Cheryl A. Sabnis

Cheryl Sabnis is a respected trial attorney who represents companies of all sizes, and executives, in employment and commercial disputes.

For more than 25 years, Cheryl has defended clients in complex litigation matters, guiding them to successful resolution of putative class, collective, and representative actions, as well as single-plaintiff disputes. She is particularly adept at helping companies resolve their most sensitive employee-related problems, maintain a healthy workplace culture, and avoid costly litigation.

Cheryl handles a wide range of claims including wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, disability and religious accommodation, leaves of absence, health and safety, restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, declaratory judgment, fraud, tortious interference, and related claims. Cheryl’s ability to navigate clients through the complex dynamics often in play in a business or workplace environment, allows her to diffuse situations and discuss sensitive matters pragmatically and constructively.

Outside of litigation, Cheryl helps clients manage employee-related crises and is frequently engaged to investigate claims of workplace misconduct. She has served as lead investigator in matters ranging from allegations of employee, officer, and contractor misconduct, unlawful harassment, retaliation and discrimination to “midnight raids” by departing employees, sexual assault, threats of workplace violence, and workplace death and injury.

Delivering practical and on-point business solutions to her client’s problems, Cheryl counsels her clients on a broad range of legal matters, provides specialized training related to the prevention of unlawful conduct in the workplace, and best practices for hiring, managing, disciplining, and separating personnel.

Experience

• Negotiated a favorable global resolution of all pending claims on behalf of a nationwide retailer against putative class action and Private Attorneys' General Act lawsuits filed in multiple jurisdictions claiming violation of state wage and hour laws on behalf of thousands of employees.
• Obtained summary judgment for an international consulting firm against claims of race discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation. All claims except one was settled favorably on the eve of trial.
• Defended an oil and gas company against claims of disability discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims except one and successfully co-tried the remaining claim to a defense verdict.
• Obtained summary judgment for a global consulting firm dismissing an employee’s claims of fraudulent billing, retaliation, and discrimination.
• Defended a retailer against claims of rape and retaliation filed by a female employee who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a male manager at an off-site retreat.
• Prosecuted and settled on favorable terms claims of trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, and unfair competition against a client’s competitor who hired away several employees and used stolen documents to start a competing business venture virtually overnight.
• Defended an employer targeted by union organizers with an onslaught of complaints and claims from all directions, including wage & hour class action claims, PAGA suits, retaliation claims, alleged OSHA violations, and a California attorney general inquiry.
• National employment counsel for a retailer, defending all manner of claims across the United States, including discrimination, retaliation, wage & hour, workplace safety, harassment, wrongful termination, and denial of leave rights.