Matthew J. Goodman

Associate

Los Angeles
T +1.310.979.8420
F +1.310.820.8859

Overview

Matt Goodman’s employment litigation practice encompasses a wide variety of labor-related issues, with a particular focus on wage and hour class actions and single plaintiff discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination matters. He has extensive experience litigating employment matters from pre-litigation through trial.

Matt's experience also includes defending employers in front of administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board. He provides counseling to employers on Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations. His notable litigation experience, paired with his thorough understanding of OSHA compliance regulations, enables Matt to provide clients with a comprehensive view of the issues they face.

Matt is also a frequent commentator on labor and employment issues and has made contributions to academic literature, including a publication on the Private Attorney General Act. Matt’s publications have been cited in briefs and petitions filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court and the California Courts of Appeal, as well as in law review articles and other secondary sources.

Select Experience

  • Prevailed on summary adjudication motion in California state court on three out of four claims, leading to a settlement for a nominal amount.
  • Provides advice and counsel to clients regarding new legal developments, including new case decisions and COVID-19-related emergency orders.
  • Defends entities and individual defendants against claims arising under the FEHA, ADA, Title VII, Labor Code, PAGA, as well as numerous other state and federal laws (single plaintiff and class action).
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Experience

  • Prevailed on summary adjudication motion in California state court on three out of four claims, leading to a settlement for a nominal amount.
  • Provides advice and counsel to clients regarding new legal developments, including new case decisions and COVID-19-related emergency orders.
  • Defends entities and individual defendants against claims arising under the FEHA, ADA, Title VII, Labor Code, PAGA, as well as numerous other state and federal laws (single plaintiff and class action).
  • Prepares motions for summary judgment/adjudication and demurrers in single plaintiff discrimination and retaliation matters.
  • Prepared case for trial, including drafting motions in limine, special verdict forms, jury instructions, and all other trial briefs.
  • Handles OSHA adjudicatory matters by drafting all documents responsive to Cal-OSHA and Federal-OSHA inquiries, and prepares matters for hearing before Administrative Law Judges.
  • Drafts position statements and other correspondence responsive to administrative agency charges, such as the EEOC, DFEH, and DLSE.

Recognitions and Memberships

Memberships

  • Federal Bar Association
  • California Lawyers Association

Admissions

  • California

Education

  • J.D., Santa Clara University School of Law, 2016; Santa Clara Law Review, Articles Editor; Emery Merit Scholar
  • B.S., University of Oregon, 2012

Blog

In The Blogs

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Employment Class Action Blog
Dead End for Class Certification? Ninth Circuit Provides Roadmap for Defending Independent Contractor Misclassification Class Claims
By Matthew J. Goodman, Todd H. Lebowitz
July 8, 2022
For businesses using independent contractor vendors, misclassification claims are usually well-suited for class certification. A plaintiff’s path toward certifying a class can be relatively smooth when all vendors of a particular kind are...
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Employment Law Spotlight
California Supreme Court Significantly Relaxes Employee Burden to Prevail on Section 1102.5 Claims
By Shareef Farag, Matthew J. Goodman
February 10, 2022
The Decision On Jan. 27, 2022, the Supreme Court of California issued Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc., No. S266001, ___ Cal. 5th ____, a decision that decisively changed the burden for employers in defending against claims under...
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