Employment Litigation
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Comprehensive Employment Litigation Experience
Wilson Sonsini's employment litigation attorneys provide general advice and counseling, representation in high-stakes litigation and labor matters, negotiation of M&A deals, preparation of executive agreements, workplace investigations, and compliance monitoring.
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Regional Focus; Nationwide Reach
Wilson Sonsini's employment litigation team is adept at advising multi-state employers and helping them remain in compliance with federal and state employment laws and related obligations.
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A Collaborative Approach
Wilson Sonsini's employment litigators work closely with the firm's corporate, securities, employee benefits, and intellectual property practitioners to provide clients with timely and business-minded legal advice in areas that are at the core of the employer-employee relationship.
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A Diverse Client Base
Wilson Sonsini's team represents clients in a variety of technology and growth sectors, including communications and networking, electronics, financial institutions, information service providers, life sciences, media and entertainment, open source, renewable energy, retail and consumer, semiconductors, software, and finance.
Every year, Wilson Sonsini's employment attorneys help more than 1,000 emerging and established companies navigate the ever-changing and complex landscape of state and federal employment laws. We provide proactive compliance strategies and litigation defense uniquely suited to visionary companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and founders in innovation hubs around the country. Our clients need prompt, cost-efficient, and expert advice; practical and business-oriented solutions; and strategic and effective litigation support—and our team delivers.
Our knowledge of the challenges faced by employers of any size, including entrepreneurial start-ups and global technology employers, is unparalleled. We understand how, when, and why employment law issues arise, and how best to effectively resolve them. We also appreciate the need for cost control, and we staff our matters accordingly. Our innovative approach is applied to every facet of our practice, including general advice and counseling, high-stakes litigation, negotiation of mergers and acquisitions, preparation of executive agreements, workplace investigations, compliance monitoring, and labor matters.
Employment Law Anchored in the Business Context
Challenging employment problems are not effectively addressed with cookie-cutter solutions. The firm's vast experience in the technology and emerging growth sectors truly sets us apart and allows our employment attorneys to offer advice and representation specifically tailored to the real-world challenges in those spaces.
We work hand in hand with the firm's corporate, securities, employee benefits, and intellectual property attorneys to provide our clients with expert advice across all areas that touch the full life cycle of the employment relationship as it plays out in the technology and emerging growth environments—from effective recruiting through termination and post-termination disputes. This experience gives clients our unique perspective on their employment matters.
Regional Focus, Nationwide Reach
Employment law differs—often dramatically—from state to state. Knowing site-specific case law and regulations, how different judges handle cases, and how opposing counsel settle disputes is often crucial to a successful outcome. In turn, clients often must apply different policies, use different contracts, and plan risks differently where they have multi-state operations. The firm's employment litigation attorneys have experience advising multi-state employers and keep up with case law around the country, with teams in place in key geographies such as the West Coast, the East Coast, and Texas.
What We Offer
Strategic Litigation
- Complex individual cases (involving executives or high-profile issues)
- Class and collective actions (including defending complex and high-stakes wage and hour cases for Fortune 500 companies)
- Trade secrets and employee mobility
- Government-initiated litigation in courts or administrative forums
- Amicus and appellate representation in high-visibility cases
Counseling and Advice
- Avoiding and reducing wage and hour liability
- Hiring "best practices"
- Board and audit committee advice on executive terminations, transitions, and misconduct
- Compensation issues
- Contract disputes
- Employee mobility and restrictive covenants
- Harassment and discrimination prevention training
- Independent contractor classification
- Intellectual property disputes and trade secret protection
- Internal compliance audits
- Labor Code violations
- Preparation of full employment infrastructure of agreements and policies
- Privacy issues
- Reductions in force and WARN compliance
- Whistleblower complaints
- Workplace violence
- Wrongful termination
Mergers & Acquisitions/IPOs
- Direct negotiations of merger agreements
- Post-merger integration services
- Liability assessment for parent and seller/diligence review
- Preparing target company for sale or public offering
- Non-compete and other restrictive covenants
Workplace Investigations and Monitoring
- Internal investigations on sensitive issues, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation complaints
- Government compliance and investigations
- Consent decree monitoring
- Workplace audits
Labor
- National Labor Relations Board charges
- Department of Labor audits
- OFCCP/Affirmative Action plans, compliance reviews, and enforcement proceedings
- Union organizing efforts
Related Industries
Our employment law attorneys serve a wide range of technology and growth sectors, including:
- Communications and networking
- Electronics and computer hardware
- Financial institutions
- Information service providers
- Life sciences
- Media and entertainment
- Open source
- Renewable energy
- Retail and consumer products and services
- Semiconductors
- Software
- Venture capital
Overview
Every year, Wilson Sonsini's employment attorneys help more than 1,000 emerging and established companies navigate the ever-changing and complex landscape of state and federal employment laws. We provide proactive compliance strategies and litigation defense uniquely suited to visionary companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and founders in innovation hubs around the country. Our clients need prompt, cost-efficient, and expert advice; practical and business-oriented solutions; and strategic and effective litigation support—and our team delivers.
Our knowledge of the challenges faced by employers of any size, including entrepreneurial start-ups and global technology employers, is unparalleled. We understand how, when, and why employment law issues arise, and how best to effectively resolve them. We also appreciate the need for cost control, and we staff our matters accordingly. Our innovative approach is applied to every facet of our practice, including general advice and counseling, high-stakes litigation, negotiation of mergers and acquisitions, preparation of executive agreements, workplace investigations, compliance monitoring, and labor matters.
Employment Law Anchored in the Business Context
Challenging employment problems are not effectively addressed with cookie-cutter solutions. The firm's vast experience in the technology and emerging growth sectors truly sets us apart and allows our employment attorneys to offer advice and representation specifically tailored to the real-world challenges in those spaces.
We work hand in hand with the firm's corporate, securities, employee benefits, and intellectual property attorneys to provide our clients with expert advice across all areas that touch the full life cycle of the employment relationship as it plays out in the technology and emerging growth environments—from effective recruiting through termination and post-termination disputes. This experience gives clients our unique perspective on their employment matters.
Regional Focus, Nationwide Reach
Employment law differs—often dramatically—from state to state. Knowing site-specific case law and regulations, how different judges handle cases, and how opposing counsel settle disputes is often crucial to a successful outcome. In turn, clients often must apply different policies, use different contracts, and plan risks differently where they have multi-state operations. The firm's employment litigation attorneys have experience advising multi-state employers and keep up with case law around the country, with teams in place in key geographies such as the West Coast, the East Coast, and Texas.
What We Offer
Strategic Litigation
- Complex individual cases (involving executives or high-profile issues)
- Class and collective actions (including defending complex and high-stakes wage and hour cases for Fortune 500 companies)
- Trade secrets and employee mobility
- Government-initiated litigation in courts or administrative forums
- Amicus and appellate representation in high-visibility cases
Counseling and Advice
- Avoiding and reducing wage and hour liability
- Hiring "best practices"
- Board and audit committee advice on executive terminations, transitions, and misconduct
- Compensation issues
- Contract disputes
- Employee mobility and restrictive covenants
- Harassment and discrimination prevention training
- Independent contractor classification
- Intellectual property disputes and trade secret protection
- Internal compliance audits
- Labor Code violations
- Preparation of full employment infrastructure of agreements and policies
- Privacy issues
- Reductions in force and WARN compliance
- Whistleblower complaints
- Workplace violence
- Wrongful termination
Mergers & Acquisitions/IPOs
- Direct negotiations of merger agreements
- Post-merger integration services
- Liability assessment for parent and seller/diligence review
- Preparing target company for sale or public offering
- Non-compete and other restrictive covenants
Workplace Investigations and Monitoring
- Internal investigations on sensitive issues, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation complaints
- Government compliance and investigations
- Consent decree monitoring
- Workplace audits
Labor
- National Labor Relations Board charges
- Department of Labor audits
- OFCCP/Affirmative Action plans, compliance reviews, and enforcement proceedings
- Union organizing efforts
Related Industries
Our employment law attorneys serve a wide range of technology and growth sectors, including:
- Communications and networking
- Electronics and computer hardware
- Financial institutions
- Information service providers
- Life sciences
- Media and entertainment
- Open source
- Renewable energy
- Retail and consumer products and services
- Semiconductors
- Software
- Venture capital
Client Advisories
North Korea-Linked Schemes to Obtain Employment in U.S. Tech Companies: What You Need to Know and How to Respond
During the past few years, operatives associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea or the DPRK) have reportedly infiltrated hundreds of U.S. companies by fraudulently posing as legitimate remote IT workers. The perpetrators, together with accomplices across multiple jurisdictions (including inside the U.S.), funnel wages back to North Korea in violation of economic sanctions, and in many cases steal company data, source code, and trade secrets. In a smaller subset of cases, after being discovered and terminated, perpetrators have released, or threatened to release, sensitive company data and attempted to extort ransom payments.
Alerts
Washington State’s Expansive New Non-Compete Ban
On March 23, 2026, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155 (HB 1155), which effectively bans non-compete agreements for all employees and independent contractors in the state. Previously, in 2019 and 2024, Washington prohibited non-compete agreements for lower wage earners and included other requirements for such restrictions.
Alerts
2026 Antitrust Year in Preview
Last year was a landmark in the development of antitrust law. Enforcers, legislators, and private parties grappled with the fundamental shift represented by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the resolution of important digital technology antitrust cases, and significant divergence in policy across a presidential administration transition. The changes will not stop in 2026. In this preview, we focus on several economic sectors that were most impacted by developments in antitrust law in 2025 to identify the trends that will drive governmental and private activity in antitrust in 2026.
Newsletters
Litigation Trends to Watch in 2026
Entering 2026, Wilson Sonsini litigators see a landscape defined by AI driven disputes, continued tightening of patent review standards, renewed securities and governance litigation, stronger consumer and influencer enforcement, and escalating Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) exposure—trends that require companies to align legal strategy with technical and operational controls.
Alerts
Oregon Enacts Nation’s Most Restrictive CPOM Law
Since publication, the statute referenced in this alert has been amended by HB 3410. Readers should consult this updated law or contact our team for information on updates to the following requirements.
Insights
Client Advisories
North Korea-Linked Schemes to Obtain Employment in U.S. Tech Companies: What You Need to Know and How to Respond
During the past few years, operatives associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea or the DPRK) have reportedly infiltrated hundreds of U.S. companies by fraudulently posing as legitimate remote IT workers. The perpetrators, together with accomplices across multiple jurisdictions (including inside the U.S.), funnel wages back to North Korea in violation of economic sanctions, and in many cases steal company data, source code, and trade secrets. In a smaller subset of cases, after being discovered and terminated, perpetrators have released, or threatened to release, sensitive company data and attempted to extort ransom payments.
Alerts
Washington State’s Expansive New Non-Compete Ban
On March 23, 2026, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155 (HB 1155), which effectively bans non-compete agreements for all employees and independent contractors in the state. Previously, in 2019 and 2024, Washington prohibited non-compete agreements for lower wage earners and included other requirements for such restrictions.
Alerts
2026 Antitrust Year in Preview
Last year was a landmark in the development of antitrust law. Enforcers, legislators, and private parties grappled with the fundamental shift represented by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the resolution of important digital technology antitrust cases, and significant divergence in policy across a presidential administration transition. The changes will not stop in 2026. In this preview, we focus on several economic sectors that were most impacted by developments in antitrust law in 2025 to identify the trends that will drive governmental and private activity in antitrust in 2026.
Newsletters
Litigation Trends to Watch in 2026
Entering 2026, Wilson Sonsini litigators see a landscape defined by AI driven disputes, continued tightening of patent review standards, renewed securities and governance litigation, stronger consumer and influencer enforcement, and escalating Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) exposure—trends that require companies to align legal strategy with technical and operational controls.
Alerts
Oregon Enacts Nation’s Most Restrictive CPOM Law
Since publication, the statute referenced in this alert has been amended by HB 3410. Readers should consult this updated law or contact our team for information on updates to the following requirements.
WSGR Events
Fair Play: Navigating Compliance in Labor Markets
Join us for a webinar program designed to equip business professionals with crucial insights into the intersection of antitrust, consumer protection, and labor and employment laws, especially in light of the FTC's heightened focus on labor markets. As the FTC targets anticompetitive practices and the DOJ intensifies efforts to prosecute certain violations, businesses must stay informed to avoid legal risks, fines, and potential criminal charges.
Speaking Engagements
MassArbCon Tech Legal 2023
MassArbCon is a comprehensive two-day summit to discuss strategies and trends regarding mass action arbitration. The conference brings subject matter and legal experts involved in different aspects of the law to help attorneys learn about the intricacies of mass actions — from client intake to management, mediations, negotiation, administration, business development, and how law firms can implement technology and automation to lead to digital transformation. Over the past two years, MassArbCon has created a community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion, and upholds civility in the legal industry by blending technology and legal expertise.
Affiliated Programs
Race, Religion, and the Corporation: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Two Supreme Court decisions issued on June 29, 2023, promise to fundamentally reshape the relationship between employers and employees. These decisions will make it easier for employees to obtain religious accommodations, and harder for employers to promote diversity. In Groff v. DeJoy, the Court held that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that employers grant religious accommodations unless doing so imposes a “substantial” hardship on the employer. This standard is significantly more burdensome for employers than the pre-existing de minimis burden test, and could lead to a sharp increase in demands for religious accommodations. In cases against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Court ruled that the universities’ affirmative action admissions programs violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. The decision effectively ends race-conscious admissions programs, and leaves many businesses concerned about the legality of race-based preferences in hiring, promotions, and contracting. Republican state attorneys general have already sent a letter to CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies arguing that the decision also applies to private employers in an effort to force employers to roll back DEI programs and commitments.
Affiliated Programs
28th Annual Stanford Directors’ College
Wilson Sonsini is proud to support the 28th Annual Directors’ College from June 26 – 28. This conference is the nation’s premier executive education program for directors and C-level executives of publicly traded firms. The program addresses a broad range of problems that confront modern boards, including the board’s role in setting business strategy, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), CEO succession, techniques for controlling legal liability, challenges posed by activist investors, boardroom dynamics, and contemporary challenges including the state of the macroeconomy, the politicization of the corporation, and emerging ransomware and cybersecurity threats.
Wilson Sonsini partner Katherine Henderson will serve as a panelist for the program, “Risk Management and Compliance at the Board Level: Caremark Obligations and Beyond,” on Tuesday, June 27 from 1:55 to 2:55 pm.
Wilson Sonsini partner Katherine Henderson will serve as a panelist for the program, “Risk Management and Compliance at the Board Level: Caremark Obligations and Beyond,” on Tuesday, June 27 from 1:55 to 2:55 pm.
Speaking Engagements
AIPLA 2023 Spring Meeting
AIPLA will host its third consecutive, fully in-person, meeting since emerging from the pandemic. With Seattle as the backdrop, #aiplaSM23 will highlight hot topics in intellectual property, provide ample networking opportunities and social gatherings, and showcase the work of our 60+ committees. The conference will cover topics including:
Events
WSGR Events
Fair Play: Navigating Compliance in Labor Markets
Join us for a webinar program designed to equip business professionals with crucial insights into the intersection of antitrust, consumer protection, and labor and employment laws, especially in light of the FTC's heightened focus on labor markets. As the FTC targets anticompetitive practices and the DOJ intensifies efforts to prosecute certain violations, businesses must stay informed to avoid legal risks, fines, and potential criminal charges.
Speaking Engagements
MassArbCon Tech Legal 2023
MassArbCon is a comprehensive two-day summit to discuss strategies and trends regarding mass action arbitration. The conference brings subject matter and legal experts involved in different aspects of the law to help attorneys learn about the intricacies of mass actions — from client intake to management, mediations, negotiation, administration, business development, and how law firms can implement technology and automation to lead to digital transformation. Over the past two years, MassArbCon has created a community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion, and upholds civility in the legal industry by blending technology and legal expertise.
Affiliated Programs
Race, Religion, and the Corporation: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Two Supreme Court decisions issued on June 29, 2023, promise to fundamentally reshape the relationship between employers and employees. These decisions will make it easier for employees to obtain religious accommodations, and harder for employers to promote diversity. In Groff v. DeJoy, the Court held that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that employers grant religious accommodations unless doing so imposes a “substantial” hardship on the employer. This standard is significantly more burdensome for employers than the pre-existing de minimis burden test, and could lead to a sharp increase in demands for religious accommodations. In cases against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Court ruled that the universities’ affirmative action admissions programs violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. The decision effectively ends race-conscious admissions programs, and leaves many businesses concerned about the legality of race-based preferences in hiring, promotions, and contracting. Republican state attorneys general have already sent a letter to CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies arguing that the decision also applies to private employers in an effort to force employers to roll back DEI programs and commitments.
Affiliated Programs
28th Annual Stanford Directors’ College
Wilson Sonsini is proud to support the 28th Annual Directors’ College from June 26 – 28. This conference is the nation’s premier executive education program for directors and C-level executives of publicly traded firms. The program addresses a broad range of problems that confront modern boards, including the board’s role in setting business strategy, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), CEO succession, techniques for controlling legal liability, challenges posed by activist investors, boardroom dynamics, and contemporary challenges including the state of the macroeconomy, the politicization of the corporation, and emerging ransomware and cybersecurity threats.
Wilson Sonsini partner Katherine Henderson will serve as a panelist for the program, “Risk Management and Compliance at the Board Level: Caremark Obligations and Beyond,” on Tuesday, June 27 from 1:55 to 2:55 pm.
Wilson Sonsini partner Katherine Henderson will serve as a panelist for the program, “Risk Management and Compliance at the Board Level: Caremark Obligations and Beyond,” on Tuesday, June 27 from 1:55 to 2:55 pm.
Speaking Engagements
AIPLA 2023 Spring Meeting
AIPLA will host its third consecutive, fully in-person, meeting since emerging from the pandemic. With Seattle as the backdrop, #aiplaSM23 will highlight hot topics in intellectual property, provide ample networking opportunities and social gatherings, and showcase the work of our 60+ committees. The conference will cover topics including:
Matt Gorman
Partner
Matt Gorman is a partner in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He is a member of the firm's employment litigation practice, which specializes in handling a variety of cases, including those involving race, sex, religion, age, national origin, harassment, and disability discrimination. In addition, Matt regularly counsels employers on hiring practices, employee and contractor classification, employment policies, employment contracts, terminations, and other issues that arise under federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
Susannah K. Howard
Partner
Susannah K. Howard is a well-regarded labor and employment lawyer with significant experience in a range of employment and labor matters, including discrimination based on age, race, sex, national origin, and physical handicap; enforcement of non-compete agreements; wage-and-hour disputes; employee discipline and termination; and related matters. Susannah also conducts independent investigations on behalf of companies into high-profile allegations of employee misconduct. She has a notable track record of defending and representing clients in a diverse array of industries, including the technology, entertainment, insurance, finance, and travel sectors.
Steffen N. Johnson
Partner
Steffen Johnson is an experienced appellate practitioner who co-chairs the firm's national Supreme Court and Appellate practice.
Martin Luff
Partner
Martin Luff is a dual-qualified partner in the London office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the firm’s employment practice. Martin focuses on UK, US, and international labor and employment law, and has extensive experience counseling clients in all aspects of the employment relationship. He supports clients on day-to-day UK human resources and personnel issues, including employment and consulting agreements, international employee transfers and expatriate arrangements, disciplinary and performance issues, senior executive terminations, and employment disputes. He also advises on employment matters related to domestic and cross-border business transactions. Additionally, Martin provides counsel on non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, redundancies and group layoffs, employment issues arising from US federal government contracts, record retention policies, and international data privacy and transfer laws.
Jason M. Storck
Partner
Jason specializes in representing employers in federal and state court litigation and before administrative agencies regarding all types of labor and employment law matters.
Marina C. Tsatalis
Partner
Marina advises and represents the world’s leading technology, communications, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies in significant trade secret and employee mobility matters.
Rico Rosales
Partner Emeritus
Rico practiced employment law for more than 35 years and has seen virtually every type of employment issue faced by technology and growth companies.
Aren Balabanian
Of Counsel
Aren Balabanian is Of Counsel in the employment and trade secret group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Aren regularly counsels employers regarding all aspects of the employment relationship, including terminations and reductions in force, enforceability of covenants not to compete, worker classification, employment contracts, hiring practices, employment policies, workplace investigations, and leave laws. He also advises employers on trade secret misappropriation issues, including employee raiding and solicitation matters. In addition, Aren counsels clients with respect to preventive measures designed to minimize the risks associated with hiring competitors' employees or addressing those employees who leave to join a competitor. He also regularly negotiates and drafts employment, release, and confidentiality agreements, and he has reviewed and drafted numerous employment policies.
Alison Genova
Of Counsel
Alison Genova is Of Counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s New York office, where she practices employment law and specializes in representing employers in disputes discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract (including restrictive covenants), wage and hour, wrongful termination, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other types of labor and employment law matters. In addition, Alison counsels employers on various employment and labor issues, including employment and separation agreements, hiring practices, reductions in force, independent contractor and employee classifications, workplace investigations, and the drafting of effective employment policies and handbooks under federal, state and local law.
Heather G. Diles
Senior Counsel
Heather Diles is senior counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s employment law practice. Heather represents companies in federal and state court litigation and before administrative agencies regarding discrimination (including race, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and disability), harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, wage and hour, wrongful termination, and numerous other types of employment law matters.
People
Matt Gorman
Partner
Matt Gorman is a partner in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. He is a member of the firm's employment litigation practice, which specializes in handling a variety of cases, including those involving race, sex, religion, age, national origin, harassment, and disability discrimination. In addition, Matt regularly counsels employers on hiring practices, employee and contractor classification, employment policies, employment contracts, terminations, and other issues that arise under federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
Susannah K. Howard
Partner
Susannah K. Howard is a well-regarded labor and employment lawyer with significant experience in a range of employment and labor matters, including discrimination based on age, race, sex, national origin, and physical handicap; enforcement of non-compete agreements; wage-and-hour disputes; employee discipline and termination; and related matters. Susannah also conducts independent investigations on behalf of companies into high-profile allegations of employee misconduct. She has a notable track record of defending and representing clients in a diverse array of industries, including the technology, entertainment, insurance, finance, and travel sectors.
Steffen N. Johnson
Partner
Steffen Johnson is an experienced appellate practitioner who co-chairs the firm's national Supreme Court and Appellate practice.
Martin Luff
Partner
Martin Luff is a dual-qualified partner in the London office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he is a member of the firm’s employment practice. Martin focuses on UK, US, and international labor and employment law, and has extensive experience counseling clients in all aspects of the employment relationship. He supports clients on day-to-day UK human resources and personnel issues, including employment and consulting agreements, international employee transfers and expatriate arrangements, disciplinary and performance issues, senior executive terminations, and employment disputes. He also advises on employment matters related to domestic and cross-border business transactions. Additionally, Martin provides counsel on non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, redundancies and group layoffs, employment issues arising from US federal government contracts, record retention policies, and international data privacy and transfer laws.
Jason M. Storck
Partner
Jason specializes in representing employers in federal and state court litigation and before administrative agencies regarding all types of labor and employment law matters.
Marina C. Tsatalis
Partner
Marina advises and represents the world’s leading technology, communications, pharmaceutical, and life sciences companies in significant trade secret and employee mobility matters.
Rico Rosales
Partner Emeritus
Rico practiced employment law for more than 35 years and has seen virtually every type of employment issue faced by technology and growth companies.
Aren Balabanian
Of Counsel
Aren Balabanian is Of Counsel in the employment and trade secret group at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Aren regularly counsels employers regarding all aspects of the employment relationship, including terminations and reductions in force, enforceability of covenants not to compete, worker classification, employment contracts, hiring practices, employment policies, workplace investigations, and leave laws. He also advises employers on trade secret misappropriation issues, including employee raiding and solicitation matters. In addition, Aren counsels clients with respect to preventive measures designed to minimize the risks associated with hiring competitors' employees or addressing those employees who leave to join a competitor. He also regularly negotiates and drafts employment, release, and confidentiality agreements, and he has reviewed and drafted numerous employment policies.
Alison Genova
Of Counsel
Alison Genova is Of Counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s New York office, where she practices employment law and specializes in representing employers in disputes discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract (including restrictive covenants), wage and hour, wrongful termination, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, and other types of labor and employment law matters. In addition, Alison counsels employers on various employment and labor issues, including employment and separation agreements, hiring practices, reductions in force, independent contractor and employee classifications, workplace investigations, and the drafting of effective employment policies and handbooks under federal, state and local law.
Heather G. Diles
Senior Counsel
Heather Diles is senior counsel in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s employment law practice. Heather represents companies in federal and state court litigation and before administrative agencies regarding discrimination (including race, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, and disability), harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, wage and hour, wrongful termination, and numerous other types of employment law matters.
Related Practices
Recent Insights
Client Advisories
North Korea-Linked Schemes to Obtain Employment in U.S. Tech Companies: What You Need to Know and How to Respond
During the past few years, operatives associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea or the DPRK) have reportedly infiltrated hundreds of U.S. companies by fraudulently posing as legitimate remote IT workers. The perpetrators, together with accomplices across multiple jurisdictions (including inside the U.S.), funnel wages back to North Korea in violation of economic sanctions, and in many cases steal company data, source code, and trade secrets. In a smaller subset of cases, after being discovered and terminated, perpetrators have released, or threatened to release, sensitive company data and attempted to extort ransom payments.
Learn More
Alerts
Washington State’s Expansive New Non-Compete Ban
On March 23, 2026, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1155 (HB 1155), which effectively bans non-compete agreements for all employees and independent contractors in the state. Previously, in 2019 and 2024, Washington prohibited non-compete agreements for lower wage earners and included other requirements for such restrictions.
Learn More
Recent Events
WSGR Events
Fair Play: Navigating Compliance in Labor Markets
Join us for a webinar program designed to equip business professionals with crucial insights into the intersection of antitrust, consumer protection, and labor and employment laws, especially in light of the FTC's heightened focus on labor markets. As the FTC targets anticompetitive practices and the DOJ intensifies efforts to prosecute certain violations, businesses must stay informed to avoid legal risks, fines, and potential criminal charges.
Learn More
Speaking Engagements
MassArbCon Tech Legal 2023
MassArbCon is a comprehensive two-day summit to discuss strategies and trends regarding mass action arbitration. The conference brings subject matter and legal experts involved in different aspects of the law to help attorneys learn about the intricacies of mass actions — from client intake to management, mediations, negotiation, administration, business development, and how law firms can implement technology and automation to lead to digital transformation. Over the past two years, MassArbCon has created a community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion, and upholds civility in the legal industry by blending technology and legal expertise.
Learn More
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