Eric Michael Steinert

I am a partner in Seyfarth Shaw’s Labor and Employment Department representing employers in a wide range of state and federal employment-law disputes.  I am also a member of the firm’s Wage and Hour Litigation Practice Group, and I have defended large, complex class actions involving alleged wage-and-hour violations under both state and federal law.  I also represent employers in single-plaintiff litigation involving wrongful discharge, discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims – including extensive experience with various whistleblower claims (including Sarbanes-Oxley).

I am co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services Employment Arbitration practice group.  I specialize in representing financial-services clients in FINRA arbitrations, wage-and-hour class actions, and single-plaintiff employment litigation (particularly whistleblower cases).  I have also worked as in-house counsel in the financial-services industry, managing litigation and advising various lines of business, including retail brokerage, wealth management, retail, wholesale, and commercial banking, mortgage and consumer finance, and insurance.

I have traditional labor experience which includes union-organizing campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, representation cases, and defending ULP charges before the NLRB.  I also advise clients on labor relations matters pertaining to corporate campaigns, labor disputes, contract interpretation, and negotiations. 

I also provide advice and counsel to employers with respect to state and federal wage-and–hour laws, leave and disability issues, WARN requirements, employee termination issues, and drafting employee handbooks, policies, and employment contracts.

I have written and lectured on various employment-law topics, including CLE panels on legal ethics, wage-and-hour litigation, traditional labor and disability law.  I was a former law clerk for District Court Judge Lawrence T. Lydick of the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Southern Division, and served as the law clerk for the Central District Local Rules Committee.