Matthew
Schechter

• State Bar of California
• State Bar of New York
• U.S. District Courts, for the Northern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

• J.D., University of Notre Dame Law School
• B.A., Bowdoin College

Representative Matters

• Tried a breach of contract action that resulted in a favorable verdict for the client and a multi-million damages award.
• Obtained landmark California Supreme Court ruling which set statewide precedent for public records disclosure. The Supreme Court unanimously held that when public employees use personal accounts to communicate about the conduct of public business, those writings may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.
• Tried a federal employment discrimination case that resulted in a favorable jury verdict on behalf of a university employee.
• Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a client who was sued for claims including assault and battery, conversion, and infliction of emotional distress.
• Defended a client, including defeating plaintiff’s motion for summary adjudication, against copyright infringement allegations made by a former employer.
• Successfully developed and argued an appellate brief before the California Court of Appeal that resulted in a reversal of a costs award made to a party in connection with a Fair Pay Act claim.
• Successfully developed briefs in two different appeals before the California Court of Appeal, each resulting in the reversal of the trial court’s grant of summary judgement.
• Successfully developed and argued an appellate brief before the California Court of Appeal that resulted in affirming the trial court’s order sustaining, without leave to amend, a demurrer to a Petition for Administrative Mandamus.
• Successfully developed an appellate brief before the California Court of Appeal that resulted in affirming the trial court’s grant of summary adjudication before trial and orders for nonsuit and judgment during trial in a tip pool case involving a local casino.

Reported Cases

• City of San Jose v. Superior Court (Smith) (2017) 2 Cal.5th 608.
• Avidor v. Sutter’s Place, Inc. (2013) 212 Cal.App.4th 1439.
• Ajaxo, Inc. v. Bank of America Technology and Operations, Inc. (E.D. Cal. 2008) 625 F.Supp.2d 976.
• People v. Harvey (N.Y. App. Div. 2002) 298 A.D.2d 527.
• People v. Jackson (N.Y. App. Div. 2000) 273 A.D.2d 253.

Awards

• Northern California Super Lawyers, 2024

Honors

• Named a White Scholar by the Thomas J. White Center on Law and Government

Articles

• “California Court Issues Precedent-Setting Decision in Rockefeller Case” The Recorder
• “Are You Minding Potential Off-the-Clock Work Problems?,” Daily Journal
• “The Wild World Of Calif. Wage Orders” Law360
• “Calif’s Fair Pay Act: Practical Advice for Employers” Law360
• “Iskanian Denied, So What Now?” Daily Journal
• “Concepcion’s Continuing Fallout in the Golden State” Daily Journal
• “Brinker on Class Certification: Only Consider Merits When Necessary” Daily Journal
• “New Laws for Employers” The Recorder
• “Off the Clock, or on the Hook?” The Recorder
• “A Survey of Employment Arbitration Clause Cases” Law360

• “Return to Work Considerations for CA Employers” McManis Faulkner Employment Law Webinar, 2021
• “The Conference of California Bar Associations (CCBA), What It Is and Why It’s Important”, Know Your Legal Rights NPR radio, 2021
• “The ABCs of Worker Classification: California’s Legal Landscape Post-AB5”, McManis Faulkner Employment Law Webinar, 2020
• “Cannabis & Co: Addressing Cannabis in the Workplace”, McManis Faulkner Employment Law Seminar, 2019
• “Don’t Let #MeToo Become #YouToo, Effectively Handling Workplace Sexual Harassment Complaints”, McManis Faulkner Employment Law Seminar, 2018

• Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of California, Member
• Santa Clara County Bar Association’s (SCCBA) Labor and Employment Executive Committee, Member, and former Chair
• Conference of California Bar Association (CCBA) Delegate.  CCBA provides a forum for California lawyers to work together to address issue of importance and provide leadership in improving the law.
• CCBA Board of Directors (2014-present); Secretary (Sept. 2018- Sept. 2020); Chair-Elect (Sept. 2020-Sept. 2021); Chair (Sept. 2021-Sept. 2022)
• New Museum of Los Gatos (NUMU) Board Member (2016-present)
• SCCBA’S Board of Trustees and Civil Practice Committee, former Member
• Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, former Editor-in-Chief