Seyfarth Shaw LLP > Los Angeles (Downtown), > Firm Profile
Seyfarth Shaw LLP Offices
333 SOUTH HOPE STREET
SUITE 3900
LOS ANGELES , CA 90071-1406
CALIFORNIA
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Seyfarth Shaw LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
United States > Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 2
The ‘very efficient and effective’ team at Seyfarth Shaw LLP continues to be highly regarded for its experience in defeating class certification and for its successes in wage and hour cases. The team, headed by large-scale class actions and multi-plaintiff cases expert Laura Maechtlen in San Francisco, is able to draw on its national team to work on cases across the country, and is experienced in a variety of industries including healthcare, hospitality, energy, and retail. Camille Olson, valued by clients for her ‘incredible experience’ as a complex litigator, is based in Chicago and is a co-chair of the firm’s national complex litigation practice group. Also in Chicago is Noah Finkel, who has a particular specialism in representing clients in collective or class action matters, as well as advising and litigating on class action waivers in arbitration agreements. Sacramento-based Coby Turner is a key contact for compliance counseling. Gerald Maatman, Jr. left the firm in September 2022. Gary Friedman arrived from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in February 2024.Practice head(s):
Laura Maechtlen
Other key lawyers:
Ray Baldwin; Chrissie Constantino; Lynn Kappelman; Ariel Cudkowicz; Camille Olson; Robert Stevens; Ben Briggs; Annette Idalski; Linda Schoonmaker; Noah Finkel; Coby Turner; Gary Friedman
Testimonials
‘I worked with Ray Baldwin and Chrissie Constantino. Under Ray’s leadership, they were a very efficient and effective team in responding to a Fair Labor Standards Act class action complaint.’
‘Lynn Kappelman & Ariel Cudkowicz – great partners and collaborators who are super responsive and help me find the best solution to thorny problems. Emily Miller – super associate who takes great care and attention to detail to managing our matters.’
‘Camille Olson is the best attorney I have ever worked with. I appreciate her incredible experience, but I also value her wisdom and the common sense advice she provides when I ask.’
‘Bob Stevens – amazing relationship manager who learns our business and is able to provide thoughtful counsel that matches our business goals.’
‘I thoroughly trust Ben Briggs, my primary contact. Then when I have an issue in any part of the country, Ben often brings on someone with expertise in actually talking to the people on the other side of the matter that are just as trustworthy and capable. The team listens to my goals in each, individual matter and go after them from what I really think is a place developed from my point of view. All this while Ben maintains contact and continues to learn about and support my overall strategy for the types of matters we work on across the country.’
‘Team leader Annette Idalski is a very experienced and serious litigator and advocates hard for her clients. She is always professional, and knows the law.’
‘The tight attention to and capability around ensuring subject matter expertise and practical guidance, with both legal and project management capabilities designed to both advise, but also assist with practical solutions, whether investigations, audits, training, or litigation support.’
‘Linda Schoonmaker knows our business, is very efficient, and seeks practical resolutions of disputes.’
Key clients
Allstate Insurance Company
Hyatt
Delta Airlines
Nike, Inc.
Prudential Insurance Company of America
Tesla
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
US Foods, Inc.
The Walgreen Company
Wells Fargo Bank
Work highlights
- Successfully defeated a motion for preliminary injunction brought by eight named plaintiffs on behalf of approximately 230 employees, challenging the denial of their exemptions from a health care system’s vaccine mandate.
- Successfully represented an international hotel company in a wage and hour lawsuit involving the issue of whether or not the client was required to immediately pay accrued vacation and paid time off wages to its employees when they were furloughed at the outset of the COVID 19 pandemic.
- Obtained a landmark ruling from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on behalf of a broker of door-to-door sales services that established the standard for joint employment in Massachusetts.
United States > Tax > Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
Seyfarth Shaw LLP is noted by clients for its expertise in assisting tax exempt organizations such as higher education and healthcare sector clients, with practice heads Douglas Mancino and Ofer Lion practicing almost exclusively in this area alongside several key associates, including Dustin Lauermann, whose practice is focused on tax-exempt organizations, trusts and estates, and tax credits. Arnold Brown, who joined the group in San Francisco from Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in May 2022, is ‘super responsive, friendly, comprehensive and educative’. The team represents nonprofit organizations but also represents individuals such as officers, directors, and contributors to tax-exempt organizations, offering expertise across commercial and tax-exempt bond financing, real estate, commercial and employment litigation issues. Unless otherwise mentioned, all named practitioners are based in Los Angeles.Practice head(s):
Douglas Mancino; Ofer Lion
Other key lawyers:
Arnold Brown; Dustin Lauermann; Christian Canas; Lisa Schaures
Testimonials
‘Good expertise. Easy to deal with. Fast responses.’
‘Arnold Brown is super responsive. Friendly, comprehensive and educative. He is super sharp and has expertise on relevant matters.’
Seyfarth Shaw LLP > Firm Profile
Seyfarth Shaw LLP is a full-service international law firm, serving Fortune 1000, Global 500 and other companies worldwide through more than 900 attorneys and dedicated professional staff (including certified project managers, legal technologists, practice managers and other paraprofessionals). Seyfarth has been widely recognized for its leadership in designing innovative, client-focused solutions for the delivery of high quality legal services.
- Earned “Law Firm of the Year” in Litigation – ERISA in the US News – Best Lawyers® 2022 edition of ‘Best Law Firms’. As well as, 15 Tier 1 national rankings in the areas of commercial litigation, construction law, employee benefits (ERISA) law, employment law – management, franchise law, health care law, immigration law, labor law – management, litigation – antitrust, litigation – construction, litigation – ERISA, litigation – intellectual property, litigation – labor and employment, patent law and real estate law.
- Recognized by The Financial Times among the world’s most innovative law firms for the eleventh consecutive year in its annual FT Innovative Lawyers series.
- Named a 2022 “Trailblazer” for Legal Technology by the National Law Journal. The firm was recognized for its new advanced immigration management platform, Caribou.
- BTI Consulting named Seyfarth ‘Most Recommended Law Firms’ in 2021. Seyfarth Shaw was named one of 21 law firms recommended by general counsel. These recommendations directly reflect the longstanding dedication to exceptional client service and innovative solutions, which continue to set the firm apart.
- Earned a perfect score of 100 in the annual Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and was named a ‘Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality’ for the 14th consecutive year.
- Achieved Gold Standard Certification from the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF) for 2021. Seyfarth was among only 29 US law firms to earn this distinction in 2021.
- Largest US labor and employment practice in a full-service firm, with over 400 attorneys exclusively engaged in labor and employment law in the United States.
- Recognized by Law360 as ‘Practice Group of the Year’ in employment law for ten years.
- Specialist international employment law practice with experience covering more than 160 countries, including matters on which we have advised on up to 150 countries at one time, acting for some of the world’s largest multinational companies.
- One of the largest real estate practices in the United States with more than 150 attorneys.
- One of the largest employee benefits and executive compensation practices in the US, serving clients across 30+ industries.
- 165+ business litigators across a global platform, offering a full-service litigation practice.
- Proactive litigation strategies in the rapidly changing legal services landscape.
- Handled more than 200 corporate M&A transactions across a diverse range of industries over the past two years.
Main areas of practice
- ADA title III and public access
- Antitrust and competition
- Appellate
- Bankruptcy and restructuring
- Capital markets
- Class and collective actions
- Commercial contracts and outsourcing transactions
- Commercial finance
- Commercial litigation
- Construction
- Construction and development projects
- Construction claims and disputes
- Consumer financial services litigation
- Corporate counseling and governance
- eDiscovery and information governance
- Employee benefits
- Employment
- Employment litigation
- ESG, corporate citizenship and human rights
- Executive and equity compensation
- Financial products and technology
- Financial services
- Franchise and distribution
- Government contracts
- Government contracts litigation
- Government relations and policy
- Health care, life sciences and pharmaceuticals
- Hospitality and leisure
- Immigration
- Infrastructure and project finance
- International dispute resolution
- Institutional investors
- Intellectual property counseling and prosecution
- Intellectual property litigation
- International employment law
- Labor management relations
- Manufacturing
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Post-pandemic recovery and renewal
- Privacy and cybersecurity
- Product liability and complex tort
- Real estate
- Real estate finance
- Real estate litigation
- REITs and real estate capital markets
- Remote workforce
- Retail, wholesale and distribution
- Securities and fiduciary duty litigation
- Tax
- Tax controversies and litigation
- Technology, mobility and connectivity
- Trade secrets and non-competes
- Transportation and logistics
- Trials
- Trusts and estates
- Trusts and estates litigation
- White-collar defense and investigations
- Workplace arbitration and ADR
- Workplace safety and environmental
International experience: Seyfarth Shaw’s international service model is custom-built to deliver an integrated, cross-border legal and commercial solution. Seyfarth’s model relies exclusively upon cohesive partner-led teams of highly experienced international attorneys who focus solely on helping multinational clients deal with their international business issues, regardless of location. Central to the firm’s international department is Seyfarth’s award-winning, specialist international employment practice, which is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading practices in the area. Our team also offers multidisciplinary corporate, commercial, and real estate advice to multinational clients with needs across the globe.
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Christian Canas | Senior Counsel | View Profile | |
Mr Ofer Lion | Partner, Co-Leader of Tax-Exempt Organizations Team, and Office Chair of Los Angeles… | View Profile | |
Mr Richard Mendelson | Partner | View Profile | |
Ms Chelsea Mesa | Chelsea Mesa is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department in… | View Profile | |
Angelo Paparelli | Partner | View Profile | |
Mr Thomas Posey | Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP | View Profile | |
Mr Christopher Robertson | Mr. Robertson is Co-Chair of the National Whistleblower Team and a member… | View Profile | |
Mr Dana Treister | Partner | View Profile | |
Ms Elisabeth Watson | Liz Watson is a partner in Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s downtown Los Angeles… | View Profile | |
Mr Jeffrey Wortman | Jeffrey Wortman is a partner and co-lead of Seyfarth Shaw’s Downtown Los… | View Profile |