People: Holger G. Besch, Senior Counsel

Holger G. Besch

Senior Counsel

Los Angeles - Downtown
Direct: (213) 270-9624
Fax: (310) 201-5219
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Mr. Besch is Senior Counsel in the Labor and Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Downtown Los Angeles office. 

He maintains a broad class action and single plaintiff litigation practice representing public and private employers in both unionized and non-unionized work environments.  His class action experience includes numerous cases filed under state and federal anti-discrimination laws and under state wage and hour laws.  His single plaintiff experiences have included multiple lawsuits in federal and California state courts defending against claims of wrongful termination, violations of leave laws, employment discrimination, retaliation, privacy, and sexual and other forms of harassment. 

An accomplished appellate advocate and trial attorney, Mr. Besch has handled cases through verdict, including before a jury, as well as at the appellate level.  He has  been an advocate and presented oral argument before the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.  His trial experience includes matters in the Superior Court as well as before various administrative agencies.  Additionally, he has represented employers in a variety of trial proceedings before the Regions of the National Labor Relations Board and on review before the Board.

In addition to litigation expertise, Mr. Besch maintains a multi-faceted counseling practice advising on employee discipline, termination and wage and hour issues.  He has maintained a particular emphasis on advice concerning reductions in force, the federal WARN Act, the California Mini-WARN Act and corporate transactions.

Mr. Besch is Senior Counsel in the Labor and Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Downtown Los Angeles office. 

He maintains a broad class action and single plaintiff litigation practice representing public and private employers in both unionized and non-unionized work environments.  His class action experience includes numerous cases filed under state and federal anti-discrimination laws and under state wage and hour laws.  His single plaintiff experiences have included multiple lawsuits in federal and California state courts defending against claims of wrongful termination, violations of leave laws, employment discrimination, retaliation, privacy, and sexual and other forms of harassment. 

An accomplished appellate advocate and trial attorney, Mr. Besch has handled cases through verdict, including before a jury, as well as at the appellate level.  He has  been an advocate and presented oral argument before the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.  His trial experience includes matters in the Superior Court as well as before various administrative agencies.  Additionally, he has represented employers in a variety of trial proceedings before the Regions of the National Labor Relations Board and on review before the Board.

In addition to litigation expertise, Mr. Besch maintains a multi-faceted counseling practice advising on employee discipline, termination and wage and hour issues.  He has maintained a particular emphasis on advice concerning reductions in force, the federal WARN Act, the California Mini-WARN Act and corporate transactions.

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law (1997)
  • B.A., Amherst College (1993)
    magna cum laude

Admissions

  • California

Affiliations

  • California Bar Association
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association

Representative Engagements

  • Albertson’s, Inc. v. UFCW Local 135 et al. (seeking labor injunctions against striking unions to prevent mass picketing)
  • Gattuso et. al. v. Harte-Hanks Shoppers (defending through Cal. Supreme Court review and remand against class certification for alleged failure to pay business expenses)
  • Hernandez v. Hillsides, Inc. (defending employer through appeal and review by California Supreme Court in surveillance case alleging invasion of privacy)
  • Morales v. Airport Group Int’l (defending against statewide class action for alleged failure to pay overtime)
  • Rawlins v. KaiserPermanenteMentalHealthCenter (defending against dual plaintiff harassment lawsuit through summary judgment)
  • Tran v. Protivi Inc.  (defending statewide class action for employer alleged to have misclassified certain employees as exempt)
  • Woods v. Southern California Permanente Medical Group (defending race and retaliation case through trial and appeal)

Publications

  • “Hidden Cameras in the Workplace: Hernandez v. Hillsides and the Permissible Scope of Employee Surveillance,” California Labor and Employment Law Review (January 2010)
  • Chapter Monitor, Employment Discrimination Law 2009 Cumulative Supplement, Lindemann and Grossman
  • Co-author, “California's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act,” Los Angeles Lawyer, (September 2003)
  • Contributing Editor, The Developing Labor Law 2001 Cumulative Supplement
  • Co-author, “Higher Standards: A Number of New Amendments Make California's Employment Laws Even Stricter,” Los Angeles Daily Journal California Law Business Supplement, (April 24, 2000)

Community Involvement

  • Pro Bono Activities:  As part of the Firm’s involvement with the Alliance for Children’s Rights, Mr. Besch processes adoptions of foster children.  Further,  through the Los Angeles Community Action Network, Mr. Besch assists the homeless and indigent with various legal issues.
  • Business and Community Organizations: Mr. Besch works to improve the economic conditions of Los Angeles County as a member of World Trade Committee for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.  Similarly, he is active in the business community as a member of the German-American Business Association.  He is also the current Vice President of the Amherst College Alumni Association of Southern California.  In his free time, Mr. Besch pursues his passion for food and wine through various organizations in the region.