A Civil Rights and Employment Law Attorney

Opening My Law Practice in 1995

I opened up my own Law Firm in 1995 then immediately began to collaborate on civil rights and employment cases – mainly police misconduct and employment law (see more on my employment practice below)- with the most progressive attorneys I could find in the San Francisco Bay Area, like John Burris and the attorneys working in Tony Serra’s office, Steve Collier, a top tenant’s attorney in San Francisco, Jonathan Siegel and Jody Lewitter, plus numerous union-side labor law firms.   

Employment Law

I’ve never been able to stop representing workers. That work really began when I was 18 (in 1976) and was arrested for civil disobedience. (A group of us blocked an entrance to a building in support of service workers during their strike). That 18 year older’s youthful energy and tactics (!) and a subsequent career in unions and law, have morphed into aggressive employment litigation tactics 46 years later. I still carry and crave the same desire to fight greed, ignorance, amateurs running the show, unfairness and disrespect. And I still challenge the corporate minions - the defense law firms - that have helped their craven clients dismantle workers rights.

Workers produce at least half of the value of our world, and while money (capital) is also needed to make the world go round, workers are clearly not getting half of the profits in the end. On the contrary, their share of the money their labor generates is shrinking and the distribution of wealth continues to skew towards owners.

We probably can’t change the system through lawsuits, but we can try to hold employers and supervisors accountable and require them to follow the laws that currently exist on the books. They can’t and should not bully workers (a possible violation of law) or fail to pay them properly (a clear violation of the law). They should classify their employees correctly (required), and pay living wages (and at least the current minimum wage plus overtime ). Employers have to pay their employees what the law requires and not steal their wages (“wage theft”). They should act respectfully towards people who devote half their working day, 5 days a week, to help make them money and should definitely not retaliate against their employees simply because they ask for clarification about their wages or reimbursements (See, CA. Labor Code section 98.6)

From wrongful terminations based on retaliation, toxic workplaces, race, gender, sexual orientation, age to the many violations involving overtime, pay, reimbursements for cell phones and other personal equipment, I represent employees individually and in class actions. I’ve always represented employees, along with my other practice areas since I began my law practice in 1995. I fight until I reach the end of a matter, including trying cases in front of a jury. I won’t give up.