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Representative Cases

Our attorneys have extensive litigation experience at all levels of State and Federal Courts, NLRB, ALRB, EEOC and other administrative agencies on a broad range of employment and labor matters. Representative cases include:

  • Maria Esther Rey, et al., v. Madera Unified School District, 203 Cal. App. 4th 1223 (2012) Bill Woolman was lead litigation counsel brought in to defend Madera Unified School District in a dispute concerning attorneys fees, defeating a “patently unreasonable” fees claim of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, among others.
  • Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Mendes, 160 Cal.App.4th 136 (2008). In this case Howard A. Sagaser and other members of the firm successfully defended claims that Mendes Calf Ranch violated various statutes pertaining to the raising of livestock. The firm successfully defended the case and succeeded in convincing the Court that the Plaintiff lacked standing to sue under the Unfair Business Practice scheme set forth in California Business and Professions Code §17200.
  • Artesia Dairy v. Agricultural Labor Relations Board, 168 Cal.App.4th 598 (2008). Mr. Sagaser and other members of the firm successfully argued that the ALRB erred in failing to count ballots of three employees in an agricultural election. The Court of Appeals ordered that the challenged ballots be opened and agreed that the ALRB had improperly construed the statute to exclude relatives of the owner of the dairy from voting.
  • Affordable Housing Development Corp. v. City of Fresno, 433 F.3d 1182 (2006). In this case, Howard Sagaser successfully defended individuals who asserted their first amendment rights and were sued for $27,000,000. This case was important in establishing first amendment rights of individuals to petition their Government for redress.
  • Boghosian Raisin Packing Company, Inc. and Packing House Employees and Warehousemen’s Union, Local 616 a/w International Brotherhood of Teamsters, AFL-CIO, 342 NLRB No. 32 (2004). The NLRB upheld firing of striking employees for failure to give proper notice to FMCS. This led to the decertification of the Teamsters Union.
  • City of Fresno v. People Ex Rel Fresno Fire Fighters, 71 Cal.App.4th 82 (1999). In this case, Mr. Sagaser successfully represented the City’ of Fresno in a labor case involving an action brought by the Police Officer’s Union and the Fire Fighter’s Union seeking to set aside the repeal of the City Charter provisions which set forth the employee’s wages based upon an eight city average. In this complex case arising under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, Mr. Sagaser successfully argued at both the trial and Appellate Court level that the actions taken by the City of Fresno were proper and that the City of Fresno properly fulfilled its bargaining obligations with the labor unions.
  • Stokes v. Dole Nut Co., 41 Cal. App. 4th 285 (1995) In this case, cause for Plaintiffs’ terminations was established through proof of Plaintiff’s efforts to compete against Dole, completely defeating Plaintiffs claims.
  • Joe A. Freitas & Sons v. Food Packers, Processors and Warehousemen Local 865, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 164 Cal.App.3d 1210 (1985). Howard A. Sagaser obtained the reversal of an adverse arbitration award, in the process establishing important precedent regarding the validity and interpretation of the collective bargaining agreements under California’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act.
  • Mergerdigian v. Western Farm Service, (1986) 788 F.2d 760. In this case, Howard A. Sagaser successfully defended against an employee’s claim for wrongful discharge and age discrimination in the trial court, and this result was affirmed on appeal.
  • Quinn Company, 273 NLRB No. 107 (1984). In this case, the National Labor Relations Board upheld the decertification of the union that had represented the work force of the Quinn Company. The Board’s opinion is often cited for the proposition that a bargaining unit supervisor properly may participate in the decertification process.

Other notable cases:

  • Agri-Sun Nursery, 13 ALRB No. 10 (1987)
  • Agri-Sun Nursery, 13 ALRB No. 19 (1987)
  • Artesia Dairy, 33 ALRB No. 3 (2006)
  • Artesia Dairy, 33 ALRB No. 3 (2007)
  • Dole Fresh Fruit Company, 22 ALRB No. 4 (1996)
  • Henry A. Garcia Dairy, 33 ALRB No. 4 (2007)
  • La Cuesta Verde Ginning Co., 13 ALRB No. 23 (1987)
  • McCaffrey Goldner Roses, 28 ALRB No. 8 (2002)
  • Milky Way Dairy, 29 ALRB No. 4 (2003)
  • Orange County Nursery, Inc., 19 ALRB No. 3 (1993)
  • S & J Ranch, Inc., 18 ALRB No. 2 (1992)
  • S & J Ranch, Inc., 18 ALRB No. 10 (1992)
  • South Lake Dairy, 39 ALRB No. 1 (2013)
  • Tule River Dairy, 35 ALRB No. 4 (2009)
  • Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons, 25 ALRB No. 4 (1999)
  • Vincent B. Zaninovich & Sons, 34 ALRB No. 3 (2008)
  • Woolf Farming Co., 35 ALRB No. 2 (2009)