Paul J.Leaf
Partner
Labor & Employment
pleaf@seyfarth.com
More About Paul
Paul is a partner in the firm’s employment law group, where he primarily defends companies against class action and PAGA cases alleging wage and hour violations. He also represents companies in single plaintiff matters involving discrimination, harassment, breach of fiduciary duty, non-compete and non-solicitation, and wrongful termination claims.
Paul litigates before federal and state courts, arbitration tribunals, and state and federal agencies. He has experience in all phases of litigation, including trial. In addition to his litigation portfolio, Paul helps clients avoid liability by advising them about compliant personnel policies and decisions.
Paul represents clients from many industries, including aerospace, automotive, education, entertainment, financial services, media, and retail.
Paul has guest lectured at UCLA Law School regarding his expertise in independent contractor misclassification law. Prior to joining the firm, Paul practiced commercial litigation with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Beyond his legal practice, Paul is active with pro bono, community, and public policy matters. He serves as the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Southern California Deputy Regional President. Paul worked on defense issues at a think tank, and he is a regular commentator on U.S. foreign policy, having published nearly 40 op-eds in several national newspapers and magazines, and been interviewed and quoted by the media. Paul is a board member of a charter high school serving underprivileged students. Paul led a pro bono case aimed at reforming how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes veterans’ disability claims. Paul is a founding board member of Pickleball Cares, a non-profit organization that aims to provide mentorship and athletic opportunities to children in disadvantaged communities.
Paul litigates before federal and state courts, arbitration tribunals, and state and federal agencies. He has experience in all phases of litigation, including trial. In addition to his litigation portfolio, Paul helps clients avoid liability by advising them about compliant personnel policies and decisions.
Paul represents clients from many industries, including aerospace, automotive, education, entertainment, financial services, media, and retail.
Paul has guest lectured at UCLA Law School regarding his expertise in independent contractor misclassification law. Prior to joining the firm, Paul practiced commercial litigation with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Beyond his legal practice, Paul is active with pro bono, community, and public policy matters. He serves as the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Southern California Deputy Regional President. Paul worked on defense issues at a think tank, and he is a regular commentator on U.S. foreign policy, having published nearly 40 op-eds in several national newspapers and magazines, and been interviewed and quoted by the media. Paul is a board member of a charter high school serving underprivileged students. Paul led a pro bono case aimed at reforming how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes veterans’ disability claims. Paul is a founding board member of Pickleball Cares, a non-profit organization that aims to provide mentorship and athletic opportunities to children in disadvantaged communities.
- JD, Stanford Law School
Editor, Stanford Law Review
- BA, Pomona College
With distinction
- California
Related Services
Reported Trial Court And Appellate Case Decisions
- Quinn v. LPL Financial LLC, 91 Cal. App. 5th 370 (May 10, 2023) (affirming the constitutionality of an exemption from AB 5 that makes the Borello test, rather than the ABC test from Dynamex, govern the issue of whether registered financial advisors are employees or independent contractors)
- Aronson v. Gannett Publ'g Servs., LLC, 2023 WL 2025706 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 15, 2023) (approving a PAGA settlement based on the fact that only the aggrieved employees who show up at trial to try to prove their claims are eligible to recover PAGA penalties)
- Sanchez v. Hearst Communications, Inc., 2022 WL 1400853 (N.D. Cal. May 4, 2022) (denying class certification on all claims stemming from plaintiffs’ allegation that newspaper dealers were misclassified as independent contractors, due to predominance of individualized issues)
- Aronson v. Gannett Publ'g Servs., LLC, 2020 WL 2891940 (C.D. Cal. May 29, 2020) (denying class certification on all claims stemming from plaintiff’s allegation that newspaper carriers were misclassified as independent contractors, due to predominance of individualized issues)
- Madeira v. Converse, Inc., 2020 WL 1265428 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2020) (denying plaintiff’s motion for class certification in full, involving claims for alleged meal period violations, unlawful meal period waivers, unlawful rest period violations and failure to provide third rest periods, illegal "rounding" of time punches, and failure to include bonuses in the regular rate of pay for overtime)
- Chavez v. Converse, Inc., 2020 WL 1233919 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2020) (granting partial summary judgment for Defendant as to plaintiff’s claims for penalties under California Labor Code 203 and 226; holding that a "good faith dispute" exists as to whether time spent in exit inspections or bag checks is compensable, which precludes recovery of penalties)
- Heredia v. Eddie Bauer, LLC, 2020 WL 127489 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 10, 2020) (granting decertification of class action case involving thousands of retail store employees in California, based on claims for unpaid wages for time spent in bag checks and exit inspections)
- Novak v. Jacobs Eng'g Grp., Inc., 2018 WL 345052 (Cal. App. Jan. 10, 2018) (affirming summary judgment on claims of (1) fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, (2) breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and (3) age discrimination, based in part on a finding that plaintiff was an independent contractor after retiring from his employment with defendant in exchange for money)
- Osman v. Tatitlek Support Servs., Inc., 2017 WL 945024 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 1, 2017) (granting summary judgment on off-the-clock claims where employees were required to remain on the employer’s premises and sleep there, because a geographic restriction alone does not constitute compensable hours worked)
- Shann v. Durham Sch. Servs., L.P., 182 F. Supp. 3d 1044 (C.D. Cal. 2016) (granting motion to dismiss all claims, because (1) conclusory allegations regarding job titles and duties of class members failed to show they were similarly situated; (2) complaint failed to state claim for overtime violations; and (3) complaint failed to state claims for meal and rest break violations)
Related Trends
Related News & Insights
-
Blog Post
Mar 24, 2023
Adverse Adjudication on the Merits Deprives Plaintiffs of PAGA Standing
-
Recognition
Dec 1, 2022
Seyfarth’s Paul J. Leaf Featured in Lawyer Monthly’s December 2022 Cover Story: “Unraveling California Employment Law”
-
Recognition
Mar 18, 2021
Seyfarth’s Paul J. Leaf Receives the 2021 “Top Lawyers Under 40” Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association
-
Firm News
Jan 6, 2021
Seyfarth Promotes 21 as Partners
- Recipient of the "Top Lawyers Under 40" Award by The Hispanic National Bar Association (2021)
- Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy
- Member of the Board of Directors of New Millennium Secondary School (a charter high school)
- Founding Member of the Board of Directors of Pickleball Cares (a non-profit)
- Co-Author, "Adverse Adjudication on the Merits Deprives Plaintiffs of PAGA Standing," Seyfarth Shaw Wage And Hour Litigation Blog (March 24, 2023)
- “California Employment Law And The Dangers Of Retroactivity,” Lawyer Monthly (November 30, 2022)
- "Withdrawing From The INF Treaty Was The Easy Part," The National Interest (February 6, 2020)
- "Trade Tussle: America Needs To Capitalize On Its Relationship With Taiwan," The National Interest (June 11, 2019)
- "Taiwan And The South China Sea Must Be Taken Off The Back Burner," The National Interest (June 18, 2018)
- "America And Japan Must Respond Collectively to China's Bullying," The National Interest (November 29, 2017)
- "Asia's Game of Thrones: Taiwan Voted -- The U.S. Should Listen," The American Interest (January 16, 2016)
- "The U.S. Must Call Out China For Its Aggression," Daily Caller (October 13, 2015)
- "Why The United States And Vietnam Urgently Need To Deepen Ties," The National Interest (September 11, 2015)
- "The US And Japan Should Help Taiwan Acquire Modern Submarines," The Diplomat (December 19, 2014)
- "China’s Charm Offensive: A Temporary, Tactical Change," The Diplomat (December 17, 2014)
- "Washington and Tokyo Are Messing Up a Vital Trade Pact," RealClearWorld (October 28, 2014)
- "Time to End Ban on Weapons Sales to Vietnam," The Diplomat (September 18, 2014)
- "With China on the Rise, America Must Woo India," The National Interest (September 15, 2014)
- "Japan’s Military Normalization: Promise and Potential Peril," The Diplomat (September 4, 2014)
- "Learning From China’s Oil Rig Standoff With Vietnam,"The Diplomat (August 30, 2014)
- "Fix the VA Before More Veterans Die," The Hill (June 26, 2014)
- "South China Sea Standoff: The U.S. Must Get Off The Sidelines," Daily Caller (June 3, 2014)
- Co-Author, "Time to Finalize the TPP," Daily Caller (May 13, 2014)
- Co-Author, "The U.S., TPP, and Taiwan," The National Interest (April 24, 2014)
- "Five Things the U.S. Should Do to Capitalize on Chinese Aggression," Daily Caller (December 31, 2013)
- "Yes We Can Care for Disabled Veterans, 365 Days a Year," Forbes (November 12, 2012)
- Co-Author, "The Internal Affairs Doctrine Versus a Conflicting Contractual Choice of Law Provision," 10 Bloomberg BNA: Corporate Accountability Report 1138 (Nov. 2, 2012)
- Co-Author, "To Balance China, U.S. Should Open Up To Vietnam," Real Clear Markets (Oct. 12, 2012)
- "Déjà Nukes: The U.S. Must Not Be Fooled Again By North Korea," Forbes (Mar. 26, 2012)
- "Absent Teachers, Untrained Substitutes," National Review Online (June 20, 2011)
- "Court Control of VA is Imperfect Fix," San Diego Union-Tribune (June 17, 2011)
- Co-Author, "Combating Terrorism and WMD-Proliferation: Not at the U.N. Security Council," Legal Workshop (September 24, 2010)
- Co-Author, "Torpedoing North Korean Aggression," National Review Online (May 26, 2010)
- Co-Author, "Modern Threats and the United Nations Security Council: No Time for Complacency," 62 Stanford Law Review 1395 (2010)
- Co-Author, "The Atomic Ayatollahs’ Angels: Why Russia and China Won’t Stop Iran," New York Post (Apr. 10, 2010)
- "Fix the VA’s Claims Process," San Diego Union-Tribune (January 7, 2010)
- Co-Author, "North Korea: Dangerous Model for Iran," New York Post (October 23, 2009)
- Co-Author, "'Smart Power' Diplomacy?," National Review Online (October 8, 2009)
- Co-Author, "Last Chance to Stop North Korea," National Review Online (June 16, 2009)
- "A Call to Duty: Fixing the VA’s Disability Benefits System," Plain Dealer (Ohio) (April 28, 2009)
- Co-author, "Playing Diplomatic Hardball With the FARC," American Thinker (June 21, 2008)
- Co-Presenter, "AB 2257: Version 2.0 of AB 5, California’s Landmark Independent Contractor Legislation," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (October 1, 2020)
- Guest Lecturer at UCLA Law School, "Emergence of Dynamex, AB 5, and the ABC Test to Determine Employee v. Independent Contractor Status"
More About Paul
Paul is a partner in the firm’s employment law group, where he primarily defends companies against class action and PAGA cases alleging wage and hour violations. He also represents companies in single plaintiff matters involving discrimination, harassment, breach of fiduciary duty, non-compete and non-solicitation, and wrongful termination claims.
Paul litigates before federal and state courts, arbitration tribunals, and state and federal agencies. He has experience in all phases of litigation, including trial. In addition to his litigation portfolio, Paul helps clients avoid liability by advising them about compliant personnel policies and decisions.
Paul represents clients from many industries, including aerospace, automotive, education, entertainment, financial services, media, and retail.
Paul has guest lectured at UCLA Law School regarding his expertise in independent contractor misclassification law. Prior to joining the firm, Paul practiced commercial litigation with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Beyond his legal practice, Paul is active with pro bono, community, and public policy matters. He serves as the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Southern California Deputy Regional President. Paul worked on defense issues at a think tank, and he is a regular commentator on U.S. foreign policy, having published nearly 40 op-eds in several national newspapers and magazines, and been interviewed and quoted by the media. Paul is a board member of a charter high school serving underprivileged students. Paul led a pro bono case aimed at reforming how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes veterans’ disability claims. Paul is a founding board member of Pickleball Cares, a non-profit organization that aims to provide mentorship and athletic opportunities to children in disadvantaged communities.
Paul litigates before federal and state courts, arbitration tribunals, and state and federal agencies. He has experience in all phases of litigation, including trial. In addition to his litigation portfolio, Paul helps clients avoid liability by advising them about compliant personnel policies and decisions.
Paul represents clients from many industries, including aerospace, automotive, education, entertainment, financial services, media, and retail.
Paul has guest lectured at UCLA Law School regarding his expertise in independent contractor misclassification law. Prior to joining the firm, Paul practiced commercial litigation with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Beyond his legal practice, Paul is active with pro bono, community, and public policy matters. He serves as the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Southern California Deputy Regional President. Paul worked on defense issues at a think tank, and he is a regular commentator on U.S. foreign policy, having published nearly 40 op-eds in several national newspapers and magazines, and been interviewed and quoted by the media. Paul is a board member of a charter high school serving underprivileged students. Paul led a pro bono case aimed at reforming how the Department of Veterans Affairs processes veterans’ disability claims. Paul is a founding board member of Pickleball Cares, a non-profit organization that aims to provide mentorship and athletic opportunities to children in disadvantaged communities.
- JD, Stanford Law School
Editor, Stanford Law Review
- BA, Pomona College
With distinction
- California
Related Services
Reported Trial Court And Appellate Case Decisions
- Quinn v. LPL Financial LLC, 91 Cal. App. 5th 370 (May 10, 2023) (affirming the constitutionality of an exemption from AB 5 that makes the Borello test, rather than the ABC test from Dynamex, govern the issue of whether registered financial advisors are employees or independent contractors)
- Aronson v. Gannett Publ'g Servs., LLC, 2023 WL 2025706 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 15, 2023) (approving a PAGA settlement based on the fact that only the aggrieved employees who show up at trial to try to prove their claims are eligible to recover PAGA penalties)
- Sanchez v. Hearst Communications, Inc., 2022 WL 1400853 (N.D. Cal. May 4, 2022) (denying class certification on all claims stemming from plaintiffs’ allegation that newspaper dealers were misclassified as independent contractors, due to predominance of individualized issues)
- Aronson v. Gannett Publ'g Servs., LLC, 2020 WL 2891940 (C.D. Cal. May 29, 2020) (denying class certification on all claims stemming from plaintiff’s allegation that newspaper carriers were misclassified as independent contractors, due to predominance of individualized issues)
- Madeira v. Converse, Inc., 2020 WL 1265428 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2020) (denying plaintiff’s motion for class certification in full, involving claims for alleged meal period violations, unlawful meal period waivers, unlawful rest period violations and failure to provide third rest periods, illegal "rounding" of time punches, and failure to include bonuses in the regular rate of pay for overtime)
- Chavez v. Converse, Inc., 2020 WL 1233919 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 13, 2020) (granting partial summary judgment for Defendant as to plaintiff’s claims for penalties under California Labor Code 203 and 226; holding that a "good faith dispute" exists as to whether time spent in exit inspections or bag checks is compensable, which precludes recovery of penalties)
- Heredia v. Eddie Bauer, LLC, 2020 WL 127489 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 10, 2020) (granting decertification of class action case involving thousands of retail store employees in California, based on claims for unpaid wages for time spent in bag checks and exit inspections)
- Novak v. Jacobs Eng'g Grp., Inc., 2018 WL 345052 (Cal. App. Jan. 10, 2018) (affirming summary judgment on claims of (1) fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, (2) breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and (3) age discrimination, based in part on a finding that plaintiff was an independent contractor after retiring from his employment with defendant in exchange for money)
- Osman v. Tatitlek Support Servs., Inc., 2017 WL 945024 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 1, 2017) (granting summary judgment on off-the-clock claims where employees were required to remain on the employer’s premises and sleep there, because a geographic restriction alone does not constitute compensable hours worked)
- Shann v. Durham Sch. Servs., L.P., 182 F. Supp. 3d 1044 (C.D. Cal. 2016) (granting motion to dismiss all claims, because (1) conclusory allegations regarding job titles and duties of class members failed to show they were similarly situated; (2) complaint failed to state claim for overtime violations; and (3) complaint failed to state claims for meal and rest break violations)
Related Trends
Related News & Insights
-
Blog Post
Mar 24, 2023
Adverse Adjudication on the Merits Deprives Plaintiffs of PAGA Standing
-
Recognition
Dec 1, 2022
Seyfarth’s Paul J. Leaf Featured in Lawyer Monthly’s December 2022 Cover Story: “Unraveling California Employment Law”
-
Recognition
Mar 18, 2021
Seyfarth’s Paul J. Leaf Receives the 2021 “Top Lawyers Under 40” Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association
-
Firm News
Jan 6, 2021
Seyfarth Promotes 21 as Partners
- Recipient of the "Top Lawyers Under 40" Award by The Hispanic National Bar Association (2021)
- Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy
- Member of the Board of Directors of New Millennium Secondary School (a charter high school)
- Founding Member of the Board of Directors of Pickleball Cares (a non-profit)
- Co-Author, "Adverse Adjudication on the Merits Deprives Plaintiffs of PAGA Standing," Seyfarth Shaw Wage And Hour Litigation Blog (March 24, 2023)
- “California Employment Law And The Dangers Of Retroactivity,” Lawyer Monthly (November 30, 2022)
- "Withdrawing From The INF Treaty Was The Easy Part," The National Interest (February 6, 2020)
- "Trade Tussle: America Needs To Capitalize On Its Relationship With Taiwan," The National Interest (June 11, 2019)
- "Taiwan And The South China Sea Must Be Taken Off The Back Burner," The National Interest (June 18, 2018)
- "America And Japan Must Respond Collectively to China's Bullying," The National Interest (November 29, 2017)
- "Asia's Game of Thrones: Taiwan Voted -- The U.S. Should Listen," The American Interest (January 16, 2016)
- "The U.S. Must Call Out China For Its Aggression," Daily Caller (October 13, 2015)
- "Why The United States And Vietnam Urgently Need To Deepen Ties," The National Interest (September 11, 2015)
- "The US And Japan Should Help Taiwan Acquire Modern Submarines," The Diplomat (December 19, 2014)
- "China’s Charm Offensive: A Temporary, Tactical Change," The Diplomat (December 17, 2014)
- "Washington and Tokyo Are Messing Up a Vital Trade Pact," RealClearWorld (October 28, 2014)
- "Time to End Ban on Weapons Sales to Vietnam," The Diplomat (September 18, 2014)
- "With China on the Rise, America Must Woo India," The National Interest (September 15, 2014)
- "Japan’s Military Normalization: Promise and Potential Peril," The Diplomat (September 4, 2014)
- "Learning From China’s Oil Rig Standoff With Vietnam,"The Diplomat (August 30, 2014)
- "Fix the VA Before More Veterans Die," The Hill (June 26, 2014)
- "South China Sea Standoff: The U.S. Must Get Off The Sidelines," Daily Caller (June 3, 2014)
- Co-Author, "Time to Finalize the TPP," Daily Caller (May 13, 2014)
- Co-Author, "The U.S., TPP, and Taiwan," The National Interest (April 24, 2014)
- "Five Things the U.S. Should Do to Capitalize on Chinese Aggression," Daily Caller (December 31, 2013)
- "Yes We Can Care for Disabled Veterans, 365 Days a Year," Forbes (November 12, 2012)
- Co-Author, "The Internal Affairs Doctrine Versus a Conflicting Contractual Choice of Law Provision," 10 Bloomberg BNA: Corporate Accountability Report 1138 (Nov. 2, 2012)
- Co-Author, "To Balance China, U.S. Should Open Up To Vietnam," Real Clear Markets (Oct. 12, 2012)
- "Déjà Nukes: The U.S. Must Not Be Fooled Again By North Korea," Forbes (Mar. 26, 2012)
- "Absent Teachers, Untrained Substitutes," National Review Online (June 20, 2011)
- "Court Control of VA is Imperfect Fix," San Diego Union-Tribune (June 17, 2011)
- Co-Author, "Combating Terrorism and WMD-Proliferation: Not at the U.N. Security Council," Legal Workshop (September 24, 2010)
- Co-Author, "Torpedoing North Korean Aggression," National Review Online (May 26, 2010)
- Co-Author, "Modern Threats and the United Nations Security Council: No Time for Complacency," 62 Stanford Law Review 1395 (2010)
- Co-Author, "The Atomic Ayatollahs’ Angels: Why Russia and China Won’t Stop Iran," New York Post (Apr. 10, 2010)
- "Fix the VA’s Claims Process," San Diego Union-Tribune (January 7, 2010)
- Co-Author, "North Korea: Dangerous Model for Iran," New York Post (October 23, 2009)
- Co-Author, "'Smart Power' Diplomacy?," National Review Online (October 8, 2009)
- Co-Author, "Last Chance to Stop North Korea," National Review Online (June 16, 2009)
- "A Call to Duty: Fixing the VA’s Disability Benefits System," Plain Dealer (Ohio) (April 28, 2009)
- Co-author, "Playing Diplomatic Hardball With the FARC," American Thinker (June 21, 2008)
- Co-Presenter, "AB 2257: Version 2.0 of AB 5, California’s Landmark Independent Contractor Legislation," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (October 1, 2020)
- Guest Lecturer at UCLA Law School, "Emergence of Dynamex, AB 5, and the ABC Test to Determine Employee v. Independent Contractor Status"