Mr. Scheidt is a shareholder and the firm's Business Services Practice Group Manager. The Business Services Practice Group includes the firm's commercial litigation, business law, banking and creditors rights, corporate formation, real estate, trusts and estates, and tax practices. Mr. Scheidt represents private and public sector clients in all areas of employment and labor law, including defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disability accommodation and whistleblower lawsuits, negotiating executive employment agreements, and representing employers in collective bargaining. Mr. Scheidt also represents private entities in commercial litigation, serves as general counsel for local businesses, and represents lending institutions in lender liability lawsuits, debt collection actions and bankruptcy proceedings. He is an experienced litigator, having represented private and public clients in both the state and federal trial and appellate courts and in arbitration proceedings. Mr. Scheidt is former chairman of the firm's board of directors.
Legal Experience
In practice since 1991, Mr. Scheidt has focused on representing corporate and public agency clients in employment and commercial law, as well as providing litigation support. His private clients include local manufacturing companies, retailers and regional banks, as well as Fortune 500 corporations.
He provides advice and litigation counsel to employers on all matters of labor and employment including:
· Draft employee handbooks and other personnel policies
· Advise employers on disciplinary actions
· Prevention of sex, race, and other unlawful harassment and discrimination claims through training and day-to-day advice
· Negotiate executive employment contracts
· Public and private sector labor relations, including collective bargaining negotiations, representation of employers before PERB and NLRB proceedings, and grievance processing.
· Compliance with state and federal laws governing employment, including:
- the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
- the California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
- the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (Title VII)
- the Pregnancy Disability Leave Act (PDL)
- the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
· Severance and release agreements
· Medical and personal leaves of absence, workersi&concat; compensation, and disabilities in the workplace, including whether and how to reasonably accommodate employees
· Hiring and firing employees and managing high-risk terminations
· Privacy issues in the workplace, such as monitoring computer and internet use, drug testing, conducting workplace searches, background checks, and managing office romance
· Non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary information, trade secrets, inventions, and customers
· Proper classification of employees for overtime and tax purposes
· Investigation of workplace harassment and discrimination claims
Mr. Scheidt also represents lending institutions, corporations and partnerships in a broad range of matters, including:
· Banking law
· Lender liability
· Bankruptcy
· Debt collection
· Breach of fiduciary duty actions
· Fraudulent conveyance actions
· Business and commercial litigation
· Corporate and partnership dissolution
Practice Examples
· Mr. Scheidt successfully represented a local manufacturing company in a joint venture and trade secret lawsuit, resulting in a $4 million award after a jury trial.
· Mr. Scheidt successfully represented a national retail chain in a contract reformation and fraud lawsuit against six Northern California union locals that resulted in a credit of nearly $2 million in the company's health and welfare contributions.
· Mr. Scheidt represented the State of California in a commercial lawsuit that resulted in more than $300 million in savings to electric ratepayers.
· Mr. Scheidt won a $2 million judgment for a lender in a commercial litigation dispute.
· Mr. Scheidt won a fraudulent conveyance judgment involving a transfer of real property by a judgment debtor who owed the bank client $2 million.
· Mr. Scheidt successfully defended a city in arbitration affirming the dismissal of a police employee for lying.
· Mr. Scheidt was the prevailing attorney in a fraud and legal malpractice lawsuit that resulted in a trial judgment of more than $200,000 for his client, a small business owner.
· Mr. Scheidt represented a school district in a lawsuit resulting from a budget-required layoff of teachers. The Court agreed with Mr. Scheidt's interpretation of the Education Code as it related to the district's layoff decisions.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Mr. Scheidt's professional accomplishments and activities include:
· Northern California Super Lawyer (2004, 2008, 2010, 2011)
· Appointed by Sacramento County Superior Court Presiding Judge Steve White to the Civil Courts Advisory Council (2010 - 2011)
· Appointed to the City of Roseville's Public Utilities Commission (2007-present)
· Graduate of Roseville Leadership program, sponsored by Roseville Chamber of Commerce and the City of Roseville
· Member, Rotary Club of Roseville (former Board member)
· Member, Roseville Chamber of Commerce
· Member, Rocklin Chamber of Commerce
Admitted to Practice
· All California State Courts
· United States District Courts, Eastern and Northern Districts of California
· United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Academic Background
B.A. California State University, Fresno, 1976
J.D. University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1991
· Graduated with Great Distinction
· Member, Order of the Coif
· Member, Traynor Honor Society
· Received American Jurisprudence Awards in Constitutional Law, Evidence and Administrative Law
· Staff Writer and Assistant Comment Editor, Pacific Law Journal
Newsroom
· Bruce Scheidt named Northern California Super Lawyer
Past Speaking Engagements
02/02/2011, Employment Law Update: Legislative Changes for 2011 (Roseville)
03/02/2010, Employee Handbooks and Notice Requirements: Keeping Your Handbooks and Notices Compliant With Federal and State Law
09/30/2009, An Ounce of Prevention: Human Resources Role In Wage & Hour Claims
09/16/2009, Privacy and the E-Workplace: Practical advice for every employer on how to properly prepare for and respond to employee privacy issues
04/29/2009, 2009 Wage and Hour Compliance Seminar
09/17/2008, Managing Employee Leaves of Absence
09/12/2007, Workplace Investigation Seminar
12/07/2006, What's New for 2007: Recent Developments in Employment and Labor Law
11/16/2006, Evidence Program