Overview
David B. Chidlaw is a partner in the firm's San Diego office where he specializes in labor and employment matters on behalf of management, employers and high net worth individuals.
Areas of Practice
David has broad experience counseling and defending employers on a wide variety of employment issues, including immigration. He has substantial experience representing employers in representative and class actions under Federal and California wage and hour law, including prevailing wage matters. He has defended employers in wrongful termination and employment discrimination litigation, including sexual harassment, race, age, national origin, gender, and disability discrimination. He also represents employers in unfair competition and trade secret litigation.
David has substantial administrative litigation and counseling experience before State and Federal Agencies, including the NLRB, Cal/OSHA, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (the Labor Commissioner), the California Apprenticeship Council and Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the U.S. Department of Labor, BCIS, the California Department of Fair Employment & Housing, the OFCCP, and the EEOC.
David has advised both organized and merit shop employers for the length of his career. He has advised and represented employers in collective bargaining negotiations, organizing drives, decertification efforts and grievance arbitration matters. He regularly defends employers before the NLRB. He also provides guidance and training on union avoidance. David provides daily advice to management clients on a wide variety of labor issues including wage and hour, reductions in force, personnel policies and employee handbooks, affirmative action compliance, employment-based immigration, protection of proprietary information, and discipline and termination matters.
Honors
Honors
Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2018-2021
San Diego Super Lawyer, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Top San Diego Lawyers, 2013, 2014
Insights
Articles
- "New Prevailing-Wage Risks For Calif. Public Works Projects," Law360, January 24, 2014
Labor and Employment Law Blog Posts
- "Cal/OSHA Adopts New COVID-19 Emergency Standards Requiring Immediate Action by Employers in California," November 23, 2020
- "Enactment of AB 685 Establishes COVID-19 Exposure Notice Requirements for California Employers and Cal/OSHA Enforcement Changes," September 22, 2020
- "What Employers Need to Know About California’s New COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law," September 18, 2020
- "OSHA Publishes Responses to Frequently Asked Questions on Worker Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic," July 10, 2020
- "OSHA Issues New COVID-19 Guidance Answering Practical Questions on Returning to Work," June 25, 2020
- "Cal/OSHA Issues New COVID-19 General Industry Guidance for All California Employers," May 18, 2020
- "A Solution in Search of a Problem: The California Legislature Imposes Duties for Employers When ICE Audits Your I-9s," December 5, 2017
Latin American Blog Posts
Books
Speaking Engagements
- Frequent speaker before employer and human resources groups on topics ranging from wage and hour to employment discrimination
Events
Memberships
Memberships
Member, San Diego County Bar Association
Member, American Subcontractors Association
Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Digital Media
Digital Media
Practices
Industries
Education
J.D., University of California, Davis, 1989
B.S., University of California, Davis, 1980
Admissions
- California State Courts
- United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California, as well as the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals