Michael D. Singer
Managing Partner
Michael D. Singer is a 1984 graduate of U.C. Hastings Law School. He graduated magna cum laude from San Francisco State University in 1980 with a B.A. in English. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1984 and the State Bar of Colorado in 2001. He is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, San Diego County Bar Association, and the Consumer Attorneys of California. Mr. Singer was selected to San Diego Super Lawyers 2010. His main areas of practice include employment wage and hour, consumer, and unfair competition class actions and appellate practice.
Mr. Singer is a contributing author to California Wage and Hour Litigation (CEB 2010) [opening chapter overview on California wage and hour law]. He has also been published on wage and hour issues in Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin (September 2010), California Labor and Employment Law Review (State Bar of California Labor and Employment Law Section) (November 2010), CAOC Forum Magazine (February/March 2008) and Orange Country Lawyer Magazine (July 2004). He has also authored several articles for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. (Publications linked below.)
Mr. Singer is a CLE lecturer on class action procedure and wage and hour issues, including commercial seminars in San Diego, San Francisco, Orange County, and Los Angeles and presentations before the San Diego and Orange County Bar Associations. He has participated in over 50 appellate cases and argued writs and appeals before several California District Courts of Appeal, as well as federal appeals in the Second, Third, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Published decisions include:
- Brinker Restaurants v Superior Court, previously reported at (2008) 165 Cal.App.4th 165, (addressing employers' obligations to provide meal and rest periods in accordance with California Wage Orders and employees' rights to class certification of off-the-clock, meal, and rest period claims.) [currently under review by the Supreme Court],
- National Steel and Supply Co. v. Superior Court (2005) 135 Cal.App.4th 1072 (finding a four-year statute of limitations for rest and meal period violations) [Currently depublished and superseded by grant of review by the California Supreme Court.]
- Hicks v. Kaufman and Broad Home Corp. (2001) 89 Cal.App.4th 908(reversing the denial of certification of a class of home buyers for construction defects)
- Hicks v. Superior Court (2004) 115 Cal.App.4th 77 (challenging implied construction warranty disclaimers)[review granted and decision depublished by the California Supreme Court; petition dismissed after settlement]
- Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. v. La Conchita Ranch Co. (1998) 68 Cal.App.4th 856 (defending challenge to attorney disqualification)
- Save Our NTC, Inc. v. City of San Diego (2003) 105 Cal.App.4th 285 (challenging private development of former naval training center).
He also contributed to the briefing of Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield, et al. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826 (summary judgment of antitrust claim of certified class of 20 million California drivers).
Continuing Education Presentations
View from the Plaintiff's Bar:
Post-Concepcion Cases and Strategies
American Conference Institute, September 2011
13th Annual National Forum on Wage and Hour Claims and Class Actions
Limitations of AT&T Mobility, LLC v. Concepcion; Recent Developments in
Class Certification Cases in Appellate and Trial Courts: Predominance
Rulings, Statistical ExtrapolationIssues, Decertification motions, and
Post-Certification Trial Preparation
2011 Mid-Year Wage and Hour Conference, San Diego
Bridgeport Continuing Education, June 2011
Panel Discussion: Thirty Cases in Thirty Minutes
California Employment Lawyers Association
7th Annual Advanced Wage and Hour Seminar
Los Angeles, California April, 2011
Wage And Hour Compliance For Business Law Practitioners
Continuing Education for the Bar
Los Angeles, California April 2011
Panel Discussion: Bringing and Opposing
Class Certification - the Tried, the True, and the New
Consumer Attorneys of San Diego
3d Annual Class Action Seminar, October 2010
Wage and Hour Class Action Primer
North County San Diego Bar Association, Labor
and Employment Section, September 2010
Certification, Decertification, and Post-Certification Trial Preparation
2010 Mid Year Wage and Hour Conference, San Diego
Bridgeport Continuing Education, June 2010
Settlement, ADR, Arbitration: Making the Call
on Which to Do and How to Get the Best Results
Once the Call Is Made (with Jeffrey D. Wohl, Esq. of
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker)
American Conference Institute, October 2009
Eighth Annual National Advanced Forum on Wage and
Hour Claims and Class Actions
Settlement Pitfalls and Objectors (with Hon. Timothy B. Taylor,
Hon. Leo S. Pappas, Hon. Jan M. Adler, Robin A. Wofford, Esq.
of Wilson Kosmo Turner, Timothy G. Blood, Esq. of Coughlin
Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins)
Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, October 2009
Second Annual Class Action Symposium
Before the Retainer is Signed: Reality Check on the Costs of
Litigating Class Actions
After the Handshake: 10 Critical Terms in MOU's and Settlement
Agreements to Protect the Rights of Class Members
Current Issues In Settling Wage & Hour Class Actions
2009 Mid Year Wage and Hour Conference, San Diego
Bridgeport Continuing Education, June 2009
Assessing the Merits of a Class Action Case
Meal and Rest Period Law After Brinker
Bridgeport Seminars, Los Angeles, December 2008
The Impact of Brinker
San Diego County Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
October 2008
Beyond the Number: Negotiating Wage and Hour Class Action Mediations
and Settlement Terms
Bridgeport Seminars, San Diego, CA June 2008
Employment Practice Workshop for Mediators
JAMS Institute, San Francisco, March 2008
Pre-Certification Communications with Class Members
Consumer Attorneys of California Annual Convention, November 2007
Wage and Hour Class Actions: View From the Plaintiff's Bar
American Conference Institute, October 2007
Spotting the Class Action Plaintiff
San Diego County Bar Association, September 2007
Wage and Hour Litigation Conference:
Preparing for and Excelling in Mediations
Bridgeport Seminars, June 2007
Getting To and Through a Class Action Trial:
Class Action Trial Plans (with Hon. Ronald Sabraw, Mark Theirman,
Esq. Eve Cervantez, Esq., and David Borgen, Esq.)
California Employment Lawyers Association, May 2007
Wage and Hour Appellate Issues
Bridgeport Seminars, January 2007
A Behind the Scenes Look at Rest and Meal Period Issues:
Proposed DLSE Regulations, LC226.7 Cases on Appeal
San Diego County Bar Association, April 2005
Developments in Rest and Meal Period Class Actions
Orange County Bar Association, March 2005
Career Satisfaction, Renewal and Resilience for Lawyers and Judges
Ash Grove Group
Breakout group facilitator
October 2003
Class Action Procedure
CK-Seminars, November 2002, December 2002, January 2003
Enjoying the Practice of Law
Legal ReVision Seminars, April 2001
Career Satisfaction and Fulfillment for Lawyers
Legal ReVision Seminars, November 1999
Amicus Curiae briefs and depublication letters include:
- Home Depot Overtime Cases (amicus letter supporting petition for review)
- Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.
- Banda v. Bagdasarian (Court of Appeal amicus curiae brief)
- Banda v. Bagdasarian (Amicus curiae letter supporting petition for review)
- National Steel and Supply Co. v. Superior Court (Court of Appeal amicus curiae brief)
- National Steel and Supply Co. v. Superior Court (Amicus curiae letter supporting petition for review)
- Orco Block v. Superior Court
- Alvarez v. May Department Stores
- Sony Electronics, Inc. v. Superior Court
- Gattuso v. Harte-Hanks Shoppers, Inc.
- Dunbar v. Albertsons, Inc.
- Westside Concrete Co., Inc. v. Department of Indus. Relations.
Books Written
- California Wage and Hour Law and Litigation, with an Overview of California Wage and Hour Law by Michael D. Singer, and chapters by several co-authors is now available.
Articles Written
- California Labor and Employment Law Review: State Bar of California Labor and Employment Law Section - November 2010
Wage and Hour Update - North County Lawyer - Oct. 2010
Class Actions - Bender's CA Labor & Employment Bulletin - Sept. 2010
Settling Wage and Hour Class Actions in Light of Recent Legal Developments - Consumer Attorneys of California: Forum - January/February 2008
Pre-Certification Communication With Putative Class Members - California Litigation: The Journal of the Litigation Section, State Bar of California, 2008
Pre-Certification Communication With Putative Class Members - Los Angeles Daily Journal:
- California Court of Appeal decision in Parris v. Superior Court - May 2003
- California's Private Attorney General Law - October 2003
- California Court of Appeal decision in Bell v. Farmers Ins. Exch - Feb 2004
- Supreme Court decision re: Sav-On and Overtime Class Suits - June 2004
- Wage and hour issues - Gavel Magazine - Oct 2004
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of California
- State Bar of Colorado
- California Employment Lawyers Association
- Consumer Attorneys of California
- San Diego County Bar Association
Michael is also a certified professional coach (Coaches Training Institute, 2002), coaching lawyers on career satisfaction. He is an occasional composer of classical music, available for download on iTunes or for purchase at cdbaby.