Bryan S. Westerfeld

Bryan Westerfeld is a partner with our firm.  He represents and advises employers in a variety of areas, including all types of employment litigation, ERISA litigation, internal investigations, executive agreements, and traditional labor matters.

Bryan regularly defends employers and employee benefit plans in federal and state court in cases involving ERISA, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, and unfair competition.  He also has extensive experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements, advising clients on compliance with employment and labor laws, and conducting training seminars on a variety of topics.

Before becoming a partner with Walraven & Westerfeld LLP, Bryan was Counsel at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he practiced labor and employment law from 2001 to 2007.

Education

J.D., The George Washington University Law School (2001)

  • With highest honors
  • Order of the Coif
  • The George Washington University Law Review

B.S., University of California, San Diego (1997)

 

Admitted to the Bar in California

 

Memberships

Member, Orange County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section

Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association

E-mail: bwesterfeld@walravenlaw.com
Telephone: (949) 215-1997

Illustrative Professional Experience

  • Defending a major ship-building company in multiple wage and hour class action lawsuits seeking overtime, meal and rest break compensation, and waiting time penalties.
  • Defending a nation-wide communications company in several employment discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits.
  • Representing a major health plan insurer and administrator in various provider contract disputes, lawsuits involving provider fraud, and numerous ERISA litigation matters.
  • Negotiating collective bargaining agreements for a large Southern California acute care hospital, including a contract covering over 600 registered nurses.
  • Advising one of California’s largest long-term care facilities in a union election campaign resulting in decertification of a unit of over 300 employees.
  • Representing clients in the healthcare and security industries with respect to various unfair labor practice charges before the National Labor Relations Board and the California Public Employment Relations Board, as well as numerous labor arbitrations and union grievances.
  • Conducting internal investigations of alleged employee misconduct for a Fortune 500 company.
  • Representing a global investment and advisory firm in a multi-million dollar compensation dispute with a former shareholder.
  • Defending a major airline in a gender discrimination lawsuit.
  • Obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on behalf of a storage network technology company in connection with the company’s claims against a former employee for misappropriation of trade secrets.
  • Representing a large life science and chemical analysis firm in the successful defense of a Ninth Circuit appeal in a case alleging breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA.
  • Obtaining asylum after a bench trial for a Columbian man who was kidnapped and tortured by communist guerillas.  (Pro Bono)