Robert D. Eassa

For more than three decades, Eassa has successfully litigated labor and employment matters. Key to that success, Eassa said, is his ability to think on his feet and adapt.

In a recent wage and hour class action against Chevron Stations Inc., San Diego County Superior Court Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon put those abilities to the test.

After cross motions for summary adjudication were filed for a $17 million liquidated class claim, Sturgeon revealed to attorneys for both parties that his own research had turned up a recently decided case. It had come down three days prior to the hearing and neither party was aware of it.

According to Eassa, Sturgeon thought the decision might cause some problems for Chevron's case, so he gave the attorneys a half hour to read through the decision, after which they were to present arguments.

In the end, Sturgeon granted Chevron's motion in its entirety, denying any money to the plaintiffs. Scott v. Chevron Stations Inc., No. 00037796-CU-OE-CTL (S.D. Super. Ct., filed Nov. 12, 2015).

"I worked with the facts and the law as best I could and put an intense focus on what it was about," Eassa said. "That was ridiculous -- a half hour to read a whole case?. But it worked out."

"I'm passionate about my work and I do like the challenge," he continued.

It's moments like this that make Eassa a "go-to" for companies, even at the last minute. He said he often parachutes in right before trial though he would prefer not to.

"It's hard living with other people's mistakes," he said.

Eassa's clients run the gamut: He represents single plaintiffs, large corporations and classes. He said he's tried 59 civil cases to verdict over the course of his career.

"We're able to offer a wide variety of clients a broad array of services," Eassa said.

-- Paula Lehman-Ewing