Jonathan C. Sandler

Jonathan is first and foremost a commercial litigator. Companies turn to Jonathan for virtually all business related disputes. His experience as a strategic advisor to companies coupled with his proven capacity to take a case trial allows companies to make well-informed and astute business decisions related to litigation. A familiar figure in California courts, Jonathan has been a successful advocate for both plaintiffs and defendants. He has served as lead counsel in a wide variety of matters, including trial and arbitration. He represents clients as the chief negotiator in mandatory settlement conferences and mediations, and has worked with multiple firm offices on coordinated legal representations, resulting in numerous favorable verdicts and cost-effective settlements.

• Represented corporation in a federal court jury trial involving significant breach of contract action against party that refused to meet contractual obligations.
• Represented company in binding arbitration related to finder’s fee litigation stemming from successful acquisition.
• Represented municipal party in bench trial against resident in contested matter.
• Represented property owner in a multi-week jury trial involving damage relating to the property’s natural resources.
• Represented health plan in a seven week jury trial involving multi-party litigation seeking to hold managed care health plan liable for decisions made at the medical group and physician level.
• Represented client in breach of contract and medical reimbursement arbitration.
• Defended property owners in litigation alleging various types of discrimination, harassment, breach of contract and other tort based conduct.
• Represented company in breach of contract litigation stemming from failure to pay for goods and services.
• Defended California company in multiple lawsuits related to alleged officer sexual harassment and retaliation claims.
• Represented hospitality company in defense of California based class action wage and hour case related to alleged failure to properly provide meal breaks and rest breaks.
• Pursued former employee who embezzled money from corporation and obtained a significant judgment.
• Represented music management company against former employee who took the company’s intellectual property and relationships.
• Represented health related company in affirmative action against former employees who utilized contacts and trade names to establish rival company in territory.
• Defend companies from third party invasive subpoenas.
• Successfully represented technology company in trade secret litigation.
• Represented national company in lawsuit stemming from the purchase of multiple multi-million dollar assets.
• Successfully represented corporations in shareholder derivative lawsuit.

Jonathan represents companies defending individual and class action claims spanning a variety of state and federal consumer protection related statutes and claims. His work involves a wide range of consumer and class issues ranging from meeting statutory labeling requirements, to fair debt collection practices act matters, to cases involving the Americans with Disabilities Act to data breach related claims.

• Successfully represented an online social gaming company from California consumer class action litigation related to whether the existence and distribution of “free coins” within the platform caused the company to violate various penal code sections related to illegal gambling. 
• Successfully represented natural food company in threatened class action matter involving claims of a “slack-fill” violation in a pre-litigation dispute alleging that more than 10 of the company’s products had more than double the amount permitted of un-useable space.
• Successfully represented an industry leading company and its commerce chain in state wide class action alleging violation of Prop. 65.
• Represented international electronics company in assessing exposure for violations of Prop. 65.
• Represented cosmetic company in successful pre-litigation settlement of threatened nationwide class action regarding misleading branding of products.
• Defended company in “Made in the USA” class action litigation.
• Successfully resolved on an individual basis, a threatened class action against cosmetic company involving alleged false marketing materials, violations of FTC standards, representations required FDA approval and violation of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
• Successfully represented international company in Prop. 65 class action involving multiple beauty industry related products.
• Represent national loan servicing company in multiple loan related matters including FDCPA, FCRA, and other potential nationwide class actions.
• Defended international beauty product company in state wide class action matter involving allegations that marketing representations required FDA approval and violated the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
• Defended national company in multiple TCPA class actions, including obtaining dismissal pre-litigation based upon affirmative showing of compliance.
• Successfully represented international company in Proposition 65 class action.
• Successfully represented a food product company over alleged violations of packaging laws related to Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”),  commonly known as forever chemicals.

Serving clients facing an array of high profile matters including employment, health care, real estate, natural resources and water, Jonathan seamlessly integrates with Brownstein’s multidisciplinary practice groups across the firm.

• Serve as chief employment counsel for California based company with employee related issues from around the country, including but not limited to guidance on terminations, privacy actions, misconduct investigations, and policy development.
• Prepared and filed lis pendens as means to enforce purchase agreement of multi-million dollar properties.
• Represented property owner in a multi-week jury trial involving damage relating to the property’s natural resources.
• Representing a Central Coast corporation with significant water interest in litigation involving its right to sell water to whom it chooses.
• Coordinated internal California based privileged investigation of tech-company in connection with alleged officer misconduct.
• Drafted separation agreement and revised healthcare clinic policies for a Los Angeles based healthcare clinic where employees move between offices throughout the day and week.
• Serve as chief employment counsel for California based company with employee related issues from around the country, including but not limited to guidance on terminations, privacy actions, misconduct investigations, and policy development.
• Represented healthcare clinic in pre-litigation wage and hour dispute related to alleged unpaid overtime, meal breaks and rest breaks.
• Created all employment policies for New York headquartered, but national footprint company.
• Represented health plan in a seven week jury trial involving multi-party litigation seeking to hold managed care health plan liable for decisions made at the medical group and physician level.
• Successfully represented health plan in multiple ERISA actions.
• Regularly represents health plans in first and third party health service contract disputes.
• Represented international health plan in litigation against state wide medical provider involving a contract dispute related to overcharges in the tens of millions of dollars.
• Successfully represented commercial landlord in litigation against former tenant.
• Successfully represented investor client in the partition of significant residential/commercial property with complicated potential profits analysis.
• Prepared and filed lis pendens as means to enforce purchase agreement of multi-million dollar properties.
• Represented property owner in a multi-week jury trial involving damage relating to the property’s natural resources.
• Representing a Central Coast corporation with significant water interest in litigation involving its right to sell water to whom it chooses.