Barri LynFriedland

Counsel

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Barri represents employers of all sizes and industries in single-plaintiff litigation, with an emphasis on disability and gender discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.


More About Barri

Employers call on Barri to represent them in wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment cases under state and federal statutes, such as Title VII, the Age Discrimination and Employment Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Barri also represents employers before various state and federal administrative agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. In addition, she provides advice and counseling on personnel policy matters, employment discipline and termination decisions, employee investigations, leave of absence compliance, and wage-and-hour matters.

Understanding the story that needs to be told from the outset is key to building consensus around litigation strategy, and Barri is persistent about marshalling the facts and coming up with a theme for her cases at the early stages. She believes that effective communication is an art form. Separate and apart from legal writing, advising clients on the effective modes of communication, tailored to their particular circumstances, is central to her practice.

Barri has been practicing employment defense for her entire career. She has resolved many cases to her clients' satisfaction before they have had to incur significant legal spend, simply based on her ability to build rapport with opposing counsel. Barri has settled numerous cases through informal and early negotiations with the other side. She has also settled cases directly with opposing counsel after mediation was unsuccessful. Barri has strong instincts for negotiations, and strives to develop positive relationships with opposing counsel early in the case.

Barri looks for cost-effective and creative strategies to reach her clients' primary goals quickly. For example, she defended a client against a utility company that claimed her client damaged its equipment. The problem for the other side was that the client did not exist at the time of the alleged harm. Barri planned to move for summary judgment after obtaining a declaration to authenticate the date on which the company was created. However, she determined that she could bring the secretary of state documents and other incorporation records in front of the court on a Request for Judicial Notice under the applicable state statute. The other side dismissed her client before the motion to dismiss was heard.

Barri enjoys her practice at Seyfarth, where she has the opportunity to learn every day from a group of attorneys she respects. She values her colleagues' willingness to provide their take on unusual situations, and provide examples from their past experiences. Barri knows Seyfarth can help her keep up with the ever-changing legal world, and provide value for her clients.

  • JD, University of Southern California Gould School of Law
  • MBA, Claremont Graduate University
  • BA, University of California, Santa Barbara
  • California
  • US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • US District Court, Central District of California
  • US District Court, Eastern District of California
  • US District Court, Northern District of California
  • US District Court, Southern District of California
  • California Supreme Court

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