LOS ANGELES -- (March 30, 2021) -- Seyfarth announced today the arrival of partner Mandana Massoumi to its Labor & Employment Department in Los Angeles. Massoumi joins from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP where she was an Employment and Labor partner and co-chair of its national Retail & Consumer Products industry practice group.

Massoumi is a seasoned litigator who successfully defends employers in class actions and other complex employment litigation, handling a broad range of matters arising under state and federal statutes, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Equal Pay Act. She is also a California specialist with extensive experience defending employers against all forms of workplace litigation in California state and federal courts, including at trial. This includes successful defense of claims arising under the California wage orders, labor code, the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA), and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), including all claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliations, and misappropriation of trade secrets, among others. She also defends clients in litigation and audits raised by various government agencies, including the EEOC and the DOL.

"Mandana is an elite litigator and a trusted advisor to retail employers who face an evolving workplace in 2021 and beyond," said Laura Maechtlen, chair of Seyfarth's Labor & Employment Department. "Her additional background counseling companies in the technology, financial, and health industries exemplifies her dynamic practice."

Massoumi's practice also includes advice and counsel, training, investigations, as well as audits, including those related to implementation of artificial intelligence in the workforce. Massoumi regularly partners with her clients, in providing strategic counsel on all aspects of workplace law, whistleblower and retaliation claims, misappropriation of trade secrets and intellectual property ownership rights, wage and hour claims, reductions in force, and privacy claims arising under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), among others. She also assists in design and implementation of workplace policies including diversity and inclusion programs and policies.

"Our Los Angeles team is delighted to welcome Mandana. She has established herself as a premier talent in California and a respected thought leader in the industry," said Nicholas Waddles, managing partner of the firm's Los Angeles office.

Massoumi was recognized by Lawdragon among the "Top 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers" nationwide in 2020. In the local community, Massoumi serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Orange County Coast Keeper, and the Board for University High School. She earned a J.D., with honors, from the University of San Francisco School of Law, and received her B.A., with honors, from the University of California, San Diego.