First Admitted: 2004, California

Professional Webpage: https://www.employeejustice.law/Attorneys/Shadie-L-Berenji.s...

Bar/Professional Activity:

Iranian American Bar Association
U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2004
The USC Law Alumni Association
Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
National Employment Lawyers Associations
Los Angeles County Bar Association
California State Bar, Labor and Employment Law section
Consumer Attorneys of Association of Los Angeles
U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2004
Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2004
California Employment Lawyers Association
California, 2004

Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):

I obtained a $9,461,000.00 verdict in a disability discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit. After my client devoted nearly 27 exemplary years of work to WestRock Services, LLC and its predecessors, he was wrongfully terminated during his medical leave of absence and after he submitted a return-to-work medical note that requested an accommodation for his mental disability that was caused by his perception of being subjected to adverse treatment in the workplace, which the employer refused to address. While my client was on leave, his position was eliminated. When my client returned from protected leave, he was terminated rather than being placed in one of the 60+ open positions for which he was well qualified, which existed on the date of his termination. Defendant took the position that once my client’s position was eliminated, the employer had no duty to engage in the interactive process or to return my client to a comparable position. , 2023
$950,000.00 class action settlement on the behalf of retail salespersons against Robbins Bros. Jewelers, Inc., 2020
$600,000 class action settlement on behalf of assistant teachers against Boys Town California and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home DBA Boys Town, 2021
$6,518,000 class action settlement on the behalf of sales consultants against CarMax Auto Superstore., 2020
$5,100,000.00 class action settlement on behalf of hourly-paid employees that worked for Aaron's Inc.'s (furniture store) in California., 2020
$950,000 class action settlement on the behalf of hourly-paid counselors against Community Education Centers., 2018
$540,000.00 representative action (PAGA) settlement on the behalf of technicians against Traffic Management., 2017
$2,350,000 class action settlement on the behalf of counselors against Phoenix Houses of California, Inc.; $750,000.00 class action settlement on behalf of driver sales employees against Frisco Baking Company; $473,155.00 class action settlement on the behalf of leasing consultants against GHP Management Corp. , 2016
$1,500,000.00 class action settlement on the behalf of retail salespersons against Sterling Jewelers., 2019
$800,000.00 class action settlement on the behalf of techinicians against Envent Corporation , 2019
$1,000,000.00 class action settlement on the behalf of maintenance technicians against Virgin America, Inc., 2017

Honors/Awards:

TopVerdict.com recognizes U.S. law firms and attorneys who have obtained the highest jury verdicts, settlements, or court awards in the nation or in an individual state. In 2023, my $9,461,000 verdict in Lowry McCray v. WestRock Services, Inc. ranked in the Top 50 Verdicts in California. It was ranked number 44., Top 50 Verdicts in California, Topverdict.com, 2023
The National Advocates Top 100 is a professional honorary organization comprised of the top attorneys in each state who fall into one of six practice areas, including Employment Law., The National Advocates Top 100, The National Advocates, 2023
TopVerdict.com recognizes U.S. law firms and attorneys who have obtained one of the highest jury verdicts, settlements, or court awards in the nation or in an individual state. In 2017, two of my settlements, Lorre v. Virgin America and Aaron Giles v. Community Education Centers, Inc., were ranked in the Top 100 Labor & Employment Settlements and Class Action Settlements in California., Top 100 Class Action Settlements in California, TopVerdict.com, 2017
TopVerdict.com recognizes U.S. law firms and attorneys who have obtained one of the highest jury verdicts, settlements, or court awards in the nation or in an individual state. In 2017, my settlement in Lorre v. Virgin America was ranked as one of the Top 50 Labor & Employment settlements in California., Top 50 Settlements in Labor & Employment Law Cases, TopVerdict.com, 2017
TopVerdict.com recognizes U.S. law firms and attorneys who have obtained one of the highest jury verdicts, settlements, or court awards in the nation or in an individual state. In 2017, my settlement in Lorre v. Virgin America was ranked as one of the Top 50 Class Action Settlements in California., Top 50 Class Action Settlements in California, TopVerdict.com, 2017
The National Advocates Top 100 is a professional honorary organization comprised of the top attorneys in each state who fall into one of six practice areas, including Employment Law., The National Advocates Top 100, The National Advocates
The National Advocates is a professional honorary organization comprised of the top attorneys in each state who fall into one of six practice areas, including Employment Law., The National Advocates Top 20 Workers' Compensation and Employment Law, The National Advocates, 2020

Educational Background:

University of California, Los Angeles, California, Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology, 2000

Other Outstanding Achievements:

Appellate Victory: I successfully protected my client's constitutional right to a jury trial by establishing that an arbitration agreement was unconscionable and unenforceable. This victory resulted in an unpublished opinion by the California Court of Appeal, Second District. See Towell v. O'Gara Coach Company, LLC (Cal. Ct. App., Oct. 27, 2022, No. B310742) 2022 WL 15205912., 2022
Appellate Victory: I successfully protected my client's constitutional right to a jury trial by establishing that an arbitration agreement was unconscionable and unenforceable. This victory resulted in a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal, Second District. See Mills v. Facility Solutions Group, Inc. (2022) 84 Cal.App.5th 1035., 2022
I successfully protected my client's constitutional right to a jury trial by establishing that an arbitration agreement was unconscionable and unenforceable. This victory resulted in a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal, Second District. See Gerald Lange v. Monster Energy Company (2020) 46 Cal.App.5th 436., 2020

Shadie Berenji