Zygar, Candace S.

In addition to successfully representing individuals in employment matters, Mr. Zieff is at the forefront of enforcing wage and hour laws. He has served as lead counsel in many wage and hour class actions in which he has obtained multi-million dollar settlements and judgments in the insurance, grocery, and services industries. The illegal employment practices challenged by these class actions include: the refusal to pay statutorily required overtime pay; the employer's refusal to reimburse employees for necessary employment expenses; and other illegal pay practices. In 2001, Mr. Zieff obtained the largest overtime judgment in United States legal history in the landmark case Bell v. Farmers Insurance Exchange. In the Bell case, Mr. Zieff represented over 2400 employees, eventually recovering over $200 million in the Bell case. Mr. Zieff was also lead counsel in a nationwide case against Farmers resulting in judgments totaling over $52 million.

Mr. Zieff is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Law, an honorary society, and is a recipient of the 2001 CLAY Award - California Lawyer Attorney of the Year for Employment Law. Mr. Zieff was also named by the Daily Journal as one of the "Top 100" Lawyers in California in September 2002, and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He is an active member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the California Employment Lawyers Association. Mr. Zieff is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, a member of the Advisory Council for the Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, Berkeley Law, University of California at Berkeley, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Social Justice Law Project. Mr. Zieff has written and spoken on a wide range of employment law issues.

Litigation Successes:

Bell v. Farmers Insurance Exchange
(2004) 115 Cal.App.4th 715, prior history at (2001) 87 Cal.App.4th 805
Jury verdict on July 10, 2001 for over $90 million in damages phase of overtime class action against Farmers Insurance Exchange brought on behalf of personal lines claims adjusters, eventually resulting in payments of over $200 million.

Farmers MDL
Lead counsel in nationwide class and collective action under federal and state laws brought on behalf of approximately 2800 claims adjusters working in states across the country, resulting in judgments (now on appeal) totaling over $52 million.

Giannetto v. Computer Science Corporation
$24 million settlement in overtime class action brought on behalf of computer maintenance workers with co-counsel.

Breaux v. Agency Rent-A-Car
Following successful class action trial determining that officers, managers and assistant office managers were entitled to overtime pay; case settled for in excess of $8 million.

Kerr v. Snap-On, Inc.
Class action brought on behalf of employees seeking unreimbursed expenses under California Labor Code Sec. 2802 resulted in a settlement of $8.4 million.

Addvensky v. Corporate Express Delivery Systems, Inc.
$9.75 million settlement on behalf of same-day delivery drivers, raising claims for failure to pay minimum wage, failure to pay overtime and failure to reimburse necessary business expenses.

Stephens v. Coldwell Banker Commercial Group
(1988) 199 Cal.App.3d 1394
Appellate court upheld the jury's punitive damage award to an employee who was discriminated against on the basis of his age.

Keyhea v. Rushen
(1986) 178 Cal.App.3d 526
Injunction affirmed by court of appeal that vindicated state prisoners' right to be free from forced drugging without first being afforded specific procedural protections.