Mr. Plevin has specialized in serving employers throughout California for over 21 years.  His practice consists of defending litigated employment claims for private and public sector clients, providing advice and counsel regarding a wide variety of employment-related issues, and conducting management training.

Mr. Plevin’s litigation experience includes well over 200 employment cases for diverse clients such as the University of California, various California Superior Courts, Gateway, QUALCOMM, Biogen Idec, Jenny Craig, Inc., Vivendi Games, Mitchell International, Rubio’s Restaurants, Chapman University and First National Bank.  Mr. Plevin is an experienced trial attorney, with an excellent record in jury trials of employment matters including sexual harassment, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, fraud and related claims.  He also has extensive experience in other employment-related claims, including trade secrets disputes and wage and hour class actions.

Mr. Plevin applies his litigation experience to counsel California employers on the day-to-day issues that confront them.  He advises employers on a wide variety of matters, including discipline and terminations, layoffs, wage/hour and leave questions, disability issues, the investigation of harassment and other misconduct, executive compensation issues, the adoption and application of employment policies, and employment and severance agreements.

Training is another important part of the firm’s practice.  Mr. Plevin regularly provides employment-related training, and has developed a seminar entitled “Seven Habits of the Frequently Sued Manager” that is popular with several leading San Diego companies

Mr. Plevin is a frequent speaker on human resources issues to groups such as the Society for Human Resources Management, the Compensation and Benefits Association, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the American Corporate Counsel Association.

Since 2005, Mr. Plevin has been selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America, one of just a handful of San Diego employment attorneys that share this honor.  In 2006 he was also named as one of San Diego’s top labor and employment lawyers by the San Diego Daily Transcript and was highlighted by The Recorder and callaw.com as one of California’s top employment lawyers not working at a "mega firm."  He is also listed in Southern California Super Lawyers and The Best of the U.S. attorney listings for 2007 and 2008.  He has achieved Martindale Hubbell’s highest rating ("AV"”) for Legal Ability and General-Ethical Standards.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Defense verdict in bench trial of race and discrimination claims by Employee Relations Manager of public entity employer

• Summary judgment for private university client in highly publicized qui tam action under the federal False Claims Act alleging fraudulent receipt of student aid funding

• Successfully opposed class certification in overtime class action involving software engineers

• Obtained a $600,000 writ of attachment against former executive based on travel and expense abuses

• Successful trial of scientific misconduct charges to University Privilege and Tenure Committee and successful defense of related writ proceeding

• Favorable settlement of wage and hour class actions involving meal and rest breaks

• Jury trial to defense verdict of "hiring fraud" and Labor Code section 970 claims

• Jury trial to defense verdict of claims of hostile environment sexual harassment and gender discrimination

• Jury trial to partial defense verdict on claims of gender and age discrimination and retaliation in tenure denial of University professor

• Successful defense of claim in arbitration by former executive for contractual severance pay

• Summary judgment for a public entity client in age discrimination case arising out of a failure to hire a ling term contractor as an employee

• Summary judgment for employer in claims of breach of employment contract, national origin discrimination and harassment, and retaliation

• Summary judgment for public entity employer on race and age discrimination claim based on a refusal to hire

• Summary judgment for public entity employer on Labor Code section 1102.5 retaliation claim

• Dismissal of University professor’s wrongful termination claim based on unsuccessful writ of mandate challenge to personnel action

• Representation of employer in unfair labor practice proceedings on appeal to the National Labor Relations Board and in connection with representation election

• Development and preparation of employment agreement for Chief Executive Officer of pre-IPO technology company

• Training of management on issues of harassment, discrimination, and avoiding employment lawsuits

• Advice on employment issues arising from merger of public companies

• Advice on corporate-wide layoff for national company with operations in several states

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton LLP - Managing Partner
  August 1998 - Present
• Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich (1986-1998)
  Associate (1986-1992); Partner (1993-1998)
  Chair, Gray Cary Employment Services Practice Group (1998)

EDUCATION

• Boston University School of Law
  J.D. 1986, magna cum laude
• State University of New York, Albany
  B.S., Biology, 1983, cum laude

RECENT PUBLIC SEMINARS

• Dealing with Misclassified Employees (for SHRM Law Day) – January 2008

• Leave of Absence “Boot Camp” (for SHRM San Diego and American Corporate Counsel) – January and May 2007

• Investigating Employee Misconduct (for American Corporate Counsel Association) - May 2006

• 2003 – 2008 annual Employment Law Update (for San Diego Compensation and Benefits Association)

• Conducting Internal Investigations (for SHRM Law Day) – February 2006

• Complying the State and Federal Background Check Laws (for Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities) – December 2005

• Telework in the 21st Century (2006 PPS&C Workplace Law Update) – October 2005

• The Ten Most Common Employment Law Mistakes (for SHRM San Diego) – January 2005