Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Labor & Employment Department; Employment Litigation Counseling Practice Group; Complex Discrimination Litigation Practice Group; Wage and Hour Litigation Practice Group; Pay Equity Group; Financial Services Practice Group

Jeffrey Wortman is a partner and co-lead of Seyfarth Shaw’s Downtown Los Angeles office Labor and Employment Group. His practice focuses on employment litigation with particular emphasis on complex and single plaintiff employment discrimination litigation and wage and hour litigation. Mr. Wortman provides advice and counsel regarding systematic approaches to handling of discrimination and harassment complaints; and serves as outside independent investigator regarding high profile complaints involving allegations of whistleblower protection and retaliation, as well as allegations of complex EEO claims. He has successfully defended employers in multiple employment arbitrations every year for the past decade.  He is one of the leaders of Seyfarth’s Pay Equity Group and successfully defeated class certification in one of the first Pay Equity putative class actions under California’s Fair Pay Act.  He also has extensive experience in litigation involving executive terminations. He has successfully defended employers in discrimination and wage/hour class actions as well as cases regarding allegations of wrongful discharge; sexual harassment; whistle-blowing; and retaliation and discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, national origin, and disability. He regularly appears in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies, FINRA, AAA and JAMS. Mr. Wortman also advises employers with regard to personnel policies and procedures, pay equity issues, contingent workforce issues, reductions in force, employee privacy rights, wage and hour issues, drug and alcohol testing, employment agreements, and protection of employer trade secrets and non-competition issues.

O’Melveny & Myers, Associate, Counsel (1995-2004); Steefel, Levitt & Weiss, Shareholder (2004-2007); Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Partner (2007-Present)

State Bar of California, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California, American Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles (former Co-President), Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League (former Board of Directors), Congregation Kol Ami (Board of Trustees), Western Justice Center (Board of Directors)

J.D., University of Texas, with Honors (1995); M.A., Baylor University (1989); B.S., Northwestern University (1985)