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Phone Number

818.990.2120

Everything But Home

Phone: (818) 907-3220
Fax: (818) 981-4764
E-Mail: SBendavid@lewitthackman.com


Practice Areas

Education

Loyola Law School Juris Doctor (1990)

  • St. Thomas More Law Honor Society
  • Int'l and Comparative Law Journal
  • Dean's List

California State University, Northridge
B.A. in Political Science, Cum Laude (1987)

  • Political Science Honor Society
  • Golden Key Honor Society
  • Dean's List

Memberships

  • State Bar of California
  • San Fernando Valley Bar Association
       - Past President
  • Society For Human Resources Management
  • Professionals in Human Resources Associates (PiHRA)
  • California Chamber of Commerce
    HR California

Awards

  • AV Rating of 5.0 Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating awarded by peers of the bar and judiciary for legal ability and ethics.
  • San Fernando Valley's Top 10 Business Women of the Decade, by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal, 2011
  • Top 25 Lawyers of the Valley, by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal - March 2007
  • Southern California Super Lawyers, by Los Angeles Magazine, 2006 - 2012
  • Women Who Mean Business, by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal, September 2005
  • Top Women Attorneys in Southern California, Los Angeles Magazine Online, 2011

Community Service

  • National Moot Court Competition
    - Judge, 2003 - 2011
  • Valley Associated Settlement Team - Mediation, 2004 - 2005
  • Judge Pro Tem

Published Decisions

  • Reeves v. Hanlon et al.,
       - 106 Cal. App. 4th 433 (2003)
  • Fenton v. Century 21 Real Estate Corp. et al.
       - CCH Franchise Guide (1998)

Media Interviews

  • Dennis Prager Radio Interview
       - KRLA 870, November 2002
  • Legal Forum TV Show
       - Guest Speaker, October 2002
  • Money Matters TV Show
       - Guest Speaker, 2001
  • Pete Demetriou Radio Interview
       - KFWB 980, September 1998

Lecturer
California Employment Attorney San Fernando Valley

Sue M. Bendavid

 

Sue M. Bendavid is a California employment attorney and business litigation lawyer, as well as a Shareholder and Chair of our Firm’s Employment Law Practice Group.

Ms. Bendavid exclusively represents employers in employment-related litigation, counseling and transactions — representing them in all matters from employee claims prevention and management training to class action lawsuits.

Apart from her litigation experience in the trial and appellate courts, Ms. Bendavid also wins dismissals and receives favorable rulings from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the California Employment Development Department, the California Labor Commissioner and the U.S. Department of Labor – saving our clients millions by quashing potential litigation.

Ms. Bendavid represents clients in a variety of industries, including:

  • Manufacturing and Distribution Companies
  • Restaurants and Other Food Service Providers
  • Entertainment Development & Production
  • Global Tourism & Travel Companies
  • Law, Accounting, Insurance and Engineering Firms
  • Mass and Special Transit Companies
  • Hospitals, Doctors and Medical Groups

Adept in pre-litigation counseling and advocacy, as well as pre-trial depositions, discovery and motion practice, Ms. Bendavid obtains withdrawals of claims from our clients’ current and former employees, as well as dismissals of cases in early stages. These dismissals and withdrawals result in large cost savings for the companies she represents.

Ms. Bendavid assists employers with hiring and firing practices, wage and hour issues, leaves of absence, claims for wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, preparation of employee handbooks, policies and employment agreements, and performance management. She has successfully defended multiple harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, invasion of privacy, and wage and hour disputes, and has substantial experience in class actions, writs, appeals, hearings and motion practice.  

As a California employment attorney who advocates employer preparation and litigation prevention, Ms. Bendavid also provides in-house training on topics such as sexual harassment, discrimination, hiring and firing practices, proper disciplinary methods, leave of absence management and other employee-related topics.

During the economy downturn, Ms. Bendavid aided many clients with corporate down-sizing efforts by not only preparing appropriate documents such as WARN Act notifications, but also by strategizing with clients in determining layoff procedures.

Her counsel in such matters helps employers prevent potential wrongful termination or discrimination claims that may arise as a result of the lay off selection process.

Graduating Cum Laude with honors in Political Science, Ms. Bendavid earned her undergraduate degree from California State University, Northridge.  Ms. Bendavid was a member of the Political Science Honor Society, the Golden Key Honor Society, and the Dean's List. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in 1990, where she was elected to the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society and was a contributor to the International and Comparative Law Journal.

Ms. Bendavid is a member of the State Bar of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She is also a member of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, where she served for multiple terms as a Trustee, Officer, Chair of various committees (Personnel, Programs, and the Business & Employment Law Section), and President of the Bar Association. She is admitted before the U.S. District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

A frequent lecturer, Ms. Bendavid publishes a variety of employer-focused articles and receives numerous business and legal recognition awards. As a California employment attorney, Ms. Bendavid served as counsel in the published decision of Reeves et al. v. Hanlon, et al. (2003), and in Century 21 adv. Fenton (1998).

 

Los Angeles Employment Lawyer

Publications

Noteworthy Legal Activities

  • Volunteer Center of Los Angeles
       - Unlawful Harassment in Employment, April & May 2005
  • Author, Sterling Education Services, Inc.
       - Managing the Modern Workforce re: Employee Handbooks, February 2005
       - Employment Law Update, September 2005
  • San Fernando Valley CPA Discussion Group of the Los Angeles Chapter
       - Employment Law Litigation Seminar, August 2004
       - Paid Family Leave Act, July 2004
       - Labor Law Update, October 2003
  • Build Work Source – California
       - New Employment Laws, 2004 and 2005
       - Hiring and Firing Practices, March 2004
  • California Staffing Professionals - Los Angeles Chapter
       - New Employment Laws for 2005, January 2005
  • Employer Advisory Council (East Ventura County)
       - Is Dirty Talk in the Workplace Acceptable After the "Friends" Decision?, October 2006
       - Handling Employee Performance and Discipline from Hiring and Firing, October 2005
       - Recent Employment Law Issues/Exempt or Non-Exempt, April 2004
       - Legal Development in Employment Discrimination and Harassment News, June 2003
       - Zero Tolerance in the Workplace, May 2002
       - Exempt vs. Non-Exempt, April 2001
  • Employer Advisory Council (San Fernando Valley)
       - Employee Handbooks, January 1999
       - Sexual Harassment in Employment, June 1999
  • Employer Advisory Council (San Gabriel Valley)
       - New Employment Laws for 2002, April 2002
  • San Fernando Valley Bar Association
       - Law and Motion and Trial Update, November 2007
       - Elimination of Bias, December 2003
       - Hot Employment Topics for 2002, October 2002
  • West Valley CPA Group
       - New Employment Laws for 2004, March 2004
  • California CPA Education Foundation
       - 2002 Employment Practice Conference: Reducing the Liability of Your Firm and Clients, October 2002
  • California Society of CPA's Los Angeles Chapter
       - Employment Issues from Hiring to Termination, February 2000
  • American Corporate Council Association - So. Calif. Chapter
       - Co-Presenter: A New Era of Privacy and Information Security, March 2002
  • Israeli Business Network
       - Hiring & Firing Practices for Employers, May 2001
  • Executive Women International
       - Loved or Harassed?, February 2002
       - Sexual Harrasment in Unemployment, 1999
       - The Need for Employee Handbooks, 1998
  • Augora/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce
       - Hiring Tips, March 2001
  • Palmdale Chamber of Commerce
       - Hot Buttons in Employmnet Law, September 2000
  • Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
       - Employer/Employee Rights and Wrongs, June 1999
  • National Association of Women Business Owners - Ventura County
       - The Top Five Wage and Hour Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, February 2007
  • Women in Technology International
       - Common Mistakes Made by Employers and How to Avoid Them, May 2007

 

 

 
LEWITT HACKMAN | 16633 Ventura Boulevard, Eleventh Floor, Encino, California 91436-1865 | 818.990.2120