The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will welcome Orange County Private Investigator Kathie Allen as our guest speaker at our April Networking Breakfast. The event will be held Tuesday, April 14th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m.
Kathie Allen is the Founder and Principal Investigator of Allen Morris Investigations LLC, a licensed California private investigation firm based in Orange County. Her program that she will present is called “Responding to Harassment and Discrimination Complaints: Critical Steps for Business Owners.”
Kathie recognizes that most business owners are not prepared when a harassment, discrimination, or misconduct complaint lands on their desk. Yet the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours are often the most critical. How leaders respond during this window can reduce liability, protect employees, and prevent small issues from becoming costly legal disputes.
In the time we have at our breakfast program, Kathie will share a presentation that offers a practical, structured guide to handling workplace complaints with clarity and confidence. Attendees will learn how to recognize protected complaints, determine when an investigation is required, preserve evidence, avoid common mistakes that create liability, and decide when to involve HR, counsel, or an outside investigator. The session also covers early warning signs, documentation essentials, neutrality expectations, and the importance of trauma-informed communication during initial reports.
Kathie hopes to demystify the investigation process for business professionals, as well as provide a few actionable steps for responding to allegations long before attorneys become involved. Participants will leave with a clear framework they can apply immediately to ensure fairness, compliance, and organizational integrity.
Kathie Allen brings more than twenty years of experience in investigations, employee relations, compliance, and administrative review work. A California licensed Private Investigator, Certified Title IX Investigator, and Certified Mediator, Kathie conducts impartial investigations for employers, public agencies, educational institutions, and law firms throughout California. Her work includes harassment, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, leadership, and student misconduct matters. She applies a neutral, trauma-informed, and evidence-based approach to produce clear and defensible findings that support informed decision-making.
Each Chamber breakfast attendee will also have an opportunity to stand to introduce themselves and share a little about their business before the program begins.
Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online. Cost of the breakfast is $25.00. Attendees are encouraged to bring a door prize to help promote their product or service. The program will include time for live networking, self-introductions, a breakfast buffet, as well as our guest speaker.
The Chamber networking breakfasts, which are open to the public, are held on the second Tuesday of every month. Space at these events is limited. To assure your seat, pre-register on the chamber website at https://www.cypresschamber.org/events/details/2026-april-networking-breakfast-2782