Kent Jonas
Partner

Practice Areas

Experience

Kent Jonas has represented employers in labor and employment matters for more than twenty-five years following his employment as an attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice and by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Kent’s practice includes counseling clients in how to prevent employment related litigation and representing them when it occurs. He also advises clients regarding remaining union free and in dealing with unions that do represent their employees.

Kent has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer since 2004 and is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell.

Representative Matters

• Representation of employer in union organizing campaign resulting in employer victory by margin of more than 20 to 1.
• Representation of manufacturer in class-based sex discrimination investigation by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Successful arbitration of race discrimination claim by former division president of client.
• Collective bargaining on behalf of group of tugboat companies operating on San Francisco Bay.
• Representation of clients in two separate class actions alleging failure to pay required prevailing wages.
• Successful arbitration of wrongful discharge/race discrimination claim by former controller of division of client.
• Obtained summary judgment for client charged with violation of Fair Credit Reporting Act in investigation leading to discharge of employee.
• Representation of employer and individual defendants in federal court jury trial of claims by several employees of breach of collective bargaining agreement, violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and retaliation.
• Representation of software company in jury trial of sex discrimination case in San Francisco Superior Court.
• Litigation involving claim by male employee that he had been wrongfully terminated after investigation concluded he had committed sexual harassment.
• Representation of client in multiplaintiff same-sex harassment litigation.

Admissions

Kent is admitted to practice in California.

Education

University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), J.D.
Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, M.A.P.A., with distinction
San Diego State University, A.B., with high honors

Affiliations

Member, State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Law Section
Member of Bars of United States Supreme Court; 5th, 9th and District of Columbia Circuit Courts of Appeals; and Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California
Member of American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity