James M. Nelson

James M. Nelson is Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice’s ERISA & Employee Benefits Litigation group and Chair of the Sacramento office’s Labor & Employment Practice. He represents employers and ERISA plan fiduciaries in matters concerning ERISA compliance, fiduciary responsibility, collective bargaining, wage and hour, employee benefits, safety, discrimination, wrongful termination, and other labor and employment issues. His experience includes complex litigation, class action defense, administrative proceedings, and appeals, as well as advice and counseling to ERISA plan fiduciaries of single-employer and multi-employer plans. He counsels clients on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) matters including litigation as well as compliance, due diligence reviews, and safety and health audits. James has counseled clients in numerous industries, including construction, transportation, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, and publishing.

Concentrations

•Complex labor and employment litigation
•Labor and employment advice and counselling
•ERISA litigation
•Collective bargaining
•Wage and hour litigation
•Alternative WorkForce and Independent contractor misclassification issues

Recognition & Leadership

Awards & Accolades

•Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor & Employment, 2012-2020
•Named, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law - Management, Sacramento, 2020
•Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Labor and Employment - ERISA Litigation, 2019
•Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2013-2019
•Listed, Sacramento Magazine, Top Lawyer, 2015-2017, 2019-2020
•Employee Benefits, 2015-2017, 2020
•Employment & Labor, 2017, 2019-2020
•fellow, American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
•fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
•fellow, American Bar Foundation
•Listed, Sacramento Business Journal, Best of the Bar, 2014
•Listed, Who's Who in American Law
•Listed, Who's Who in the West
•Rated, AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5.0