JEFF BRINGS EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE
Experience & Knowledge
JEFF BRINGS EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE, & EXPERTISE
Before becoming a full-time mediator, Jeff Fuchsman practiced employment law exclusively for 40 years. For the first six years of Jeff’s career, he represented individual employees and labor unions in San Diego. Jeff spent the next 34 years as a partner in the highly regarded management-side employment law boutique Ballard, Rosenberg, Golper & Savitt LLP in Los Angeles. Jeff received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, and his B.A. in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany. Jeff also completed 40 hours of advanced mediation training with the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law.
Over the course of his 40-year career, Jeff has litigated hundreds of employment cases in both state and federal court, including cases involving claims for wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. Jeff was also lead counsel in over 150 class and representative PAGA actions, including cases based on overtime misclassification, regular rate, meal and rest breaks, time clock rounding, tip pooling, service charges, wage statements, and commissions.
Jeff was counsel in key employment cases decided by the California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jeff also co-authored several chapters on wage and hour law for the State Bar CEB series (Wage and Hour Laws, Advising California Employers and Employees; Payment of Wages and Overtime, California Wage and Hour Law: Compliance and Litigation).
Jeff brings his extensive experience, knowledge and expertise gained during his 40 years of handling a full range of employment law cases to mediations. Not only does he have in-depth knowledge of the many complex legal issues affecting employment cases, Jeff also has a keen understanding of the settlement value of a case and knows how to effectively use the mediation process to reach a deal that both sides can accept.
Since opening his mediation practice in 2023, Jeff has been engaged to mediate in over 200 employment cases, including more than 175 class and PAGA mediations. Although employment cases can be very challenging to settle, over 90 % of Jeff’s mediations have resulted in a settlement. Even if the parties are not able to reach a settlement at the mediation, Jeff will continue to work with the lawyers behind the scenes to explore a possible resolution, which often will lead to a settlement acceptable to both sides.
Jeff limits the number of mediations scheduled each week, which allows him to spend the time necessary to fully analyze and understand the factual and legal issues for your case. Jeff also holds separate pre-mediation conferences with the lawyers for each side before the mediation to discuss the case in detail, and lay the groundwork for a productive and successful mediation.