Babak G. Yousefzadeh

Babak Yousefzadeh is a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco office.

Areas of Practice

Babak represents employers in a full range of employment law matters, with a focus on litigation and class actions. Babak also specializes in litigation avoidance and regulatory compliance counseling. His experience includes advising and litigation on matters involving all forms of discrimination, harassment, retaliation/whistleblower issues; breach of contract disputes; wrongful termination claims; wage and hour issues; independent contractor status; workplace investigations; discipline; grievance; workplace violence; Labor Code violations; and other statutory and contractual obligations. He is experienced with single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action proceedings, and practices in both state and federal bodies, in all applicable forums.

Babak is also experienced with defending employers at trial, arbitration and administrative hearings (such as before the Department of Labor Standards Enforcement), and has defended repeated claims against employers successfully, obtaining complete defense jury verdicts, arbitration awards, and administrative rulings. He also has successfully defended employee terminations at arbitration on behalf of unionized employers.

Babak frequently advises clients regarding a wide array of labor and employment issues, as well as various regulatory compliance issues, and assists companies with proactively implementing compliance strategies.  Babak also routinely gives harassment/discrimination prevention and regulatory compliance trainings, and drafts transactional documents such as employment-related agreements, employee policies and handbooks, and regulatory-based policies and agreement. He also advises unionized employers in the often technical space where traditional labor (collective bargaining agreements) intersect with state statutory employment matters.

Honors

Northern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2020-2021

Northern California Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2013-2017

Articles

Labor & Employment Law Blog Posts

• "Ninth Circuit Finds Shipping Warehouse Employee Qualified as Exempt “Transportation Worker” Under the Federal Arbitration Act," July 9, 2024

• "What the Third Circuit’s Looming Decision Regarding Whether College Athletes Can Constitute “Employees” Will Mean for Universities and Employers of Unpaid Student Interns," January 18, 2023

• "The Ninth Circuit Puts the Brakes on Truckers’ California Meal and Rest Break Claims," January 19, 2021
• "Additional Paid Leave for Some San Jose Employees Under the COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Ordinance," April 16, 2020
• "California Court of Appeal Addresses Unlimited Vacation Policies for the First Time in McPherson v. EF Intercultural Foundation, Inc." April 6, 2020
• "City of San Francisco to Provide Paid Sick Leave for Private Sector Workers Impacted by COVID-19," March 16, 2020

• "AB 51 – Arbitration Under Attack," October 23, 2019

Events

Memberships

National President Emeritus of the Iranian American Bar Association, Feb. 2019-present

National President of the Iranian American Bar Association, 2014- Feb. 2019

Board of Directors, Iranian American Bar Association, Northern California Chapter, 2011-present

California Bar Association

San Francisco Bar Association