Manatt Expands National Litigation Practice

COSTA MESA, CA — March 18, 2014 — Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced that Mandana Massoumi has joined the Orange County office as a litigation partner in the Employment and Labor practice. She was previously a partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP.

With a client roster that includes national retail chains and financial institutions, among others, Massoumi regularly represents major employers in class actions and other complex employment litigation. She has had significant success defending employers in matters involving the Fair Labor Standards Act, California Labor Code, California Business and Professions Code, the National Labor Relations Act, ERISA and a variety of other state and federal labor, discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, whistleblower and trade secret statutes.

In addition to her litigation work, Massoumi counsels clients on unfair competition; nonsolicitation; the use of proprietary information; and accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and the Fair Employment and Housing Act. She also designs and conducts wage and hour audits, investigations and training on every aspect of employment relationships.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that employers be certain that their employment practices are in compliance with the law and provide the necessary measure of protection,” said Matt Kanny, chair of Manatt’s Litigation Division. “Mandana brings the type of sophisticated labor and employment experience that helps companies avoid missteps. Her talents and entrepreneurial enthusiasm serve as a strong complement to our exceptional employment and labor group. We are excited to welcome Mandana to Manatt.”

Massoumi joins several recent high-profile Manatt litigation partners added across the country in 2014, including entertainment litigator John Gatti, in Los Angeles; commercial and white-collar defense litigator Arunabha Bhoumik, in New York City; and financial services litigator Andrew Zimmitti, in Washington, D.C.

“I was drawn to Manatt’s strong reputation across the board, but particularly in the area of employment law, built on a very robust litigation platform,” Massoumi said. “The firm has the national resources, the industry knowledge and the sophisticated support that will greatly benefit my current clients and my growing practice.”

Manatt’s Employment and Labor practice is nationally recognized for excellence in Chambers USA and U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 ranking of the country’s “Best Law Firms.” The firm’s lawyers work closely with employers of all sizes — from startups to multinational corporations — to provide comprehensive counseling on employment issues across a wide spectrum of businesses and industries. They put to work years of experience, extensive employment law skills, and the firm’s substantial national resources to help clients prevent problems by helping create policies and procedures, as well as designing training and auditing programs, that keep clients in compliance with a complex array of state and federal laws.

Massoumi is a member of the Orange County Coastkeeper’s board of directors and a member of the Orange County Family Service Team. A frequent presenter on a wide variety of employment topics, Massoumi has been repeatedly nominated by the Orange County Business Journal for their yearly Women in Business Award.

Massoumi earned dual undergraduate degrees in economics and political science from the University of California, San Diego and her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP                   

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation’s leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.