Stephen J. Hirschfeld
Email: [email protected] Phone: 415-835-9011 Fax: 415-834-0443 Partner Stephen Hirschfeld is a founding partner and co-managing partner with the law firm of Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP, in San Francisco, California. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), the world’s largest network of labor and employment lawyers. His practice involves labor, employment and higher education law on behalf of management in both the private and public sector. Steve advises clients throughout the country on day-to-day legal issues affecting the workplace, including employee discipline and terminations, union organizing, workforce reductions, discrimination claims, proprietary information and trade secrets disputes, substance abuse, workplace privacy, disability accommodations, executive employment contracts, overseeing and conducting internal investigations involving employee, student, and faculty misconduct, faculty tenure issues, and other human resources issues. He regularly defends employers in state and federal courts on disputes involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, trade secrets/unfair competition and wage and hour law. He successfully argued a seminal wage and hour issue before the California Supreme Court. Steve has vast experience working with unionized businesses on matters including collective bargaining, union contract disputes, and labor arbitrations. He has tried to verdict over 100 cases before courts, arbitrators, administrative law judges and government agencies with a 'win rate' of over 90 percent. Steve has conducted and overseen hundreds of investigations involving allegations of employee misconduct. He regularly assists multi-national clients by conducting worldwide employment law audits to ensure they are in full compliance with all applicable employment and labor laws. Steve has experience working with Boards of Directors to improve their effectiveness and communications. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies to small, privately-owned businesses. Steve represents over 100 colleges and universities throughout the United States. He takes a proactive approach when advising clients, emphasizing creative solutions to employee relations problems. He frequently represents employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies on a variety of litigation matters involving the employer-employee relationship. Steve routinely counsels management about ways to prevent costly and protracted litigation. He teaches clients’ executives, managers, and supervisors how to make sound human resource decisions, while at the same time minimizing wrongful termination, discrimination, and sexual harassment claims. Other DistinctionsNamed by Lawdragon/HR Executive as one of America's 100 most powerful employment lawyers in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Named by Who’s Who Legal – Management Labor and Employment Law and The Expert Guide as one of the world's leading lawyers in labor and employment law.
Named by The International Who's Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers 2013. Named by Who's Who Legal: Labour, Employment and Benefits 2016.
Named by
Who's Who Legal 2016 - Compendium Edition.
Fellow, The College of Labor and Employment Law.
Listed in Northern California Super Lawyers every year since 2007.
Listed in "Leaders in Their Field" in Chambers USA 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. According to Chambers, he is praised as "knowledgeable, smart and savvy - the lawyer to go to for sophisticated employment issues" and
"passionate, energetic and intelligent, cost-sensitive and a delightful personality." Further, "[t]he 'very pragmatic and commercial' Stephen Hirschfeld of Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP is founding and co-managing partner of the firm. He . . . elicits praise for being 'incredibly responsive and pragmatic, and understanding the needs of a dynamic business and taking ownership for his decisions.' " and "Stephen Hirschfeld, of Hirschfeld Kraemer LLP has over 30 years' experience handling labor and employment concerns for clients. Clients value Hirschfeld as 'a no-nonsense guy who cuts through it and helps figure out a game plan very pragmatically.' " Named by the San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the "California Lawyers Companies Turn to First." Listed by AsiaLaw as one of America's leading Asia-Pacific focused employment lawyers.
National Association of College and University Attorneys' Distinguished Service Award, that organization's highest award which was established to recognize individuals who have given extraordinary service to higher education.
Mr. Hirschfeld is "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell. Professional and Civic Involvement
American Bar Association InterPacific Bar Association International Bar Association Bar Association of San Francisco, Labor & Employment Law Section National Association of College and University Attorneys Society for Human Resource Management XBHR, A Global Think Tank for Cross-Border HR Experts DRI Member of the Bucknell University Parents Board of Directors.
Representative Public Presentations and Articles
Speeches Breaking Bad: How to Address Faculty Misconduct Labor & Employment Law Update 2016 Union Organizing in 2016: Be Prepared! Webinar: Establishing an International Campus or Program in the UAE and Qatar: Corporate, Regulatory, Immigration, and Labour Law Considerations Steve Hirschfeld Asks "Can Anyone Ever be Fired Anymore?"
Steve Hirschfeld and Amy Durgan Speak to the Santa Clara County Employer Advisory Council on "Reimagining Your Employee Handbook: Has the Time Finally Come?" Webinar - The BYOD Workplace and the 24/7 Employee Steve Hirschfeld will co-present Workplace Woes: Addressing Bullying and Violence at NACUA's 2014 April CLE Workshop Webinar: The Biggest Signs Union Activity is Afoot: What Should You Do About It? Hiring to Firing – Managing Risk Beginning to End Steve Hirschfeld will be presenting Employee Monitoring and Surveillance Across Borders at the xbhr Annual Conference Free Webinar - Hot Topics for Employers in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Global Perspective Steve Hirschfeld will Present a Webinar entitled Can Anyone Ever Be Fired Anymore?: The Current State of Wrongful Termination, sponsored by World Alliance for Retail Excellence & Standards Steve Hirschfeld to Present ABA Webinar on Preparing for Grievance Arbitration Steve Hirschfeld Presents EEO Roundup: Setting the New Standard at the NCHRA 2014 Legal & Legislative Conference California and Nevada: Labor and Employment Law Roundup Webinar - A Year in Review: Key U.S. Labor and Employment Law Developments in 2013 and What to Expect in 2014 Steve Hirschfeld to Speak at Association of Caribbean Corporate Counsel Summit Luncheon Redundancies in Asia and the Pacific: Key Issues for Employers The Use (and Abuse) of the Independent Contractor Webinar Steve Hirschfeld presents “How to Effectively Investigate Allegations of Serious Acts of Misconduct” at the Southern California Wine Country SHRM Meeting PASCO 30th Annual Labor Law Conference Steve Hirschfeld presents Harassment in the Workplace – Bullying – The Latest Legal Updates at the Kern County SHRM Symposium Steve Hirschfeld presents "Minimizing Legal Risks When Managing Your Employees" at the Marin Employer Advisory Council Meeting Steve Hirschfeld and Natasha Baker will present Conducting Effective (and Legal) Workplace Investigations sponsored by the Northern California HR Association Steve Hirschfeld will be co-presenting Corporate Social Responsibility at the ACC EU Annual Conference in Barcelona Steve Hirschfeld will present Minimizing Legal Risks When Managing Your Employees Steve Hirschfeld to present Speaking with the Enemy: Peer into the Mind of a Plaintiff's Lawyer at HR West 2013 Steve Hirschfeld will present Hottest Topics in Discrimination and Harassment at the PASCO Labor Law Conference Employer Advisory Council Presentation Employer Advisory Council Presentation "Employment Law Update" Employer Advisory Council Presentation "The Hottest Topics in Employment Law - What Every HR Professional Needs to Know" PASCO's 29th Annual Employment Law & Human Resources Conference, "The Latest Trends in Employment Law" The Latest Labor and Employment Law Issues Affecting the Wine Industry Delaware Bench & Bar Conference "Privacy in the Workplace: Reasonable and Unreasonable Expectations" Ethics and Compliance Programs for Colleges and Universities Top Ten Things a Business Officer Needs to Know Managing the Hiring Process Ensuring Global Employment Law Compliance in International Operations ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, 2010 Spring Conference Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities: The Most Important Things College Presidents Need to Know
Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities: The Most Important Things College Presidents Need to Know NACUA’s March 2010 CLE Workshop on Higher Education Employment Law: Changing Campuses, Continuing Challenges Employees Behaving Badly Articles Steve Hirschfeld Speaks to Law360 on Lyft Settlement With Drivers Steve Hirschfeld and Dan Handman Quoted in San Francisco Business Times Regarding Uber Settlement Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in Los Angeles Times on Uber Settlement HK’s Steve Hirschfeld Offers Takeaways From U.C. Berkeley Sexual Harassment Scandal for Employers in San Francisco Business Times Steve Hirschfeld Quoted on California High Court Ruling on California's Worker Seating Requirement ELA CEO and HK Co-Managing Partner Steve Hirschfeld Quoted on QSR Magazine Regarding McDonald's Joint Employer NLRB Hearing Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in San Francisco Business Times Article on Recent Uber Ruling Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in The Recorder Regarding the San Francisco Uber Case Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in Article in The Recorder on A Bump in Business for the Winning Kleiner Attorneys Employment Law Alliance Report Clears Higher Ed Official of Wrongdoing Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in Seattle Times Articles on Uber Drivers Unionizing Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in the Los Angeles Times on the Issue of Contractors Becoming Employees at Start-Ups Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in PBS Article on Workplace Harassment and Assault Prevention Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in the Society for Human Resource Management's Article on the Use of the Term "Digital Natives" in Job Postingss Steve Hirschfeld Quoted in San Francisco Chronicle Article on Uber Decision by Labor Commission HK's Steve Hirschfeld Joins Other Attorneys In Giving His Reaction to the Supreme Court Abercrombie Ruling in LAW360 Steve Hirschfeld and Christine Helwick Quoted in Corporate Counsel Article Regarding In-House Counsels at Colleges and Universities Steve Hirschfeld Tells the Daily Journal That Law Firms Must "Couple Global Resources With Local Access to Excel" Steve Hirschfeld Provides Perspective on Judge's Rejection of Proposed Settlement in Silicon Valley "No-Poaching" Case in San Jose Mercury News Why the World Cup Gives Employers Headaches Human Resource Executive Features Steve Hirschfeld Discussing Workplace Accommodations Steve Hirschfeld Pens "Global Employee Handbooks Must Balance Compliance with Culture" for The Society For Human Resource Management Steve Hirschfeld Authors "Global Employee Handbooks Must Balance Compliance with Culture" for WorldLink Magazine. Steve Hirschfeld Addresses the Challenges Facing Multinational Companies When Developing a Global Employee Handbook Steve Hirschfeld Offers Perspective on Apple-Intel-Google Anti-raiding Suit Being Certified as a Class Action Your Business: Modern Clients Drive Structural Change by HK Partner Stephen Hirschfeld Law360 Article 5 Best Practices For Firing Bad Employees Quotes Stephen Hirschfeld Hirschfeld Comments on California Appellate Decision on Pregnancy Discrimination for Law360 Keeping Facebook Private A Harsh Verdict on Penn State's GC Outlined in Freeh Report Can Employers Demand to See Employees’ and Applicants’ Facebook Pages?
Can Employers Demand to See Employees’ and Applicants’ Facebook Pages? Like schoolyard, the workplace has its bully At the Crossroads: International Programs, Laws, and Cultural Expectations. Company Bullies May Get Their Due in court With New Laws Employment Defense: California Lawyers Companies Turn to First All Together Now: The Challenge of Managing a Global Workforce Office Romance: Are the rules changing? Doing Business in the Muslim World - Practical Issues for Employers and Employees Workplace Bullying: The Next legal Frontier? Policymakers, Take Note: The Force is with the Workplace Bloggers Stopping Sexual Harassment: An Employer's Guide Doing Business in the Muslim World A Global Perspective on Investigating Employee Misconduct Conducting An Effective Internal Investigation Practice Areas Employment Litigation and Dispute Resolution Training of Supervisors and Employees Human Resources Counseling Traditional Labor Services Higher Education Law International Labor and Employment Law Education J.D. - The George Washington University Law School - 1982 B.A. - St. Lawrence University - 1979 summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa Bar/Court Admissions California Missouri U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th and DC Circuits U.S. District Court, Northern and Central Districts of California U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri U.S. Supreme Court
