Ian A. Wright

• Counsel for the defendant in a case where the Court of Appeal affirmed summary judgment in the defendant’s favor dismissing the plaintiff’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit because he failed to provide adequate notice of his claim to the Labor & Workforce Development Agency before bringing the lawsuit.
• Counsel for a defendant in a wage and hour class and representative PAGA action involving novel theories of recovery related to workplace issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; succeeded in limiting claims to a single California worksite through discovery and motion practice, which enabled us to resolve the case on favorable terms.
• Counsel for the defendant in an employment class action alleging nearly $1 billion in damages based on purported failure to reimburse employee cell phone expenses; defeated class certification and the defendant’s subsequent motion for summary judgment of the named plaintiff’s individual claims was granted in defendant’s favor.
• Counsel for the plaintiff in an arbitration against a former wealth manager who violated repayment obligations under his employment contract; succeeded in recovering all monies owed under the contract.
• Counsel for the defendant in concurrent injunctive relief actions against global communications company seeking to prevent company from closing numerous retail stores throughout the United States; defeated all five motions for injunctive relief.
• Counsel for the defendant in an employment class action against a global transportation company seeking to recover unpaid wages on behalf of nearly 100,000 putative class members for time spent in security checks while entering and exiting work; defeated class certification.
• Counsel for the defendant in a bellwether jury trial involving two plaintiffs’ wage and hour and individual employment discrimination and whistleblower retaliation claims; obtained a defense verdict which positioned the remaining plaintiffs’ claims for a favorable settlement.
• Counsel for the defendant in a lawsuit filed by a former property manager alleging disability discrimination and wrongful termination; compelled lawsuit to arbitration and arbitrator returned a defense verdict following a six-day arbitration.
• Obtained an injunction against a former wealth manager who violated the non-compete provision of a partnership agreement.

Ian Wright represents employers in federal and state courts throughout California and the nation in a variety of commercial and employment-related litigation. Ian is widely recognized as a trusted advisor and accomplished advocate in high-stakes employment and commercial litigation, representing clients in complex trade secret and employee mobility disputes, as well as matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, unfair competition, and wage-and-hour claims.

Ian advises clients globally on labor and employment laws, particularly in trade secret and IP protection measures, employee discipline, employment policies and handbooks, workplace investigations, technology and privacy issues, litigation prevention strategies, and issues arising from the use of AI in the workplace. He also has experience drafting confidentiality agreements, employment contracts, severance agreements, and arbitration agreements. For preventive measures, he provides workplace trainings to managers, HR professionals, and in-house counsel.

Ian has tried both jury and bench trials and has prevailed on critical motions at every stage of litigation, including defeating class certification and securing summary judgment and other dispositive rulings. He has also arbitrated dozens of employment and commercial disputes and has defended employers in administrative proceedings before the California Civil Rights Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Industrial Relations, and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

Ian is recognized for his attention to detail and deep subject matter knowledge in Chambers USA’s California guide for Labor & Employment.

Bar Admissions

• California

Education

• Loyola Law School (J.D., 2010)
• University of Delaware (B.A., 2005)

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Court, California, Central District
• U.S. District Court, California, Eastern District
• U.S. District Court, California, Northern District

Memberships