David Van Pelt

David Van Pelt is a Special Counsel in the firm's Los Angeles/Century City office.

Areas of Practice

David Van Pelt represents employers in all manner of labor and employment matters, including counseling with respect to employment terminations, wage-hour issues, employee leave matters, accommodation of disabilities, and employee relations.

Mr. Van Pelt also has considerable experience in drafting employment policies, agreements, and handbooks.

In addition, Mr. Van Pelt represents employers in litigation matters before state and federal courts, administrative bodies, and arbitrators. He handles both single plaintiff and significant wage-hour matters.

Education

• J.D., Duke University, 1992; Moot Court Board; Senior Editor, Alaska Law Review; Recipient, James Bidlake Award for Superior Achievement in Legal Research and Writing.
• B.A., Davidson College, 1987, High Honors, cum laude.

Admissions

• California
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court for Central and Southern Districts of California

Languages

• Spanish

• Musicians' Institute adv. Molnar (Los Angeles Superior Court, 2008)(obtained dismissal of multi-plaintiff wage-hour matter).
  
• WellPoint, Inc. adv. Cole (Los Angeles Superior Court, 2008)(obtained summary judgment in disability discrimination case; case affirmed on appeal).
  
• Prime Team Services adv. State of California (State Labor Commission, 2006) (obtained dismissal of claim alleging misclassification of independent contractors).
  
• ABF, Inc. adv. Perine (Central District of California, 2005)(obtained summary judgment on wage-hour misclassification matter).
  
• WellPoint, Inc. adv. Bayardo (JAMS Arbitration, 2010)(prevailed in all claims in disability discrimination/failure to accommodate action).

Honors

• Recognized as leading lawyer for Labor and Employment in California - 2009 Chambers USA.

Memberships

• Member, California Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)

Articles

• Unprecedented State Law Targets Forced Labor, Daily Journal, November 22, 2011

• Author, Chapter 35, Arbitration, in Age Discrimination in Employment Law, B. Lindeman & D. Kadue, eds. (BNA Books, 2003).
  
• Author, Supreme Court Clarifies Employer Liability Under Title VII for Supervisor's Sexual Harassment of Subordinate, BNA Employment Discrimination Report, May 1999.

Speeches

• Co-presenter, "California Transparency in Supply Chain Act," California Grocers' Association Webinar (July 2011)