Daniel De La Cruz

Daniel De La Cruz is an associate in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office.

Areas of Practice

Daniel handles various types of employment litigation, including wage and hour class actions; discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, and harassment lawsuits; and administrative litigation, collective bargaining, and general labor relations matters. 

Daniel also proactively advises employers on compliance with labor laws in order to avoid litigation. He regularly advises management on wage-and-hour issues, leave laws, workplace violence prevention, the disability accommodation process, and the discipline and termination processes. He also regularly reviews and prepares employee handbooks and other employment-related documents, and conducts comprehensive audits to identify potential violations. Daniel has also advocated for his clients' interests by submitting amicus curiae briefs to the California Supreme Court in cases that could have far-reaching effects on workplace practices.

In his previous work, Daniel assisted in conducting workplace investigations for government employers faced with claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

Honors

Ones to Watch — Labor and Employment, Best Lawyers, 2021-2025

San Diego Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2018-2023

Articles

Healthcare Law Blog

• "Who is a Manager or Supervisor Excluded from California’s Healthcare Worker Retention Payment Program?," December 16, 2022

• "Important Deadline Approaches for California Healthcare Employers to Apply for Worker Retention Payments," November 11, 2022

Labor and Employment Law Blog Posts

• "Massachusetts Joins the Pay Transparency Game and Ups the Ante with New Reporting Requirements," September 17, 2024
• "What Employers Need to Know About California’s New COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law," September 18, 2020
• "Enactment of Los Angeles and San Diego Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Ordinances Requires Employers to Reassess Their Policies," June 20, 2016
• "Ninth Circuit Blesses Iskanian," October 1, 2015 

Cannabis Law Blog Posts

• "Tenth Circuit Holds the Controlled Substance Act Is Not At Odds With the Fair Labor Standards Act," October 31, 2019

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, "The Employer's Guide on Handling Privacy and Defamation in the Workplace," Alameda County Employer Advisory Council Webinar, May 11, 2021
• Speaker, "Leave Me Alone! A Guide to California’s Leave of Absence Laws," SDEAC Workplace 2020, October 16, 2019
• Speaker, "Empowered Employees: New Laws that Give Greater Rights to the Workforce," SDEAC Workplace 2019, October 18, 2018
• Speaker, "San Diego Proposition I and its Impact on Business," SDEAC Workplace 2017, October 26, 2016

Events

Memberships

Member, Labor and Employment Section, State Bar of California

Member, Labor and Employment Section, San Diego County Bar Association

Member, Tom Homann Law Association

Digital Media