Jennifer G. Redmond

Jennifer Redmond is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco and Palo Alto offices and is co-chair of the firm's Noncompete and Trade Secrets Team.

Areas of Practice

Jennifer Redmond specializes in executive disputes and negotiations, negotiating and litigating restrictive covenants, trade secrets litigation, and whistleblower litigation. She writes regularly on the topic of restrictive covenants in California and assists in the structuring of transactions and relationships to support the use of restrictive covenants. She has significant experience in the technology, financial services, entertainment, drug distribution, and national multi housing industries.

Ms. Redmond's general employment experience includes counseling employers on enforcement of non-solicitation and non-compete agreements, protection of trade secrets, wage and hour compliance, WARN Act compliance, family and medical leave compliance, disability accommodation, and employee housing, among other topics; assisting in the design and implementation of restructuring and downsizing programs; mediating employment disputes; training management and employees on harassment and discrimination prevention.

Education

• J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1989, Order of the Coif, Andrew Ewing Scholar, Senior Articles Editor of Vanderbilt Law Review
• B.A., University of Virginia, 1984, with honors

Clerkships

• Ms. Redmond clerked for Judge Earl B. Gilliam of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Recent Representative Matters

Represents one of world's largest personal technology companies in the strategic use, litigation, and negotiation of restrictive covenants globally.

Defended a a leading drug distribution and healthcare technology company in 11-day jury trial against claims brought by a former technology consultant for indemnification under California Labor Code section 2802, breach of contract, wrongful termination, fraud and infliction of emotional distress. The claims were brought on the theory that the Plaintiff was a dual employee of Plaintiff's consulting firm employer and the client company. Complete defense verdict (12-0) obtained.

Filed noncompete enforcement action against former Chief Marketing Officer of multi-national company, following executive's abrupt resignation and demand for several million dollars in "good reason" severance. Matter settled quickly and favorably for our client.

Defended world's largest global network of integrated services in 15-day arbitration brought by former vice president who sued for gender discrimination, retaliation, defamation, breach of contract, and other claims.  Plaintiff claimed damages in excess of $4 million and was awarded a small fraction of the demand.

Defended national insurance and financial service company in 16-day trial brought by a former commissioned surety bond producer who sued for breach of contract, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, defamation, and unfair business practices. Plaintiff's demand was $4.4 million; complete defense verdict obtained.

Prosecution and defense of employee mobility cases involving trade secrets and restrictive covenants for talent agency, international insurance broker, biotech companies, national developer of multi-family residential and corporate housing, among others.

Honors

• Labor & Employment, Legal 500, 2012, 2013
• Northern California "Super Lawyer," Law & Politics and San Francisco magazine, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Memberships

• Member, Impala Racing Team, all-women elite development racing team based in San Francisco
• Vice Chair, Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco
• Member, American Bar Association
• 2008 Chair, Executive Committee of the Litigation Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco
• Provides pro bono advice to nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Friends of San Francisco Public Library, and the Chinese American International School

Articles

Restrictive Covenant Articles, Blogs & Speeches

• Bar Association of San Francisco Restrictive Covenant Program, November 2012
• "California Appellate Court Upholds Stipulated Injunction Prohibiting Solicitation of Customers and Rejects After-The-Fact Effort to Show that Customer Nonsolicit Violated California's Ban on Noncompetes," October 15, 2012
• Covenants Not To Compete In Limited Liability Company Operating Agreements May Be Enforceable Without Payment For Goodwill, Business Law News, September 2012
• "California Court Of Appeal Refuses To Enforce Non-Compete Against Selling Shareholder, " Sheppard Mullin Labor & Employment Law Blog, September 4, 2012
• What To Do When A Selling Shareholder Becomes Your Employee: Drafting Enforceable Noncompetes Under Business and Professions Code Section 16601, California Labor & Employment Bulletin, October 2010
• Prosecuting and Defending Corporate Raiding, Customer Trade Secret and Employee Mobility Cases - "Injunctive Relief for Party whose Employee has Exited," Hyatt Regency San Francisco, San Francisco, California, December 3, 2009
• Silicon Separations, The Deal Magazine, September 18, 2009
• Does Edwards v. Arthur Anderson Bar the Use of Employee Confidentiality Agreements?, Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin, Vol. 2009, No. 8, August 2009
• Does Edwards v. Arthur Anderson Bar the Use of Employee Confidentiality Agreements?, Association of Corporate Counsel, June 19, 2009
• "California Court of Appeal Rejects Anti-SLAPP Motion in Trade Secrets/B&P Section 16600 Case", May 7, 2009
• Ninth Circuit Limits the Scope of In-Term Covenants Not to Compete, HouseJD, February 9, 2009
• "California Supreme Court Disapproves "Narrow Restraint" Exception For Covenants Not To Compete; Holds General Waivers Should Not Be Interpreted To Waive Non-Waivable Rights", August 8, 2008
• Noncompete Clauses in California, The Daily Deal, June 30, 2008

General Articles

• Ms. Redmond was quoted in the Lawyers USA article "Screening Applicants on Social Media Sites" in the May/June 2011 issue.
• California's Paid Family Leave Act Is Less Onerous Than Predicted, Society for Human Resource Management, January 2010
• Ms. Redmond was quoted in the Los Angeles Daily Journal article "Start-Ups Face Uphill Battle with Labor Law" on December 22, 2009.
• What Impact, If Any, Do the New Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations Have in California?, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) California Employment Law Special Update, April 1, 2009
• Historic Victorian Passes From One Lawyer To Another, The Recorder, October 22, 2007
• Apartment Industry Wage and Hour Obligations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and California Labor Code and Wage Orders, published by the National Multi Housing Council, Spring 2005
• Sailing Through the Employee Housing Bermuda Triangle, presented at National Multi Housing Council Human Resources Forum, April 2004

Labor & Employment Law Blog Articles

• "Ninth Circuit Holds that Federal Securities Laws Preempt California Labor Code's Ban on Forced Patronage at Brokerage Firms," May 9, 2013
• "New California Commission Contract Rules - It is Not Too Early To Get Ready!" March 20, 2012

Speeches

• 2012 National Multi Housing Council Human Resources Forum - “Wage-Hour Employee Classification: Strategies to Protect Your Firm,” Renaissance Chicago Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, March 28, 2012
• The Bar Association of San Francisco - "The Employment Investigation on Trial: An Interactive Program" BASF Conference Center, San Francisco, California, June 2, 2011
• The Bar Association of San Francisco's 2010 Yosemite Conference - "Notice Pleading in Federal Court: R.I.P.?" Yosemite Lodge Conference Center, Yosemite, California, February 19-20, 2010 (co-presented by Jennifer Redmond, Honorable Claudia Wilken, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and Cliff Palefsky, McGuinn, Hillsman & Palefsky)
• The 6th Annual Wage & Hour Litigation Conference - "Meal and Rest Periods in California," San Francisco Marriott Union Square, San Francisco, California, September 17-18, 2009

• EFF Bootcamp - "Employment Basics for Start-Ups," San Francisco, California, May 11, 2009

Events

• Labor and Employment Law Update & Happy Hour Fall 2012 - Palo Alto, October 16, 2012