Eric Bellafronto is Co-chair of Hopkins & Carley’s Employment & Labor Law Practice. He represents public and private clients in litigation, arbitration, mediation, and agency hearings involving a wide array of employment law issues:
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Wage and hour matters
- Whistleblower
- Retaliation
- Workplace safety
- OSHA claims
- Contract claims
Eric also provides advice and counsel to clients in all areas of employment law and assists with the drafting and implementation of personnel policies and procedures, designed to avoid litigation and ensure compliance with increasingly complicated legal requirements. He also routinely develops and presents training programs to managers regarding compliance with the law, risk reduction, and improving employee performance and morale.
Prior to joining Hopkins & Carley, Eric was the Managing Shareholder of the San Jose office of Littler Mendelson P.C.
Eric is also involved in the community. He served on the board of the Santa Clara University Law School Employer Advisory Board, and was a past board member for Rebuilding Together and the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. Eric ran service programs for the Notre Dame Alumni Association, including volunteer days at Sacred Heart Community Center and St. Patrick's in downtown San Jose.
- Represented a multinational auto manufacturer in all labor and employment matters, including obtaining summary judgment in approximately 10 different cases and handling numerous labor arbitrations successfully.
- Represented a public company in three separate multi-million dollar whistleblower claims related to alleged information security breaches, and reached successful resolutions prior to litigation.
- Successfully defended disability discrimination case through trial and appeal in San Luis Obispo County.
- Successfully argued Sixth District Court of Appeal wrongful termination case.
- Successfully defended federal OSHA trial in Boise, Idaho related to an employee fatality.
- Represented large energy company in threatened gender discrimination and equal pay class action lawsuit by several female employees and developed strategy to resolve individual claims outside of litigation.
- Provided advice and counsel to publicly traded company in connection with termination of Chief Executive Officer who vehemently opposed removal; successfully (and respectfully) exited the CEO.
- Successfully defended several Cal/OSHA matters through trial and appeal.
Selected Publications
- “Pros and Cons of Furloughs, Shutdowns”, Law360, March 2009
- “Furloughs May Be Smarter Than Layoffs”, Corporate Counsel, March 2009
- “You Are What You Post”, Bloomberg Businessweek, March 2006
Selected Speaking Engagements
- 2013 Employment Law and Leadership Conference, Monterey, CA, January 2013
- Former Santa Clara University Law School Employer Advisory Board Member
- Santa Clara Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, Member
- California Lawyers Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, Member
- Catholic Foundation of Santa Clara County, Pro Bono
- Rebuilding Together, Former Board Member