Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer

Address:
Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer
9401 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 828
Beverly Hills, California 90212

Phone: (310) 288-3980
Fax: (310) 273-8680
Web site: swerdlowlaw.com
Firm Size: 10 Lawyers

Primary Contact:
Millicent N. Sanchez
msanchez@swerdlowlaw.com

Firm Description

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, A Law Corporation, represents management in a wide range of labor and employment law matters. With the formation of the firm in 1984, Sy Swerdlow and Ken Florence combined knowledge and experience acquired as partners in major Los Angeles law firms with a commitment to client attention and efficiency, made possible by the firm’s more personal environment and small size.

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer takes great pride in its ability to deliver the highest quality labor and employment law services, blending these services with an approach that is geared to the special needs of each client. These characteristics give the firm a special place in the larger legal community, which also recognizes the experience and talents of the firm’s attorneys. Martindale-Hubbell has awarded Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer the highest possible rating of A/V and has included the firm in its Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers.

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer represents employers in virtually all aspects of labor relations and employment law, including proceedings before federal and state administrative agencies, such as the National Labor Relations Board, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board, and all other agencies governing labor relations, job safety, wage and hour administration, and employment discrimination. The firm has extensive experience in collective bargaining and arbitration, which includes actively educating employers regarding the appropriate steps needed to maintain a union-free environment, defend against union organizing campaigns, and maintain a proper relationship with a union.

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer has an extensive and active federal and state court litigation practice, successfully defending employers in labor and employment litigation, including wage and hour, wrongful discharge, and discrimination actions. In addition, the firm offers comprehensive counseling and planning services, emphasizing a “preventive” approach to avoid problems and minimize legal fees.

While the firm’s billing rates are fully competitive with top firms in Los Angeles, a strong effort is made to control legal expenses. Regular billing discussions are held with clients before and during the performance of work. Duplication of effort is consciously avoided.

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer clients include numerous multi-billion dollar corporations and medium and small businesses. The firm has clients in most areas of business, including: accounting, advertising, aerospace, apparel, appliances, architecture, art, audio-visual, automobiles, automotive products, baking, banking, beauty, books, casinos, cleaning, commercials, communications, commuting, computers, construction, consulting, consumer products, contracting, cosmetics, dentistry, distribution, education, electronics, employment, engineering, entertainment, environmental matters, financing, flowers, food, golf, health, hospitals, hotels, human resources, import-export, insurance, landscaping, law, lighting, lumber, machinery, magazines, manufacturing, marketing, medicine, metals, mortgages, movies, multi-media, music, newspapers, nurseries, oil and chemicals, paper, pastries, pharmaceuticals, plastics, printing, public health, publicity, publishing, real estate, recreation, recruiting, recycling, restaurants, retail, securities, security, software, surfing, telecommunication, television, toys, transportation, travel and warehousing.

Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer is proud to be a member law firm of the Worklaw® Network, a group comprised of 26 independent labor and employment law firms that strictly represent management. Worklaw® Network’s 325 lawyers are collectively licensed to practice in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Membership is by invitation only, and the Worklaw® Network employs rigorous recruiting standards in its affiliations. All member firms are A/V rated and have substantial state and federal court litigation experience. Worklaw® Network attorneys are linked by e-mail and share a computerized database, allowing member firms to solve problems and handle matters in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Attorney Biographies

Phillip K. Cha
Phillip Cha is a 2000 graduate of the UCLA School of Law. Phillip received his B.A. Degree in Sociology from UCLA in 1997. From the time he entered the practice of law, Phillip focused on representing management in employment matters before state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies and in arbitration proceedings. Phillip has extensive experience litigating and advising management with respect to discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, wage and hour compliance, employee benefits and Workers' Compensation issues. During his career, Phillip has represented a broad spectrum of employers, from sole proprietorships to Fortune 100 corporations.

Prior to joining Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, Phillip was an associate attorney in the national labor and employment practice of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

Phillip is an avid sports fan and UCLA supporter. Phillip's interests also include food/cooking and travel.

Kari Haugen

Kari is a 1988 graduate of Columbia Law School where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, moot court judge and editor. From 1988 to 1994, Kari practiced with O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles, California where she represented employers in all types of labor and employment related matters. In 1994, she joined the national labor and employment law firm of Ford & Harrison, becoming a partner in January 1997, while continuing to represent employers in all manner of labor and employment related issues. In 2003, Kari became senior employment counsel for Warner Bros. Entertainment, and in 2006, she joined Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer on a part-time basis.

Kari advises clients in labor and employment matters, including wage/hour issues, discrimination and harassment issues and charges, disability and leave of absence issues, employment policies and procedures, and employment agreement. She also has extensive litigation experience in both state and federal court, including motion practice, discovery, trials, and mediation. Kari has written and argued appellate matters in both the California Second Appellate District and the Ninth Circuit. Kari has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, A/V, indicating “very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.”

Cynthia Inda
Cynthia Inda is a 2005 graduate of Stanford Law School, where she was Executive Editor of the Stanford Law Review and received the Soros New Americans Fellowship. Cynthia received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, in Government from Harvard College.

Prior to joining Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, Cynthia was a Prosecutor at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office where she first-chaired multiple jury trials and conducted hundreds of multiple-witness evidentiary hearings in felony cases. Before working as a Prosecutor, Cynthia practiced labor and employment litigation at O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She represented employers in a variety of labor and employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, retaliation, and wage and hour compliance. A native Spanish speaker, Cynthia has successfully represented both Latin companies and Spanish-speaking individuals.

Cynthia speaks regularly on civic and legal topics at private and governmental organizations, including the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, the Santa Barbara City College Board of Trustees, and the Santa Barbara Counsel for Self Esteem.

Cynthia is a member of the Mexican American Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Sandy K. Rathbun
Sandy Rathbun graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1987 and is admitted to practice in Missouri and California. Before joining Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, Sandy practiced with the labor and employment law group of Spencer Fane Britt & Browne, LLP, a major Kansas City law firm. Prior to attending law school, Sandy was a human resources professional for a manufacturing plant located in central Kansas.

Sandy has extensive experience representing management in state and federal employment and labor law litigation and in counseling employers on labor and employment issues, developing and implementing personnel policies, drafting employee handbooks, and representing management in administrative proceedings. Sandy serves as co-chair of the Venice Art Walk Docent Tours and as Chair of the Advisory Board of Second Careers, a non-profit program dedicated to assisting older workers obtain employment opportunities.

Karen E. Rhodes
Karen graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1996 with High Honors as a member of the Order of the Coif Honors Society and as the Executive Editor of the Texas Law Review. Karen received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. After law school, Karen clerked for the Honorable R. Lanier Anderson III, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and then worked in the Labor and Employment Department of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles. Karen practiced with O’Melveny & Myers for three years, and then became the Assistant General Counsel for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a position she held until March 2003. Karen has joined Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer on a part-time basis, providing the firm’s clients with practical advice on a wide range of labor and employment law issues.

Millicent N. Sanchez
Millicent Sanchez graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law in 1980, where she was a member of the UCLA Law Review and Executive Editor of the UCLA-Alaska Law Review. Millicent is admitted to practice in Hawaii and California. Millicent joined Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer as its first associate in 1984. Prior to that time, she worked with Torkildson Katz & Loden in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she represented management in the firm’s labor law department.

Millicent has been honored as a Southern California Super Lawyer, as seen in the 2007 and 2008 editions of “Southern California Super Lawyers Magazine.” Millicent also has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, A/V, indicating “very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.”

Millicent is experienced in all areas of labor and employment law. She has successfully represented employers before state and federal agencies and in state and federal court labor and employment litigation, including employment discrimination, sex harassment, and wrongful discharge lawsuits. An integral part of her practice is to educate the firm’s clients on various issues and legal developments. She actively counsels and assists companies on personnel issues and in their development and maintenance of effective personnel policies and practices, which includes avoiding litigation by structuring creative solutions and approaches.

Millicent is a frequent speaker before employer and professional organizations where she discusses various labor and employment issues, including employment discrimination, sex harassment, discipline and discharge, privacy concerns in the workplace, wage and hour matters, independent contractors, violence, drugs and other unlawful conduct in the workplace, investigations, and union avoidance. She is a former member of the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor Law Section, the Board of Governors of California Women Lawyers, the Board of Directors of the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, and HOBY Trustees. Additionally, Millicent served as the 1994 President of the Philippine American Bar Association and 1992-93 Chair of the State Bar of California’s Ethnic Minority Relations Committee. Millicent worked for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee as a member of the Torch Relay Foundation and supervisor in Public Information.

Seymour Swerdlow

Sy Swerdlow graduated from New York University School of Law in 1963 and was a member of the Law Review. Sy is admitted to practice in New York and California. After leaving New York, Sy joined O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles and was one of the founding members of Dern, Mason, Swerdlow & Floum where he remained a partner for eleven years.

Sy is a former Chairman of the Labor Law Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, a former member of the Executive Board of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Individual Rights in the Workplace.

Sy has had extensive experience in all areas of labor and employment law practice and has been the chief management spokesperson during collective bargaining in various industries. He has also counseled and represented management in a myriad of arbitrations and administrative proceedings. Additionally, Sy has extensive experience as a litigator in state and federal courts concerning wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, and lawsuits involving other employment issues. Sy has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, A/V, indicating “very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.”

Janet L. Swerdlow

Janet Swerdlow is a 1991 graduate of the University of Southern California Law Center, where she was an Articles Editor on the Southern California Law Review. Before joining Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer in 1998, Janet practiced for six years in the Labor and Employment Department of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles. Prior to attending law school, Janet spent several years working for TRW as a mechanical and software engineer.

Janet has extensive experience in labor and employment law and has represented companies before administrative agencies and federal and state courts. Janet is a frequent speaker before human resource and other professional organizations, regularly speaking on such topics as family and medical leaves of absence, disability discrimination and accommodation issues, and wage and hour issues. Janet is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Committee’s Legal Ethics and Professionalism Subcommittee.

David A. Wimmer

David Wimmer was born in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988 with a B.A. in Natural Sciences, and then from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1991, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. David is admitted to practice law in California and the District of Columbia and before various federal appellate and district courts. Prior to joining Swerdlow Florence Sanchez Swerdlow & Wimmer, David practiced labor and employment law with O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

David has been honored in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 as one of “The Best Lawyers in America” in the specialty of Labor and Employment Law, has been named in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 a “Southern California Super Lawyer,” and was featured as being one of “L.A.’s Top 100 Lawyers” in the October 5, 2009 Los Angeles Business Journal. David also has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, A/V, indicating “very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.”

David has extensive experience advising management how to establish effective human-resource policies, maintain a union-free workplace, and comply with federal, state, and local laws. On the traditional labor-law front, he represents companies throughout the country in labor-relations matters, including union-avoidance strategies, supervisory training, election campaigns, proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, collective bargaining, arbitrations, and federal-court litigation. In this regard, David is the only California member of the Labor Lawyers Advisory Committee to the Council for Union-Free Environment.

On the employment-law front, David represents companies in state and federal court litigation, arbitration, and mediation, where he defends employers in single-plaintiff through class-action wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, and wage-and-hour matters, and in criminal investigations and prosecutions. He also has represented clients in numerous administrative proceedings involving the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, California Division of Occupational Safety and Heath, California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board, Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, and United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

David is a member of the Los Angeles Estate Counselors Forum, where he provides labor and employment law advice to the region’s preeminent estate-planning practitioners, and of The Defense Research Institute, DRI, the international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. In his free time, David coaches his sons’ youth sports teams and has served as an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association. From 1999 through 2005, he also was a member of the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross of Santa Monica. David, his wife (Leslie), and two sons (Sam and Max) live in West Los Angeles.

Lori M. Yankelevits
Lori received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 1991, and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988. After graduating from law school, Lori returned to Los Angeles and began her practice in the Litigation Department of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. In 1993, she joined the Litigation Department of Hill Wynne Troop and Meisinger. Over the next nine years (which included two firm name changes and a department move to Howrey Simon Arnold & White), Lori practiced commercial litigation. Lori’s experience includes representing corporate clients in litigation matters, including trials in state and federal courts, and in arbitrations. Lori has argued before the California Court of Appeals.

Attorneys Admitted to Practice In:
New York
Missouri
Hawaii
District of Columbia
California