Brandon Reed McKelvey

BigLaw Experience Brandon was a partner in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP (a top-tier international employment law firm with over 700 attorneys) where he co-led the California Class Action Group, was a contributing author for wage and hour and employment law treatises, and regularly gave presentations and blogged on California employment law. Accomplished Litigator Prior to working at Seyfarth Shaw, Brandon was a full-service litigator representing individuals and businesses in a variety of contexts, including class actions and complex business and employment disputes. He has worked on some of the biggest class action cases in California and was a member of the trial team on one of the largest and longest class action trials on record. Employment Defense Brandon has successfully represented some of the largest companies in California and the United States in multimillion-dollar employment lawsuits. For more information on the types of cases Brandon handles, click here. Advice and Counseling Brandon has counseled Fortune 500 companies, large privately held companies, and small businesses on California employment law compliance, with a focus on California’s wage and hour laws. Skilled Class Action Litigator Brandon has litigated class actions his entire 14-year career and has experience on both sides of the bar, helping him see a case from all angles, assess exposure at the outset of a case, and deliver a range of practical solutions to clients. He has helped clients defeat class certification on many occasions. Click here to view a short video on employment class action solutions for businesses. Wage and Hour Defense He has defended wage and hour class, collective, multi-party, and representative actions in every federal court in California, in every major county in the Central Valley and Bay Area, and on appeal at both the federal and state levels. He also leads the Cal Wage Hour Law initiative at Medina McKelvey, which provides businesses with a variety of options for evaluating and defending wage and hour lawsuits. Business Focus Brandon has handled employment lawsuits, including class and collective litigation, in a wide number of industries. He has a passion for learning the way businesses work and tailoring a legal solution that is right for the client’s business and industry. Industry Emphasis While at Seyfarth, Brandon created the Central Valley Food & Wine Law Group to address a wave of wage hour lawsuits against Central Valley employers. He now leads the Food Wine Law initiative at Medina McKelvey, which seeks to bring food, wine, and law together for clients in a variety of industries, including the food and wine industry. Innovation While at Seyfarth, Brandon started a first-of-its-kind California employment law blog aimed at finding creative ways to deliver practical solutions on issues that employers regularly face, in an easy-to-read format. Brandon is in the process of creating a new way for clients to get legal updates outside the crowded blogosphere. Stay tuned for more information. Client Service Brandon has developed new ways of communicating with clients that make it easier for them to quickly read emails and stay up to date on large cases and projects, including “At-A-Glance Case Updates.” He uses a unique writing style and format to keep communications focused and easy to read, while providing decision points and a clear roadmap for clients. Strong Credentials Brandon graduated from UC Davis School of Law (Executive Editor of the Law Review) where he authored a published law review article that has since been cited by numerous legal journals and courts. He grew up in Southeastern Michigan and graduated from Wayne State University (magna cum laude) in Detroit. The Sacramento Business Journal has included him as one of a select few Sacramento-area lawyers in its inaugural “Best of the Bar” list. Community and Professional Commitments Brandon holds to the highest ethical and moral standards in his practice and in his personal life. He is a member of the California State Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association. He is active in his community and supports numerous local and international charitable organizations. He has donated significant time and money to pro bono and charitable work with CARE, the Placer County Food Bank, and other local charities. He has been pro bono counsel for Placer County Food Bank for the last four years. Family Commitment Brandon has been happily married to his wife for more than 14 years. He’s also the proud dad of a young daughter and a black Labrador Retriever.