John Giovannone

John R. Giovannone is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. A member of the Labor & Employment Department, he represents employers in the full range of employment law matters, from traditional labor to single plaintiff and class-based wage/hour, contract, discrimination, harassment, and licensing litigation.

While Mr. Giovannone’s bedrock skill set lies in employment litigation and trial advocacy, a major component of his practice involves advice and counsel so as to position his clients to avoid disputes where possible, and to prevail via litigation when necessary. Mr. Giovannone also has extensive experience litigating issues pertaining to the interpretation and enforceability of arbitration agreements.

Specifically, Mr. Giovannone has litigated class actions and single plaintiff matters on behalf of employers (both domestic and international) in a wide array of industries including manufacturing, outside service and repair, financial services, defense contracting, aeronautics, commercial banking, education, childcare, retail, pharmaceutical, construction, telemarketing, information technology, package delivery, and uniform services.

Mr. Giovannone has successfully litigated class and collective actions ranging the gamut of nationwide, statewide, regional, and local scope  under a wide-range of employment laws including, but not limited to, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the California Labor Code including the California Private Attorneys’ General Act (PAGA), the California Education Code, the California Unfair Competition Law, the California Auto-Renewal Statute, California’s Title 22 Child Care Licensing Regulations, as well as Washington state law.

Mr. Giovannone has represented management before federal and California state courts, as well as federal and state administrative agencies, including, but not limited to, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the California Public Employment Relations Board, and the California Labor Commissioner.

He has both first- and second-chair trial and arbitration experience in labor and employment matters, as well as substantial mediation and collective bargaining experience. Mr. Giovannone has successfully opposed numerous class certification attempts and has successfully brought motions for summary judgment, preemptive denial of class certification, reduction of the size of purported classes (by as much 90%), terminating sanctions and to recover attorneys’ fees.

Mr. Giovannone also provides advice and counsel services to management regarding state and federal labor and employment law, including human resources training, policy drafting, and workplace investigations. Approximately one-third of Mr. Giovannone’s practice focuses on management-side labor relations.

His traditional labor background includes several labor arbitrations (including contract interpretation, discipline, and termination matters), unfair labor practice charges, and multiple election campaigns. He also has assisted employers in collective bargaining negotiations. Mr. Giovannone is the co-manager of Seyfarth Shaw’s California Peculiarities Employment Law Blog.