Steven Zadravecz has more than 25 years of experience representing employers in high-stakes, complex litigation matters. He concentrates on cases involving trade secret misappropriation, employee raiding, and noncompetition agreements and has been recognized as one of California's "Top Trade Secret Lawyers." Steve also has been lead counsel in more than 40 high-profile California wage and hour class actions and has an active practice defending employers in state and federal discrimination, retaliation, and harassment matters, with a particular focus on disability discrimination.
Steve is an accomplished trial lawyer who has prevailed in multiple jury trials. Most recently, he obtained a multimillion dollar verdict for an employer in a trade secret misappropriation lawsuit and secured a defense verdict for an employer in a discrimination/harassment lawsuit. Steve has significant class and California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) representative action experience, and his class action engagements include matters involving claims of meal and rest breaks violations, failure to pay overtime, regular rate violations, as well claims involving systematic discrimination.
Steve, a Fellow in the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers who is ranked by Chambers USA has been praised by clients as an "amazing talent with a huge depth of experience" and as a "straight shooter" who can "quickly distill legal issues and provide practical advice."
Steve counsels companies in the areas of restrictive covenant enforcement, wage and hour, and accommodating disabilities and has been intimately involved in advising clients on COVID-19 workplace issues. Steve lectures to employers and management groups, including the National Employment Law Institute, and conducts in-house workshops.
Experiência
- May 1, 2024
California Court of Appeal Clarifies Elements of Damages Recoverable In Trade Secret Misappropriation Cases. Los Angeles Daily Journal.
- November 2, 2022
Protecting Trade Secrets in Changing Times with Remote Work and Increased Employee Mobility, 2022 Annual New York Labor & Employment Law Discussion Group - May 28, 2020
Return To Work: Considerations as California Continues Its Phased Reopening - November 14, 2019
California Employment Law Council - Defeating Class Certification - January 31, 2019
Challenges Employers Face in 2019 -- Case and Statutory Update; Jones Day University - November 15, 2018
Class Action and Litigation Trends: A 2018 Review, Jones Day CLE at Hyundai Motor America - June 27, 2018
Independent Contractor Classifications in California After Dynamex - March 23, 2018
Keynote speaker on trends in California Employment Law at annual conference for Southern California Association of Law Libraries - January 23, 2018
Labor & Employment Case and Statutory Update 2019, Jones Day MCLE University - July 12, 2017
National Employment Law Institute – The California Family Rights Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act - January 25, 2017
2017 Legislative and Employment Law Update: What the Future Holds for California, Jones Day University - November 2, 2016
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses – Legal Clinic: Human Resources & Employment Matters - January 27, 2016
2016 The Constantly Evolving Landscape: Employment Law in California, Jones Day University - January 19, 2016
Orange County Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section – The Contingent Workforce - January 13, 2016
California Grocers Association – The Effect of the New California Grocery Worker Retention Law - November 5, 2015
California Grocers Association – Update on California Wage and Hour Developments, Including Recently Enacted Legislation - June 12 & June 19, 2015
California Employment Law Council’s Annual Educational Program – The Contingent Work Force: Pitfalls and Perils - November 12, 2014
Update on California Wage & Hour Developments, Including Recently Enacted and Pending Legislation - June 11, 2013
Trade Secrets and Employee Mobility - Protecting Your Company's Proprietary Information - October 14, 2010
2010 California Labor & Employment Law Briefing - October 8, 2009
Wage and Hour Litigation and Developments: Recent Trends, New Types of Cases, and What to Expect in 2009, Jones Day 2009 California Labor & Employment Law Briefing - January 29, 2009
Access in California -- the New Frontier/Public Accommodation Law in California, Jones Day 2009 MCLE University - October 21, 2008
Wage and Hour Law and Developments in California, California Employment Advisory Counsel - September 18, 2008
Jones Day 2008 California Labor & Employment Law Briefing
"Steve Zadravecz is my go to partner for employment cases. Knowledge, innovative defenses, comprehensive understanding of the law, and most importantly actual trial attorney with actual trial experience..."The Legal 500
- University of San Diego (J.D. magna cum laude 1996; Order of the Coif, an honor reserved for law students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class; Associate Editor, San Diego Law Review; B.A. 1993)
- California; U.S. District Courts for the Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California; and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Fellow, College of Labor & Employment Lawyers
Chambers USA
The Legal 500 United States: trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters); workplace & employment counseling; labor & employment disputes (including collective actions): defense
Daily Journal: "Top Trade Secrets Lawyers" in California (2020-2023)
Regularly recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: employment law: management