Labor & Employment

Rogers Joseph O’Donnell’s Labor and Employment Law practice group is comprised of experienced labor and employment attorneys with extensive experience representing and advising businesses, government contractors, and public entity employers.

The depth and breadth of our employment law experience allows us to offer the same quality of representation usually expected from much larger law firms, while our relatively small size enables us to maintain highly competitive rates and a more direct and personal relationship with our clients.

Our labor and employment practice encompasses counseling, and defending employers against single and multiple plaintiff litigation, class and collective actions, and PAGA actions. While we believe that early case evaluation and mediation are often advantageous ways to minimize the costs and disruption of protracted litigation, we are also skilled, trial-ready attorneys with a winning record in court, administrative hearings and arbitration.

In addition to assisting clients in minimizing the risk of litigation, we provide advice and compliance assistance to in-house counsel, human resources professionals, business owners and government contractors on virtually every aspect of employer-employee relations, from drafting effective human resource policies and affirmative action plans, to investigations of harassment, discrimination and federal and state procurement law violations, to auditing employment practices for compliance with increasingly complicated wage and hour laws under state and federal laws and regulations, including OFFCP regulations, the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, the Davis Bacon Act and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

The attorneys in our Labor and Employment practice group have handled a wide variety of matters across various industries:

Litigation, Trials & ADR:
- Representation of employers in connection with claims of employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, whistleblower retaliation, misclassification of employees and independent contractors, non-compete agreements, unfair labor practices, RICO violations, and breach of employment contract.
- Defense of complex actions filed by multiple plaintiffs and putative class and collective actions.
- Representation of employers in administrative proceedings before federal, state and local labor and employment agencies.
- Union grievances and arbitrations for alleged violations of collective bargaining agreements.
Advice & Counseling:
- Strategic handling and compliance with workplace disability laws including federal, state and local laws governing disability discrimination, reasonable accommodation, interactive process, protected leaves of absence, medical and genetic information, return to work issues, drug testing, and fitness for duty evaluations.
- Wage and hour law compliance, including compliance with laws and regulations governing overtime, meal and rest periods, travel time, vacation time, payment of wages, prevailing wage, and use of independent contractors.
- Compliance with federal and state law in connection with reductions in force and closing of worksites.
- Protection of company confidential information including advice on employee non-disclosure, non-solicitation and non-compete agreements.
- Review and drafting of employee handbooks, policy and procedures manuals, employment and independent contractor agreements, employment arbitration agreements, severance agreements.
- Compliance with laws governing safety-sensitive positions including Department of Transportation regulations.
- Best practices for avoiding risk in terminations.
Workplace Training and Presentations:
- Compliance training for supervisors and managers under AB1822 for the prevention of sexual harassment.
- Disability management training including return to work and reasonable accommodation issues for industrial (workers’ compensation) and non-industrial injuries.
- Employer rights and obligations under the ADA/FEHA, and FMLA/CFRA.
- Wage and hour compliance.
- Conducting effective workplace investigations.
- Minimizing the risk of terminations.

Representative Industries

Retail
Hospitality/Restaurants
Transportation and Engineering
Construction
Healthcare
Insurance and Finance
Government Contractors
Public Entities
Education
Wineries
Non-profit Institutions
EPLI and Third Party Claims Administrators

Representative Cases and Issues

Summary judgment on behalf of a large newspaper based on claims of disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation and failure to engage in the interactive process
Successful resolution of a wage and hour class action with approximately 500 class members alleging missed meal breaks, off-the-clock work and unpaid travel time
Defense verdict (jury) on behalf of state agency after a two-week jury trial involving claims of race discrimination, harassment and retaliation
Defense verdict for national grocer following a four week State Court jury trial on retaliation claim for termination after reporting sexual harassment
Counseling and defense of a large Bay Area public entity in age, race, and sex discrimination lawsuits
Defense verdict on behalf of employer and individual employee after two-week federal court trial on race discrimination and harassment claim
Dismissal of race discrimination class action against national employer and defense verdict in state court jury trial of lead plaintiff on individual claims of race discrimination
Defense verdict in a challenge to access to a private golf course based upon gender and age discrimination under the Unruh Act, California Civil Code § 51 et seq.
Defense verdict in federal court action involving whistle-blowing claims by a public employee alleging violations of Labor Code § 1102.5, Civil Rights under U.S.C. § 1983, and False Claims Act, Govt. Code § 12650 -12655
Representation of a large defense contractor in lengthy jury trial involving allegations of retaliation for whistle-blowing
Defense of a Fortune 500 corporation in a wrongful termination and age discrimination suit brought by 27 former employees
Negotiation of severance packages for management employees terminated or laid off due to reductions in force
Successful negotiation of public sector Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) with respect to severance packages, furloughs, reductions in retirement and health benefits packages
Representation of public agencies and public employees regarding benefits under the California Public Employees Retirement System (Cal.PERS)
Representation of public entities in unfair labor practices and unit representation matter before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
Summary judgment defense of a large retailer in a wrongful termination and age discrimination case involving a management employee of 28 years
Representation of national employers in statistical class-action discrimination cases
Dismissal of ADA knee injury claim brought in federal court by union employee
Successful defense of an age and race discrimination case brought by a long-term employee against a large employer
Successful defense of two cases involving claims by female police officers of sexual harassment and hostile work environment based upon summary judgment of claims
Negotiation and favorable resolution of a sexual harassment and sex discrimination case brought by a female employee against her supervisor and employer
Investigation and resolution of sexual harassment charges brought by an employee of a professional partnership
Numerous investigations of employee misconduct, including harassment and other misconduct rule violations
Successful resolution through investigation of employee claims alleging discrimination, harassment, and/or hostile work environment
Negotiation and settlement of age discrimination charges by a former account executive for a national medical products manufacturer
Successful defense of ADA lifting restriction case brought by unionized employee against large employer
Advice to an out-of-state corporation regarding restrictions in employment contracts on competition and use of trade secrets
Advice to a corporate employer regarding defense and indemnity of supervisory employees accused of wrongful conduct and the extent of “course and scope of employment” analysis
Negotiation of separation and consulting agreement for a senior officer in a high technology company involving non-competition and non-solicitation issues
Summary judgment defense of an employer in a constructive wrongful discharge, sex discrimination, assault, and sexual harassment case brought by a female employee against her supervisor and employer
Successful defense of one of the largest privately held engineering companies in jury trial of sexual harassment claim