Eric Beane, a partner in DLA Piper's Los Angeles office, has extensive experience in complex litigation for global clients, including class action litigation, wage and hour litigation, mass layoffs, trade secret and non-compete issues and ERISA claims. He has defended employers in claims of wrongful discharge, employment disability, sexual harassment, breach of contract, and misappropriation of trade secrets, as well as wage and hour class actions.

Mr. Beane regularly counsels employers on employee discipline, employee hiring, wage and hour issues, employee privacy matters, and the creation and implementation of new and revised personnel policies. His work also includes drafting executive compensation agreements and separation agreements, especially in conjunction with mergers and acquisitions.

He represents employers and management in state and federal courts and before administrative bodies. These include the California State Labor Commissioner, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, and the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.

Representative Significant Matters

• Represented the retail arm of a global energy company in two large wage and hour class actions filed in Los Angeles (16,000 and 5,000 employees, respectively).
• Represented a major financial services defendant in a $22 million wage and hour class action that had potential implications regarding the classification of exempt employees.
• Counseled several multi-million dollar firms regarding the employment implications of their proposed mergers or acquisitions.
• Settled a Los Angeles wage and class action involving a class of over 170 employees, after defeating class certification twice.
• Represented a US entertainment conglomerate with international operations in prosecuting a complaint for misappropriation and embezzlement against a former employee.
• Represented a global manufacturer’s research organization regarding exempt employee classification in California and Ohio. Negotiated settlements avoiding penalties.
• Redesigned employment policies and procedures for a leading international manufacturer to facilitate numerous reorganizations. Trained in-house legal and human resources personnel regarding those policies and procedures.
• Obtained summary judgment on an ERISA claim for wrongful denial of benefits.
• Successfully defended discrimination charges in different jurisdictions.
• Counsels small, medium, and large national and international corporations regarding employment issues on an ongoing basis.

ADMISIONES

• California
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
• United States District Court for the Southern District of California
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Pertenencia a Asociaciones

• California State Bar Association, Litigation and Labor and Employment Sections
• American Bar Association, Litigation and Labor and Employment Sections
• Los Angeles County Bar Association