Labor and Employment
At Hartnett, Smith & Associates, we are proud of our ability to provide exceptional legal advice and zealous representation to employers on an array of employment and labor issues. We have significant experience handling mediations and lawsuits in all of the following areas:
- Wrongful Termination
- Discrimination Retaliation
- Sexual Harassment
- Defamation
- Unpaid Commissions
- Wage and Hour Violations
- Unfair Competition
- Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
- Restrictive Covenants
- Trade Secrets
- Defense of Collective and Class Actions
- Ethics and Corporate Compliance Issues
- International Labor and Employment
Prevention of Disputes
We work with businesses to develop policies that enable them to hire and terminate employees effectively, ensuring that they can defend their decisions before labor boards and in the courts should it become necessary.
Class Action Defense
The use of class action lawsuits is on the rise, particularly in the areas of wage and hour claims and discrimination. Plaintiff classes regularly sue employers for overtime or misclassification of exempt employees, as well as for meal and rest break claims. Additionally, plaintiffs commonly sue for violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California's anti-discrimination statute.
Class action cases can be costly and difficult to defend, but experienced class action defense attorneys can employ many tactics to defeat class certification and otherwise fight these claims. Experienced attorneys also know the types of evidence needed to defeat pattern and practice claims.
Seek Advice from Experienced Defense Attorneys
At Hartnett, Smith & Associates, we help our clients develop successful and compliant employment policies. We also provide trusted advice with respect to internal disputes, and we offer zealous representation where disputes have developed into litigation.
Attorney Tyler M. Paetkau has represented employers in labor and employment law matters for 19 years. He has been involved in wage and hour class actions as well as antitrust class actions. Mr. Paetkau is also a frequent author of articles on labor and employment law topics. He recently authored a book, Hiring and Firing (Entrepreneur Press 2007). He is also a contributing editor of several employment law publications. Please see our Publications, Presentations, and Media page for a complete list of his articles.
If you need employment counseling or defense representation in San Mateo County or anywhere in the Silicon Valley or San Francisco Bay Area, contact Hartnett, Smith & Associates today.
