Law360 (subscription) has published an in-depth profile on Lieff Cabraser’s Employment Law practice group as part of its recognition of the firm as a 2023 “Employment Law Practice Group of the Year.” Law360’s piece spotlights Lieff Cabraser’s work advocating for thousands of clients in workers’ rights disputes, including in securing a landmark $215 million settlement in a long-running gender bias class action against Goldman Sachs. The settlement with the banking giant was achieved after a 13-year legal battle, and stands as one of the largest discrimination settlements in U.S. history.
In addition to the May 2023 settlement with Goldman Sachs, the firm also finalized a notable $118 million victory against Google in October 2022. This suit, addressing equal pay disputes, led to significant ripple effects, influencing business practices and salary structures across California.
Anne B. Shaver, a partner in the firm’s employment practice group and co-lead counsel in both the Goldman Sachs and Google cases, highlighted the influence of these cases on similar litigation, including a California Equal Pay Act suit against Disney. The firm’s strategies in these cases are shaping the enforcement of equal pay laws and setting precedents for future actions.
As noted by Kelly M. Dermody, a partner at Lieff Cabraser and former Chair of the firm’s Employment Law practice group, both wins exemplify how class action litigation — the group’s specialty — can challenge the “pernicious practice of undervaluing women.”
“They reinforce, in my view, that collective action can make incredible, seismic change,” Dermody noted. She also worked as co-lead counsel on both cases.
Law360 also notes that Lieff Cabraser is focusing on expanding its benefits litigation, particularly in cases under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. A notable case in this area is the federal class action filed against Save Mart Supermarkets in August 2022, alleging an illegal rollback of medical benefits for retirees. Shaver said the firm has been contacted by hundreds of Save Mart employees who shared their sense of betrayal following the recent decision by the company, particularly after they had spent decades of their lives working there and being promised those benefits.
“I just feel personally very strongly about the case, but I also think it’s an excellent case for Lieff Cabraser because it’s such a clear example of what should be a class action,” Shaver said.
Read the full profile on Law360’s website (subscription).
About Lieff Cabraser’s Employment Practice Group
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is a 125+ attorney AV-rated law firm founded in 1972 with offices in San Francisco, New York, Nashville, and Munich. Lieff Cabraser’s nationally-recognized employment practice group is litigating many of the most significant employment class action lawsuits in the U.S. today, cases challenging gender and race discrimination; policies requiring hourly workers to report to work early, stay late, or work through breaks for no pay; policies improperly classifying employees as salaried and thus exempt from overtime pay; and pension plan abuse claims on behalf of employees and retirees. Our firm has repeatedly prevailed in and obtained record-setting recoveries for our clients in precedent-setting cases against the largest corporations in the U.S. and throughout the world, including Walmart, Google, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Federal Express, Smith Barney, and Home Depot.
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