Tony Oncidi
Partner
Anthony J. Oncidi heads the Labor & Employment Law Group in the Los Angeles office.
Tony represents employers and management in all aspects of labor relations and employment law, including litigation and preventive counseling, wage and hour matters, including class actions, wrongful termination, employee discipline, Title VII and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, executive employment contract disputes, sexual harassment training and investigations, workplace violence, drug testing and privacy issues, Sarbanes-Oxley claims and employee raiding and trade secret protection. A substantial portion of Tony’s practice involves the defense of employers in large class actions, employment discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination litigation in state and federal court as well as arbitration proceedings, including FINRA matters.
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Tony Oncidi: On the issue of #MeToo and the current and best way for an employer to respond to those issues, I think there are certain things that are essentially table stakes that all employers need to do before they start considering other options. Number one, they have to make sure that they have all the … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, April 16, 1-2 pm PDT, Tony Oncidi will be joining the Employment Roundtable of Southern California (ERTSC) and presenting the webinar, A Quick Legal Update of New Employment Laws and Cases. The New Year rang in nearly twenty new employment laws. 2018 and 2019 have produced dozens and dozens of significant employment cases. … Continue Reading
Just another day in paradise in Los Angeles… Unless you happen to be an employer. Continuing the recent spate of multi-million dollar verdicts, an LA jury awarded a former police officer $7 million on her sex discrimination claim. Lili Hadsell, a former police chief for the City of Baldwin Park, alleged that she was subjected … Continue Reading
We invite you to review our newly-posted March 2019 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: Eddie Money Beats Discrimination Lawsuit Based On Free Speech Right; Former Accountant Could Proceed With Whistleblower Lawsuit; Employer Violated FCRA With Improper Background Check Notice; Fruit Growers May … Continue Reading
There they go again! As we predicted last November, the California legislature is once again trying to outlaw arbitration agreements between employers and employees. Former Gov. Jerry Brown routinely vetoed similar bills that sought to prohibit arbitration of employment disputes on the anodyne ground that such legislation unquestionably conflicts with and is preempted by federal … Continue Reading
The current landscape in the #MeToo Era has heightened the need for leaders at every business organization to ensure that sound and strategically aligned practices for preventing, receiving, and responding to harassment, discrimination and other workplace related claims are in place. Proskauer has just released its findings from a broad-based survey of employers around the … Continue Reading
Furry v. East Bay Pub’g, LLC, 30 Cal. App. 5th 1072 (2019) Terry Furry worked as a sales and marketing director for the East Bay Express (a weekly newspaper based in Oakland) and alleged that East Bay failed to pay minimum and overtime wages, meal and rest breaks, provide properly itemized wage statements, etc. Following … Continue Reading
Ward v. Tilly’s, Inc., 31 Cal. App. 5th 1167 (2019) Skylar Ward challenged by way of this putative class action the on-call scheduling practices of her former employer, Tilly’s, Inc., as violating the reporting time pay requirements of California law. Tilly’s required on-call employees to contact Tilly’s two hours before their on-call shifts. If they … Continue Reading
Duffey v. Tender Heart Home Care Agency, LLC, 31 Cal. App. 5th 232 (2019) Nichelle Duffey sued Tender Heart Home Care Agency for employment-related wage and hour claims such as unpaid overtime under the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (“DWBR,” Cal. Labor Code §§ 1450, et seq.). The trial court granted Tender Heart’s motion … Continue Reading
Fierro v. Landry’s Rest. Inc., 2019 WL 658710 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) Jorge Fierro filed this class action, claiming that he and the other members of the putative class were misclassified as exempt employees and that, in fact, they were non-exempt, non-managerial employees who are owed unpaid overtime wages and penalties. Landry’s responded by filing … Continue Reading
Jimenez-Sanchez v. Dark Horse Exp., Inc., 2019 WL 626349 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) The trial court denied plaintiffs’ motion for class certification of a putative class consisting of employees who worked as drivers transporting milk within California. Plaintiffs allege failure to compensate for all hours worked; failure to schedule meal periods; failure to provide uninterrupted … Continue Reading
Moorer v. Noble L.A. Events, Inc., 2019 WL 949419 (Cal. Ct. App. 2019) David Moorer, who worked as a full-time security guard and “lobby ambassador” for Noble, filed a complaint as an individual and on behalf of all aggrieved employees against Noble and others under the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”). After Noble failed to … Continue Reading
Goonewardene v. ADP, LLC, 6 Cal. 5th 817 (2019) Sharmalene Goonewardene alleged claims against ADP (the payroll company used by her employer, Altour International Inc.) for wrongful termination, violation of the Labor Code, breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and negligence. The trial court sustained ADP’s demurrer to the complaint without further leave to amend, and … Continue Reading
Stratton v. Beck, 30 Cal. App. 5th 901 (2018) Anthony Stratton filed a claim against Thomas Beck with the labor commissioner for unpaid wages in the amount of $303.55. After conducting an administrative hearing, the labor commissioner awarded Stratton $303.50 plus an additional $5,757.46 in liquidated damages, interest and statutory penalties for a total award … Continue Reading
EEOC v. Global Horizons, Inc., 915 F.3d 631 (9th Cir. 2019) The Washington state fruit growers in this case experienced labor shortages and as a result entered into agreements with Global Horizons (a labor contractor) to obtain temporary workers from Thailand to work in their orchards under the H-2A guest worker program. After two of … Continue Reading
Gilberg v. California Check Cashing Stores, LLC, 913 F.3d 1169 (9th Cir. 2019) While applying for employment with CheckSmart Financial, LLC, Desiree Gilberg signed a “Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation,” which resulted in Gilberg’s filing a putative class action against CheckSmart, claiming it had violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) and the California Investigative … Continue Reading
Siri v. Sutter Home Winery, Inc., 31 Cal. App. 5th 598 (2019) Says Siri alleged she was terminated as the general ledger staff accountant for Sutter Home Winery in retaliation for having notified the state Board of Equalization and Sutter’s general counsel in writing of her belief that the winery was out of compliance with … Continue Reading
Symmonds v. Mahoney, 31 Cal. App. 5th 1096 (2019) After 41 years, singer/songwriter Edward Joseph Mahoney (aka “Eddie Money”) terminated the employment of Glenn Symmonds (the band’s drummer) in response to which Symmonds filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination based on age, disability and medical condition in violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act … Continue Reading
March 12, 2019 (LOS ANGELES) – Partner Tony Oncidi has been recognized for distinguished legal writing by both the Burton Awards and the National Law Review. Tony’s article “Consider the True Implications of Waiving Arbitration” earned him recognition in the form of a Burton Award and a Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award for clear, concise and comprehensive legal … Continue Reading
The Los Angeles Times published a piece addressing the recent and abrupt change in the rules for determining who is and who is not an independent contractor in California. As is so often the case, there are many unanticipated consequences associated with these new rules. Read the full piece here: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-dynamex-contractors-20190223-story.html… Continue Reading
Proving it still is possible to obtain a favorable jury verdict in California (see contrary evidence), a federal jury sided with Chipotle Mexican Grill last Wednesday in a case involving disability discrimination claims by former assistant store manager, Lucia Cortez. Cortez alleged she suffered a miscarriage at work after years of trying to get pregnant, … Continue Reading
We have reported before about the huge jury verdicts that get handed out in California with alarming regularity and California’s sustained #1 ranking as the “Top Judicial Hellhole” in the nation. A corollary problem continues unabated: The prevalence of class actions and lawsuits under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Though California accounts for 12% … Continue Reading
The California Court of Appeal affirmed dismissal of a former freelancer’s defamation and employment-related claims against the Times. Frederick Theodore Rall III, a political cartoonist and blogger for the paper, brought claims for defamation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotion distress, and retaliation, among others, stemming from the Times’ decision to disassociate itself with Rall … Continue Reading
We invite you to review our newly-posted January 2019 California Employment Law Notes, a comprehensive review of the latest and most significant developments in California employment law. The highlights include: School Teacher’s ADA Claim Against Catholic School Was Not Barred By “Ministerial Exception” City Attorney Should Not Have Been Disqualified From Representing City Prevailing Employer Should Not Have … Continue Reading
Harassment Claims: Best Practices for Employers in the #MeToo Era
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in #MeToo, Harassment
Tune in to the Webinar Today: Employment Roundtable of Southern California
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law
City of Baldwin Park Hit with $7 Million Sex Discrimination Verdict
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Discrimination, Verdict
March 2019 California Employment Law Notes
California Legislature Tries Yet Again to Outlaw Arbitration Agreements…
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Arbitration Agreements
Proskauer Releases New Survey of Workplace Issues in the #MeToo Era
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in #MeToo, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment
Damages May Not Be Denied To Employee Based Upon His “Imprecise Testimony”
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Overtime
On-Call Employees Who Must Call In Should Receive Reporting-Time Pay
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in On-call
Caregiver May Not Have Been Independent Contractor Under DWBR
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Independent Contractors
Successive Class Action May Be Barred By Statute Of Limitations
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Class Actions
Court Should Not Have Denied Certification Of Class Of Drivers Seeking Wage & Hour Remedies
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Wage and Hour
PAGA Penalties Must Be Shared With All Aggrieved Employees
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in PAGA
Payroll Company Not Liable To Employee For Negligence Or Breach Of Contract
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in California Labor Code
$300 Unpaid Wage Claim Results In Additional $57,000 Award To Employee
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Wage Statements
Fruit Growers May Have Been Joint Employers Of Thai Workers For Purposes Of Title VII
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in EEOC
Employer Violated FCRA With Improper Background Check Notice
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Background Investigations
Former Accountant Could Proceed With Whistleblower Lawsuit
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Tax
Eddie Money Beats Discrimination Lawsuit Based On Free Speech Right
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in FEHA
Tony Oncidi Recognized by the Burton Awards and the National Law Review for Distinguished Legal Writing
By Tony Oncidi on Posted in Uncategorized
Are You an Employee or a Contractor? Carpenters, Strippers and Dog Walkers Now Face that Question (Los Angeles Times Piece)
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in California Labor & Employment Law, Independent Contractors, Wage and Hour
California Jury Rejects Employee’s Discrimination Claims Against Chipotle
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in CFRA, Jury verdicts
California Class Actions and PAGA (“Prettymuch All is Going to the Attorneys”) Claims Continue to Overwhelm the State
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in PAGA
LA Times Wins Lawsuit Against Former Freelancer
By Tony Oncidi and Cole Lewis on Posted in Anti-SLAPP, Defamation, Wrongful Termination
