From small business to public companies, to municipalities and more, our clients rely on the broad experience of our lawyers to resolve complex and challenging workplace disputes. In one matter, we were brought in a mere six weeks before a scheduled trial date to defend a public utility client against claims of disability discrimination and failure to reasonably accommodate an employee who sought more than $1 million in damages. After a three-week jury trial, the court granted a rare nonsuit motion in favor of our client, dismissing plaintiff’s entire case.
Employment Litigation
Our employment lawyers have helped clients resolve wage and hour class action litigation, accommodation and leave issues, trade secret, employee loyalty issues, and claims stemming from internal grievances, discipline issues and failure to promote. We have defended lawsuits alleging race, gender, disability, and age discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, whistleblower claims, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, breach of contract, and tort claims that include defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. We regularly obtain temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions to stop former employees from misappropriating confidential customer information and other trade secrets belonging to their previous employers.
And we have litigated before all the major state and federal administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing, the California Employment Development Department, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.
Prevention and Compliance
In addition, our employment attorneys regularly work with clients to manage and avoid risks before they arise. We counsel employers regarding terminations, mass layoffs, and plant closings, disciplinary matters, harassment and discrimination complaints, and legal compliance with the many federal, state, and local laws and regulations which affect the employment relationship. We draft employment agreements, complex compensation plans, severance agreements, employee handbooks, and other employment policies. To ensure the proper implementation of these strategies, we conduct management training sessions, provide ongoing guidance on best practices and conducting effective workplace investigations, and the like.
Cultural Competency
Notably, our diverse team of lawyers has a deep appreciation for cultural competence issues in the workplace, often the true genesis of employment law claims. We believe that the different perspectives of our attorneys help our clients better understand the motivation behind any particular claim, and give them the perspective and insight to develop solutions to the issue at hand while modifying practices and procedures to prevent similar issues from recurring.
Representative work includes:
Our Employment practice includes: