SUMMARY
Ms. Chmura is a trial attorney at the firm’s Orange County office. Ms. Chmura’s practice primarily focuses on public entity liability, labor and employment, professional liability, general casualty litigation, general business litigation, and trial. Ms. Chmura’s practice includes competent representation of fire departments, counties, cities, sheriffs, police officers, and other public employees, as well as architects, engineers, homeowners associations and board members, and legal professionals.
As part of her practice, Ms. Chmura has vigorously defended clients in matters involving wage and hour claims, under harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act and/or Labor Codes, wrongful termination, whistleblower claims, civil rights violations, wrongful imprisonment, Monell claims, personal injury, breach of contract, negligence, fraud, malpractice, dangerous conditions, general tort litigation, wrongful imprisonment, excessive force, false arrest/warrantless detentions, prosecutorial and police misconduct, fabricated evidence/judicial deception, malicious prosecution, deliberate indifference to medical needs, etc. However, this is not an exhaustive list of Ms. Chmura’s experience, and she is able to aggressively tackle any area of law faced by public entities and/or their employees, and her private clients.
In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Chmura also advises and consults with governmental agencies on issues of risk management in the context of employment practices. Ms. Chmura is also a lecturer on matters related to public entity liability and employment practices.
Ms. Chmura was also recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star by Super Lawyers for 2025. This recognition reflects Ms. Chmura’s dedication to providing outstanding legal representation and her commitment to the legal community, representing no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the state.
Ms. Chmura received her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, California where she was a Trial and Appellate Practice Fellow and a staff editor for the Whittier Law Review. Ms. Chmura completed her undergraduate studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
EXPERIENCE
Unanimous Defense Verdict in County Disability Discrimination; Failure to Accommodate; Whistleblower Retaliation Trial (11 day jury trial): Ms. Chmura represented a large Southern California County in case by an employee involving disability discrimination; failure to accommodate; failure to engage in the good faith interactive process; retaliation; and whistleblower retaliation. The plaintiff asked for $2 million dollars in emotional distress damages and $106,000 in loss of earnings. The jury rendered a unanimous defense verdict in favor of the County and awarded the plaintiff $0.
County Fire Department Dismissed on Summary Judgment: Ms. Chmura represented a county Fire Department in a suit involving an alleged unconstitutional inspection of a commercial unit. The plaintiff alleged that the inspection was unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. Through Ms. Chmura’s aggressive and persuasive arguments, she successfully obtained dismissal of the county on summary judgment.
Negotiated Favorable Settlement for Fire Department: Ms. Chmura represented a fire agency in an employment case involving sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Ms. Chmura was able to negotiate a favorable settlement for the fire department which was less than one-fourth of the plaintiff’s original demand.
County and Current Judge Dismissed With Prejudice: Ms. Chmura represented a large California county and a current Superior Court Judge in a suit where the plaintiff, who was formerly convicted of murder and through numerous appeals the conviction was reduced to involuntary manslaughter, sued the county and judge (a former prosecutor who filed the case against the plaintiff) for alleged wrongful imprisonment on the basis of improper disclosure of Brady evidence, tampering with and fabricating evidence, and Monell liability. Through an early Motion to Dismiss, Ms. Chmura successfully argued that the county and judge did not have liability on the basis of absolute prosecutorial immunity and because the county lacked any sort of vicarious liability over Brady violations as it is not the ultimate policymaker for Brady for county prosecutors. Both the county and the Judge were both dismissed with prejudice and leave to amend the complaint was denied.
Attorney Dismissed Entirely on Summary Judgment in Legal Malpractice Action: Ms. Chmura represented an estate planning attorney involved in a legal malpractice action wherein the plaintiff alleged that the attorney improperly drafted an amendment to her mother’s trust. By way of Ms. Chmura’s aggressive case management, and dynamic and energetic briefing and argument, on a Motion for Summary Judgment (“MSJ”) she was able to get her client dismissed in full by arguing that plaintiff’s claim was barred by the one-year statute of limitations. Ms. Chmura’s client was dismissed and awarded costs for prevailing on the MSJ.
Architect Dismissed from Multi-Million Dollar, Multi-Party Litigation through an Anti-SLAPP Motion and awarded Fees and Costs: Ms. Chmura defended her client, an architect, in a large, multi-million dollar, multi-party litigation for their work on a public project with the County of Riverside. Many defendants in this matter filed Anti-SLAPP motions and those motions were taken under submission for almost three weeks each. However, Ms. Chmura brought an Anti-SLAPP motion for her client and after oral argument the motion was granted and the order was signed on the spot. Her client was also awarded fees and costs in a separately noticed motion.
Negotiated Favorable Settlement for City: Ms. Chmura represented a city that was sued by an individual and her husband for tripping and falling on a City street whom allegedly suffered long term physical and emotional damages from the incident and her spouse suffered a loss of consortium. Ms. Chmura, through aggressive written discovery and depositions, was able to convince the plaintiffs to settle with her client for a minimal dollar amount which was less than 7% of the plaintiffs’ opening demand.
Negotiated Fast and Favorable Settlement for Global Design Consulting Firm: Ms. Chmura represented a global design consulting firm which brought suit against a construction and building company focused on multi-family and mixed-use communities for unpaid fees on several projects across California. Through aggressive negotiations and in only a few months, Ms. Chmura was able to convince the defendants to settle with her client quickly with almost their full demand.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
The State Bar of California
Orange County Bar Association
PUBLICATIONS/SEMINARS
- Victory “Going and Coming” (article about Newland v. County of Los Angeles)
- Independent Cities Risk Management Authority University – Seasonal Workforce, Best Practices
- Independent Cities Risk Management Authority – Dangerous Condition of Public Property (Inspection, Record Keeping, Maintenance)
- Supervisor Compliance / Sexual Harassment Trainings