Our Team
Debra Reilly
debra@wpinvestigations.com
Debra L. Reilly, Esq., MPS-HRER, SPHR, is the founder of Reilly Workplace Investigations. With over 35 years of experience as an employment law attorney, she has conducted more than 1,200 workplace investigations for both public and private sector employers across California and beyond. Her investigations cover harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, whistleblower complaints, and other workplace concerns. Ms. Reilly’s expertise spans municipalities, counties, water and sanitation districts, police and fire departments, public and private universities, community college districts, K-12 school districts, transportation authorities, the United States Postal Service, non-profits, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. Given her extensive background in public safety investigations, she is well-versed in the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act, Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act, and Lybarger/Garrity Admonitions.
Education
Ms. Reilly graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brigham Young University in 1984. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1989, where she served as an Editor for the San Diego Law Review and published an article. She holds a Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources and Employee Relations (with a concentration in Employment & Labor Law) from Pennsylvania State University.
Legal and Investigative Experience
Ms. Reilly began her legal career as an extern law clerk for Justice David R. Thompson of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before practicing employment law at Murtaugh Miller Meyer & Nelson LLP, where she became a partner representing employers in litigation and workplace investigations. She later served as a Research Attorney for U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns, where she worked on cases involving employment law, civil rights, and federal labor statutes.
Ms. Reilly then joined a Mission Viejo law firm as a partner for three years heading up the firm’s employment law department before eventually opening her own employment law practice in 2002. In Ms. Reilly’s representation of public entities, corporations, management, and employees, she has handled all facets of employment litigation, including trial work. She has handled numerous administrative proceedings before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Civil Rights Department, the California Labor Commission’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Employment Development Department, and the City of Santa Ana Personnel Board.
She has since dedicated her career to workplace investigations, conducting high-profile cases for public agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement, and private sector employers. She has handled investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and has experience investigating criminal misconduct in public-sector animal shelters, with her findings being cited by the Orange County Grand Jury.
In addition to her investigative work, Ms. Reilly has testified as an expert witness concerning “standard practices” in conducting internal investigations involving employee misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other employment law matters in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties.
Credentials and Certifications
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Human Resources Certification Institute
Certificate of Attendance from the AWI Training Institute
Title IX Civil Rights Investigator Certification
FBI-LEEDA Certified in Conducting & Managing Internal Affairs Investigations
FBI-LEEDA Supervisor Leadership Institute Graduate
Professional Leadership and Industry Contributions
Ms. Reilly is a founding Board Member of the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI), where she served for six years. She was also the Chair of AWI’s Publications Committee and Editor-in-Chief of The AWI Journal, publishing industry-leading articles on best practices in workplace investigations. She also served as the Vice-Chair of the Webinars/Seminars Committee of AWI and was a member of the Guiding Principles Committee of AWI. Ms. Reilly has written and presented extensively on employment law and workplace investigations, offering training and seminars on topics such as internal investigations, discrimination law, Title VII, ADA compliance, workplace misconduct, and reasonable accommodations. She was a full-time faculty member at the week-long AWI Training Institute in 2015.
Julia Reilly
julia@wpinvestigations.com
Julia Reilly, Esq., AWI-CH, SHRM-CP, is an experienced workplace investigator dedicated to conducting impartial and thorough investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, and other workplace concerns. She has conducted investigations for both public and private employers, applying her expertise in employment law, policy analysis, and credibility assessment to provide fair and legally sound findings.
Ms. Reilly earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law, cum laude, with a concentration in Employment and Labor Law. During law school, she externed for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), where she conducted cause reviews, assisted with investigations, and interviewed potential class members in discrimination cases. She also worked as an Employee Relations Specialist at a Fortune 500 company, handling workplace investigations and policy development. Additionally, she provided pro bono employment law assistance through the USD Law Workers' Rights Clinic, where she advised lower-income workers on issues such as workplace discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage disputes, and unemployment benefits. Ms. Reilly was a member of, and published in, the San Diego Law Review and served on the board of the Employment and Labor Law Society.
Ms. Reilly holds a certificate from the Association of Workplace Investigators Training Institute (AWI-CH), demonstrating her training in investigative planning, interviewing techniques, employment law, credibility analysis, and report writing. She is also a Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP), demonstrating her proficiency in employee relations, labor law, and workplace compliance.
In addition to her investigative work, she has published articles on workplace investigations and employment law topics, including gender pay equity and employment discrimination law. She remains actively engaged in continuing education and professional development through AWI, SHRM, and other employment law organizations.
Chloe Casciola
chloe@wpinvestigations.com
Chloe Casciola, Esq., has more than ten years of experience working in the public sector, giving her a depth of knowledge and expertise in law enforcement, local government agencies, California state agencies, and federal government agencies. Prior to joining Reilly Workplace Investigations, she served as a Police Officer with the San Diego Police Department for five years, where she worked in patrol and investigations. As an area station investigator, she submitted over 400 cases for prosecution to the District Attorney and City Attorney, presenting key evidence and testimony in court. Ms. Casciola also worked on the Cold Case Team in the San Diego Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit.
Ms. Casciola obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law. While attending USD, she was honored with the CALI Award for Academic Excellence for Administrative Law, in addition to receiving the Pro Bono Service Recognition Award. She gained legal experience while interning for the Chula Vista City Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Enforcement Division, and the California Office of the Attorney General.
As an undergraduate, Ms. Casciola attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Psychology. While obtaining her Bachelor’s degree, she worked as a Victim and Witness Advocate for the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office and as an Administrative Coordinator for the University Police Department.