
Matthew C. Kane leads the labor & employment practice group in our Los Angeles office, and also is a member of our firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation Department. His practice focuses on representing businesses in preventing, litigating, and resolving employment-related claims, wage and hour class actions and collective actions, misappropriation of trade secrets and non-competition agreement claims, labor-management relations issues, and general commercial litigation.
Matt has significant experience representing clients in the financial services, transportation, food and beverage manufacturing and distribution, telecommunications, employee staffing and retail sales industries. In addition to his private practice experience, Matt previously worked as in-house counsel for the Kroger Co.
In that role, he managed all employment-related and consumer compliance issues and litigation involving the approximately 35,000 employees, 500 retail stores, three distribution centers, and four manufacturing and food processing plants of Kroger’s Ralphs Supermarkets, Food 4 Less, Foods Co., Cala Foods and Bell Markets divisions located in California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana.
Drawing on this extensive experience, Matt provides candid and pragmatic counsel and representation to business clients ranging from small organizations to Fortune 500 companies. Since 2009, he has served as lead national wage and hour class action defense counsel for one of the largest financial institutions in the United States.
His practice is national in scope, representing clients in courts throughout the United States, including in California, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, New York, Texas and Washington.
EXPERIENCE :
- Representing national foodservice distribution company in wage and hour class action alleging claims on behalf of California truck drivers for minimum wage violations, meal break violations and inaccurate wage statement violations. (U.S.D.C., C.D. Cal.)
- Representing janitorial, sanitation and commercial laundry supply company in putative wage and hour class action alleging claims brought on behalf of California delivery truck drivers for unpaid wages and meal and rest break violations. (U.S.D.C., S.D. Cal.)
- Representing national motor carrier in wage and hour class action brought on behalf of California truck drivers asserting claims of minimum wage violations based on formula compensation program and violations of California’s meal and rest break laws.
- Representation of national wireless telecommunications company in favorable resolution of putative class action brought by retail store employees alleging failure to provide suitable seating in violation of California wage order. (U.S.D.C., N.D. Cal.)
- Representation of national mortgage originator in proceedings granting motion to compel arbitration of putative off-the-clock wage and hour class and collective action approximately two years after commencement of the litigation. (U.S.D.C., C.D. Cal.)
- Managing in-house counsel in proceedings determining constitutional due process limits on punitive damages awards in multi-plaintiff sexual harassment case. Gober vs. Ralphs Grocery Company, 137 Cal.App.4th 204 (2006).
- Drafting and advice on employment-related policies, employee handbooks and employment contracts.
- Training of supervisors and employees on prevention of unlawful employment practices, including sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation.
- Representation of maritime port terminal operator in defending and favorable resolution of unfair labor practice charge alleging unlawful telephone monitoring of bargaining unit members in connection with ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
- Representation of national soft drink bottler and distributor in arbitration proceedings denying grievance brought on behalf of employee terminated for threatening co-worker in the workplace.
Education :
- Pepperdine University School of Law, JD, 1994
- Boston University School of Management, BSBA, 1991
Admissions :
- California
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Affiliations :
- Member, Labor & Employment and Litigation Sections, California State Bar
- Member, Litigation and Labor & Employment Sections, Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Court ADR Neutral Panel, 2005-2007
- Attorney Settlement Officer, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2005-2007.
Cost
Rate : $$$
Parisis Filippatos

Alan Wagner

Leif Harrison Kleven

Edward D. Buckley

S. Randall Hood

Matthew Maddox

Ryan L. Thompson
