Employment Litigation
Representing clients in both California and federal courts as well as before California and federal administrative agencies, such as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, California Labor Commissioner, California Workers Compensation Appeals Board (serious/willful claims & 132a claims), U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor (DOL), National Labor Relations Board, Public Employment Relations Board, Agricultural Labor Relations Board, and Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) Appeals Board.
Areas of employment litigation include employee termination and other disciplinary actions, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, California Private Attorneys General Act claims, employee safety, union representation proceedings, unfair labor practice charges, trade secret and unfair competition litigation, labor negotiations, grievance proceedings, whistle-blower claims and employment-related mediation and arbitration.
Labor and Employment Law Consultation
Providing advice on legal compliance issues, including wage and hour compliance (such as overtime, meal and rest periods, exemption issues, and record keeping), ADA interactive process/reasonable accommodations, leave of absence issues, workplace investigations, harassment/discrimination complaints, severance agreements, management training sessions, employment contracts, safety issues, applications and background check issues, employee benefits, trade secrets and confidential information, reductions in force, employee privacy rights, and disciplinary issues.
Up-to-date Employee Handbooks with important policies such as family and medical leave, drug and alcohol testing, email/internet usage, social media, Americans with Disabilities Act, workplace violence, arbitration agreements, at-will policies, and anti-harassment policies.
Management Training/Seminars
The firm regularly provides in-house management training related to anti-harassment, employee leave issues, wage and hour compliance, and union avoidance. In addition, the firm has been speakers on numerous occasions for industry groups and professional organizations, including human resource associations, on labor and employment law.
The firm also conducts webinars on California labor and employment law issues during which participants may submit and receive responses to their questions.
Mediation Services
Using mediation can resolve a number of employment litigation disputes in a cost effective manner. As experienced litigators and advisors in employment law, the firm is well qualified to serve as a mediator in employment law cases.
Workplace Investigations
Workplace investigations, often related to employee claims of harassment, discrimination or retaliation, are both conducted and overseen by our firm. Based on the circumstances, we can conduct the investigation ourselves, advise our client on carrying out its own investigation, or supervise the use of an outside investigator.
Charter School Law
The firm represents school districts in all aspects of Charter School Law, including advising authorizing school districts on managing all obligations relating to charter schools, such as charter petition review, granting and/or denying charter school petitions, charter school facilities requests, oversight of charter schools, renewal and/or nonrenewal of charters, and revocation of charter schools.