Payroll · Workforce Management · Compliance

Where Payroll Expertise Meets Legal Precision

With 25+ years of enterprise HCM experience, a Certified Payroll Professional designation, and a Master of Legal Studies with a concentration in Regulatory Compliance from Washington University School of Law, Catherine Lee Reinert provides authoritative expert witness testimony and strategic consulting that attorneys and organizations trust.

CPP — PayrollOrg MLS — Wash U St. Louis ABA Member California Based Available Nationwide
Expert Witness Services Schedule a Consultation
Catherine Lee Reinert, CPP, MLS — Expert Witness
25+
Years Experience
CPP
Certified Since 2007
MLS
Regulatory Compliance
4
Major HCM Platforms
⚖️ Expert Witness — Federal & State Courts
📋 Wage & Hour · FMLA · PAGA · FLSA
💼 Enterprise HCM · Payroll · Time & Attendance · Scheduling
📍 Yorba Linda, CA · Available Nationwide
About Catherine

A Rare Combination of
Operational Depth & Legal Knowledge

Catherine Lee Reinert is a nationally recognized expert in payroll operations, workforce management, human capital management, and regulatory compliance. With over 25 years of enterprise-level experience, she has advised organizations across every major industry on payroll processing, wage and hour compliance, leave of absence administration, time and attendance systems, scheduling, and large-scale HCM transformations.

What sets Catherine apart is a credential combination that is exceptionally rare in the expert witness field: the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) designation — the gold standard in the payroll industry — combined with a Master of Legal Studies with a concentration in Regulatory Compliance from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.

Her career spans both sides of the payroll and HCM world — as a practitioner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Canada) and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and as a senior solution consultant across major enterprise HCM platforms. This dual perspective gives her a uniquely complete understanding of payroll operations, compliance requirements, and the real-world challenges organizations face.

Her background includes payroll experience in both the United States and Canada, giving her valuable insight into cross-border workforce and compliance matters.

📍 Based in Yorba Linda, California — deeply familiar with California Labor Code, PAGA claims, and California-specific wage and hour law. Available for engagements nationwide.
Payroll Processing
Wage & Hour Law
FMLA / CFRA / ADA
Time & Attendance
HCM Technology
Global Payroll
Worker Classification
PAGA Claims
Catherine Lee Reinert

Catherine Lee Reinert

CPP · MLS · Expert Witness

Credentials & Qualifications

Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) PayrollOrg · Certified Since 2007
PayrollOrg — Member Payroll Organization
Master of Legal Studies — Regulatory Compliance Washington University in St. Louis School of Law · 2022
American Bar Association (ABA) — Member Labor & Employment Law
Bachelor of Arts — Sociology University of Toronto · 1994
Expert Witness Services

Authoritative Testimony
Attorneys Can Rely On

With a CPP certification, an MLS in Regulatory Compliance, and 25+ years of hands-on enterprise experience across every major HCM platform, Catherine provides expert opinions that are technically precise, legally grounded, and credible under cross-examination.

Catherine is available to serve as a testifying or non-testifying expert in federal and state court proceedings, arbitration, and mediation. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of payroll, workforce management, and regulatory compliance disputes.

As a California-based expert, she has deep familiarity with the California Labor Code, PAGA, CFRA, and the complex state-specific wage and hour regulations that drive some of the largest employment class actions in the country.

Types of Cases

Areas of Expert Opinion

Wage & Hour Disputes

Unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, meal and rest period violations under federal FLSA and California Labor Code.

FMLA / CFRA / ADA Leave Violations

Wrongful denial or termination related to leave of absence, disability accommodation, and intermittent leave administration.

HCM Technology Failures

Payroll system implementation errors, data integrity issues, vendor misrepresentation, and standard of care disputes.

California PAGA Claims

Class actions involving systemic payroll and scheduling violations under California's Private Attorneys General Act.

Worker Misclassification

Employee vs. independent contractor determinations, exempt vs. non-exempt classification, and overtime eligibility disputes.

DOL & IRS Audit Defense

Expert opinion on whether employer payroll and HR practices met the applicable standard of care and regulatory requirements.

Service Rate Notes
Initial Case Review $300 – $400/hr Retainer required
Expert Report / Declaration $300 – $400/hr Written opinion
Deposition Testimony $400 – $500/hr 2-hour minimum
Trial Testimony $500 – $600/hr Plus travel expenses
Retainer to Reserve $2,500 – $5,000 Applied to fees
Why Catherine

A Profile That Is Genuinely Rare

CPP
Gold Standard Certification
The highest professional credential in the payroll industry, held since 2007
MLS
Legal Training
Regulatory Compliance concentration from Washington University School of Law
25+
Years Experience
Both as a payroll practitioner and as a senior enterprise HCM consultant
16+
Industry Verticals
Deep expertise across major enterprise HCM platforms serving clients in every major industry
Consulting Services

Strategic Guidance for
Complex Workforce Challenges

Beyond expert witness work, CLR Payroll & Compliance Consulting provides strategic advisory services to enterprise organizations navigating payroll compliance, HCM technology decisions, and workforce management challenges.

⚖️

Payroll Compliance Advisory

Assess and remediate payroll practices against federal and state requirements. Multi-state and California-specific compliance guidance.

🏢

HCM Technology Selection

Independent evaluation and selection guidance for payroll, time & attendance, and workforce management platforms. Vendor-neutral expertise.

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Global HCM Transformation

Strategic advisory for enterprise organizations undergoing global HCM implementations encompassing payroll, time, scheduling, and benefits.

📋

Leave of Absence Strategy

FMLA, CFRA, ADA, and state leave program design, policy review, and compliance assessment for enterprise organizations.

⏰

Time & Scheduling Compliance

Evaluate time tracking and scheduling systems and practices against wage and hour requirements. Implementation standard of care review.

🔍

Payroll Audit & Risk Assessment

Pre-litigation payroll audits, compliance risk assessments, and remediation planning for organizations seeking to reduce legal exposure.

Contact

Retain Catherine for
Your Next Matter

Let's Discuss Your Case

Whether you are an attorney seeking an expert witness for an employment matter or an organization in need of strategic payroll and compliance guidance, Catherine is available for initial consultations.

📍
Location Yorba Linda, California · Available Nationwide
⚖️
Available For Federal & State Courts · Arbitration · Mediation
📧
Email catherine@clrpayrollcompliance.com
🏢
Business CLR Payroll & Compliance Consulting LLC

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