. She co-chaired CMCP's 2006 Business Conference sub-committee and its Recruiting sub-committee. In addition, Ms. Daijogo is a member of the Marin County Bar Association's Diversity and Labor and Employment sections and the State Bar of California's Labor and Employment Law section.

Ms. Daijogo received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1993, where she served as the Managing Director of the Moot Court Board. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated in the top ten percent of her class in 1989.

Kristin Pedersen, Partner

Practicing labor and employment law since 1994, Ms. Pedersen now provides strategic advice and counseling to employers on subjects within the full range of employment law. Areas of Ms. Pedersen’s practice include: discrimination; harassment; wage and hour issues; trade secret, unfair competition and employee raiding issues; leaves of absence; classification of workers; employment policies; employment-related agreements; and reductions in force.

Ms. Pedersen also assists clients with dispute resolution prior to litigation and defends employers against administrative charges and claims. She regularly represents employers in administrative actions before the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Labor Commissioner, the Employment Development Department, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She also counsels employers through issues involving the WARN Act and government audits.

Before focusing her practice solely on providing advice and counseling to employers, Ms. Pedersen defended employers in litigation disputes, including claims related to sexual harassment, wage and hour, disability discrimination, proprietary information and wrongful termination.

Ms. Pedersen received her J.D. in 1994 from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, where she was elected to Order of the Coif and the Thurston Society and served on the Moot Court Board. Before that, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction, as an Echols Scholar from the University of Virginia in 1991.

Julie Martel, Associate

Ms. Martel began practicing law in 1996 as a litigator with an emphasis on employment discrimination cases.  She is licensed to practice law in both California and Oregon.  Ms. Martel has advised and represented employers in both state and federal court on claims of harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair competition, and wage and hour issues.

Currently, Ms. Martel focuses on counseling and advising employers on workplace issues, including: family and medical leaves, wage and hour law compliance, reasonable accommodation, classification of workers, employment policies, and prevailing wage requirements.  She assists clients with dispute resolution prior to litigation and regularly defends employers against administrative charges and claims before the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She also frequently conducts workplace investigations of employee complaints of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Martel clerked for the Honorable Otto R. Skopil, Jr., of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Later, she was a staff attorney in the Circuit Executive’s Office of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Martel received her J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1995, where she was elected to Order of the Coif and served as Managing Editor of the Oregon Law Review.  Before that, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1989.

Benjamin Croft, Associate

Mr. Benjamin Croft has been practicing labor and employment law since 2009. He focuses on counseling and advising clients on workplace issues, including: leaves of absence; wage and hour law compliance; employment policies; employment-related agreements; employment applications; and background check law compliance.

Prior to working for Daijogo & Pedersen, LLP, Mr. Croft gained extensive business and management experience through his employment with The Princeton Review. Mr. Croft began his career with The Princeton Review in 2002 as the Director of Marketing of the Atlanta office. In 2004 he became the Executive Director of the Atlanta office. Finally, as Regional Vice President, Mr. Croft managed business and operations in offices located in Arizona, California and Washington.

Mr. Croft received his JD from Emory University’s School of Law in 2001. Before that, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University in 1994.