Cheryl A. Sabnis 

Cheryl A. Sabnis is a shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the firm’s labor and employment group in San Francisco.

With over two decades of experience, she regularly defends companies facing putative class, collective and representative actions as well as those involved in complex multiparty or single-plaintiff disputes.

“Although I am outside counsel, I place myself in my clients’ shoes and maintain an in-house mindset whether I’m helping them with an employee-related dispute or advising on complicated internal matters,” she said.

Beyond serving her clients’ litigation needs, she also helps them manage employee-related crises and is regularly engaged to investigate allegations of workplace misconduct or misfortune.

She served as lead counsel for manufacturer Erickson Framing in two separate, now resolved lawsuits asserting putative wage and hour class action and Private Attorneys General Act litigation that is pending in Placer County Superior Court.

“The cases presented complex questions regarding the compensation of workers on a piece rate basis and serve as an example of the growing trend of wage and hour litigation focused on regular rate issues,” she said. “I took over defense of the matters and after mounting a vigorous defense … was able to resolve them favorably for my our client on terms approved by the court.”

She also took over the defense in a retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuit filed by the former president of rugged technology manufacturer Getac Incorporated and its parent. Shainman v. Getac Technology Corporation, 30-2020-01125066 (Orange County Sup. Ct., filed Jan. 17, 2020).

Sabnis said this case was particularly challenging because, while summary judgment was pending, the Supreme Court of California issued its ruling clarifying the “clear and convincing evidence” standard applicable to retaliation claims alleged pursuant to California Labor Code, Section 1102.5.

“The dearth of caselaw applying this heightened standard makes 1102.5 retaliation cases particularly challenging for California employers,” she said.

—Devon Belcher