Seyfarth’s Paul J. Leaf Receives the 2021 “Top Lawyers Under 40” Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association

Paul J. Leaf, partner in Seyfarth’s Labor & Employment department in Los Angeles, received the 2021 “Top Lawyers Under 40” award from the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA).

The HNBA’s “Top Lawyers Under 40” award honors exceptionally accomplished lawyers who have demonstrated professional excellence, integrity, leadership, commitment to the Hispanic community, and dedication to improving the legal profession. The awards were presented during the HNBA/VIA CCC2021 Virtual Welcome & Top Lawyers Under 40 Reception on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. You can read more here. 

Leaf practices employment law and commercial litigation. He litigates wage and hour class and PAGA actions, discrimination and wrongful termination suits, and business disputes. Leaf also advises clients about their employment policies and practices. He has been actively involved in the Hispanic community, including by serving as deputy regional president for the HNBA Southern California region, leading a pro bono case aimed at reforming how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes veterans’ disability claims, and serving on the board of a charter high school in a disadvantaged community. He is deeply interested in international security matters, having worked on defense issues for a think tank and published nearly 40 articles about U.S. foreign policy in national outlets, including Forbes, Bloomberg, and The National Interest. Leaf attended Pomona College (of the Claremont Colleges) and Stanford Law School.

“The HNBA is pleased to honor 26 of our outstanding young Hispanic lawyers from across the nation and across sectors that showcase the exceptional legal talent and leadership that our community has to offer,” said Elia Diaz-Yaeger, HNBA national president. “The award recipients were selected from a number of highly qualified candidates. The overwhelming number of highly qualified nominees every year illustrates our progress in the areas of law and leadership. Although much work remains to be done, the HNBA will continue to celebrate and highlight our talented lawyers that distinguish themselves.”

Founded in 1972, the HNBA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan, national membership organization that represents the interests of Hispanic legal professionals in the United States and its territories. It is also committed to advocacy on issues of importance to the more than 58 million people of Hispanic heritage living in the U.S. You can read more here.