With over 19 years of experience in class action and mass litigation, Molly DeSario, Esq., is a Partner at Wilshire Law Firm. Molly has spent the past 16 years dedicated exclusively to advocating for California employees and consumers. Her expertise encompasses wage and hour actions and consumer protection cases. Molly also has significant experience in product liability, professional negligence, medical malpractice, insurance coverage, criminal defense, personal injury, civil rights, and family law.
Molly has been practicing law for 22 years. She earned her BA in Marketing and International Business from the Carl H. Lindner School of Business at the University of Cincinnati, OH, through a full-tuition scholarship. Graduating cum laude in an accelerated three-year program, she also completed the European Union summer studies program at Ecole Superieure de Nantes Atlantique in Nantes, France and She volunteered at the Kenya Voluntary Development Center in Kaikor, Kenya, before pursuing her legal studies. Molly received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, MA, where she served as a teaching assistant for the first-year legal research and writing course. During law school, she completed internships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, DC, State Street Bank in Boston, and Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis in Washington, DC.
Throughout her legal career, Molly has obtained over $500 million for California workers and consumers through complex litigation, including class actions, MDLs, and PAGA claims. Her work has helped shape law in California, Maryland and Washington D.C. and has allowed Molly to develop solid and lasting relationships with colleagues, judges, mediators, and attorneys on both sides of the bar.
Her professional affiliations include donating pro bono hours to non-profit organizations such as the Whitman-Walker Legal Clinic, ABA Coalition for Justice, Alameda Point Collaborative, National Association of Women Judges Storybook Project, and the ACLU. Molly is also a member of CELA, Queens’ Bench, and the San Francisco, Alameda, and Montgomery County (M.D.) bar associations. Molly’s professional philosophy centers on fiercely standing up for her clients, impeccable ethics, and long-term vision. “Her dedication to social justice and bridging gaps through civil discourse inspired her to become an attorney. A colleague describes Molly as “a fearless advocate, outstanding writer, and natural leader who combines strategic vision with impeccable attention to detail.” Her favorite quote is;
“Don’t raise your voice. Improve your argument.” – Desmond Tutu.
Outside of her legal work, Molly enjoys painting, Pilates, and volunteering with local organizations like the Alameda Food Bank, APC Teen Center, and SF AIDS Foundation. Most of all, she cherishes time spent with her friends, family, and three children.