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 (California labor employment law attorneys Lawyers Los Angeles)
Mr. Feldman graduated from Emory University and the Boston University School of Law. He briefly practiced labor and employment law in Philadelphia before moving to Los Angeles in 1994. In 1999, Mr. Feldman opened Feldman & Associates, a boutique litigation firm exclusively representing employees in labor and employment disputes. Since founding the firm in 1999, Mr. Feldman has recovered more than $75,000,000.00 in verdicts, settlements and arbitration awards on behalf of California workers. This figure includes more than one hundred (100) verdicts and settlements of at least $200,000.00.
In each of the past five (5) years (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011), Founding Partner, Lee R. Feldman, was named a Southern California Super Lawyer by the publishers Los Angeles Magazine. The Super lawyer designation is awarded based on voting among Southern California's 65,000-plus attorneys, each of whom is asked to name the best lawyers they have personally observed. The top 5% are awarded "Super lawyer" distinction.
When not in the office, defending the American Worker and generally fighting the Forces of Evil, Mr. Feldman can typically be found at home, where he spends “quality time” with his wife and daughter, or out in the yard feeding large animals and small defense lawyers to his killer dog,, Ryder.
Significant cases:
1. John Doe v. Fortune 500 Company ($ 1,800,000.00) paid to employee who never made more than 25k a year before being fired after 18 months of employment. Claims were failure to accommodate disability and CFRA retaliation.
2. Vo v. Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (2000) 79 Cal.App.4th 440. The Court of Appeal affirmed an award of $470,000 in attorney's fees on a verdict of $37,500 because the employer had failed to make a reasonable settlement offer, thereby forcing Mr. Feldman to try a low-damage case and expend vast amounts in fees and costs. The Court of Appeals also awarded appellate fees, costs and interest, bringing the total award to more than $600,000.
3. Dudley v. SBC Communications. ($6,700,000) Mr. Feldman turned a single-plaintiff case for CFRA/FMLA violations into what is believed to be the first class action lawsuit seeking economic and emotional distress damages for violations of California's Family Rights Act. The case was ultimately settled for $6,700,000 and SBC agreed to change its policies to avoid future interference with employees' CFRA rights and maintain their privacy rights. In addition, thousands of employees suspended for CFRA absences were granted a paid day off.
4. Jane Doe v. Large Corporate Employer. ($1,200,000.00). Prior to hiring Mr. Feldman, Plaintiff had been negotiating a severance package worth between $50,000 and $75,000. After filing a lawsuit for sexual harassment and retaliatory discharge, and taking numerous depositions, Mr. Feldman won a settlement of $1,200,000.00.
5. John Does v. ABC Corporation. ($1,712,000.00). Three employees claiming wrongful termination or constructive discharge. Two of the cases were dropped by another lawyer, who advised the clients to dismiss for a waiver of costs. The lawyer thought so little of the third client's case that he never filed the lawsuit. Mr. Feldman took over the two dropped cases, obtaining a settlement of $1,000,000.00. He filed the third case against the lawyer that had failed to file the lawsuit, obtaining a settlement of $712,000.
6. John Doe v. Large Retailer ($850,000). Mr. Feldman obtained this settlement on behalf of a store manager fired while on a disability leave.
7. Jane Doe v. Small Retailer ($750,000). This settlement was obtained on behalf of an epileptic plaintiff fired after having a seizure at work.
8. John Doe v. Small Corporation ($610,000). Mr. Feldman obtained this settlement, which was five (5) times the amount offered at the initial mediation, after taking numerous depositions across the country. The settlement amount was roughly ten (10) times the amount of the claim for lost wages.
9. Short-term employee v. Chain Store. ($675,000). The plaintiff was a six-week employee who had just $5,000 in lost wages and had never seen a doctor or therapist for emotional distress. Nonetheless, Mr. Feldman obtained an arbitration award of $450,000 in emotional distress damages alone. Including attorney's fees and cost, the recover was $675,000.
10. Short-term employee v. Hollywood Corporation. ($500,000). Mr. Feldman obtained this settlement on behalf of a project manager fired when she was forced to take a pregnancy disability leave during her first year of employment and at an allegedly crucial time for the project.
 Recent Speaking Engagements:
. Simplifying The Medical Leave Case For Trial, Orange County Bar Association, Labor & Employment section (2010)
. When The Defense Strikes Back, California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) Convention (2010)
. Employment Law: Settlement and Mediation Strategies, Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), Annual Convention (2010)
Articles:
“Discrimination and retaliation cases: Recent decisions expand the scope of evidence available to employees.”
The Advocate [Annual Employment and Labor Law Issue. (April 2011 Issue)
Published Appellate Opinions:
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/B217191.PDF
http://www.leagle.com/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=200023794CalRptr2d143_1219.xml
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