Overview
Brendan Dolan is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco office.
Areas of Practice
Brendan has more than 30 years of experience representing employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters encompassing both litigation and counseling.
He has brought dozens of successful motions for summary judgment, has extensive injunction litigation experience, has tried cases and handled appeals in the state and federal courts, and has arbitrated a wide variety of employment disputes. He has defended employers in individual, multi-plaintiff and class litigation involving alleged discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, trade secret misappropriation, noncompetes and employee benefits. Among clients Brendan has represented in litigation are Oracle Corporation, Chevron, Siemens, Hearst Corporation and Cisco Systems.
He has also prosecuted cases on behalf of employers and industry groups challenging government regulation affecting the employment relationship. One example is the successful ERISA preemption-based challenge to the San Francisco domestic partner benefits ordinance in which Brendan represented the US airline industry trade organization and 35 individual airlines.
Brendan has also handled National Labor Relations Board cases, collective bargaining negotiations, strike planning and labor arbitrations.
Brendan counsels employers on myriad labor and employment issues encompassing virtually every facet of the employment relationship.
Brendan has also represented senior executives in employment agreement and severance negotiations and disputes.
Brendan has been named in The Best Lawyers in America over several years and is listed in the 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020 editions. The Legal 500 United States guide recommended Brendan in the Labor and Employment — Labor and Employment Disputes (including collective actions): Defense category in 2018 and 2019.
Honors
Honors
Northern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2020-2021
Best Lawyer in America, Best Lawyers, 2016-2025
Recommended Lawyer – Labor and Employment, The Legal 500, 2017-2019
Memberships
Memberships
Member, State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law Section
Member, San Francisco Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association, Sections of Litigation & Labor and Employment
Industries
Education
J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 1986, cum laude, Managing Editor, Law Review, McAuliffe Honor Society
B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1981
Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado