Martha M.Gates
Counsel
Labor & Employment
mgates@seyfarth.com
Martha is a strategic and experienced employment law attorney with a demonstrated record of excellence and client satisfaction.
More About Martha
Martha offers employers prompt, strategic advice on legal matters involving employee relations, leave, attendance, accommodations, investigations, growth, downsizing, and training. She helps clients identify and mitigate the legal risks that come with being an employer in California and beyond.
For more than three decades, Martha has represented and counseled clients on issues covering the life cycle of the employee relationship. She has both in-house and law firm experience, providing her with a strong understanding of how employers approach compliance matters. She returns to private practice after 18 years of working in-house as the first and sole employment lawyer for a growing aerospace and defense company. In this role, she helped the company establish compliant practices.
Martha’s background gives her unique insight into her clients’ legal issues, as well as their business challenges. She can quickly assess situations and provide counsel, so her clients can move forward with their operations.
“I am a GSD – I am trusted to ‘get stuff done.’"
For more than three decades, Martha has represented and counseled clients on issues covering the life cycle of the employee relationship. She has both in-house and law firm experience, providing her with a strong understanding of how employers approach compliance matters. She returns to private practice after 18 years of working in-house as the first and sole employment lawyer for a growing aerospace and defense company. In this role, she helped the company establish compliant practices.
Martha’s background gives her unique insight into her clients’ legal issues, as well as their business challenges. She can quickly assess situations and provide counsel, so her clients can move forward with their operations.
“I am a GSD – I am trusted to ‘get stuff done.’"
- JD, Notre Dame Law School
- California
- US District Court, Central District of California
Related News & Insights
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Legal Update
May 14, 2026
Connecticut Expands Scope of Its ‘Stay or Pay’ Prohibition
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Webinar
Jan 28, 2026
Seyfarth and ACC Sacramento Present: Preparing for California's AB 692: What You Need to Know
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Blog Post
Oct 31, 2025
TRAPped No More? Navigating California’s Stay-or-Pay Reform
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- Co-Author, “Connecticut Expands Scope of Its ‘Stay or Pay’ Prohibition,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 14, 2026)
- Co-Author, "EEOC's Pregnant Worker Suits Are Compliance Lessons for Employers," Bloomberg Law (October 28, 2024)
Martha is a strategic and experienced employment law attorney with a demonstrated record of excellence and client satisfaction.
More About Martha
Martha offers employers prompt, strategic advice on legal matters involving employee relations, leave, attendance, accommodations, investigations, growth, downsizing, and training. She helps clients identify and mitigate the legal risks that come with being an employer in California and beyond.
For more than three decades, Martha has represented and counseled clients on issues covering the life cycle of the employee relationship. She has both in-house and law firm experience, providing her with a strong understanding of how employers approach compliance matters. She returns to private practice after 18 years of working in-house as the first and sole employment lawyer for a growing aerospace and defense company. In this role, she helped the company establish compliant practices.
Martha’s background gives her unique insight into her clients’ legal issues, as well as their business challenges. She can quickly assess situations and provide counsel, so her clients can move forward with their operations.
“I am a GSD – I am trusted to ‘get stuff done.’"
For more than three decades, Martha has represented and counseled clients on issues covering the life cycle of the employee relationship. She has both in-house and law firm experience, providing her with a strong understanding of how employers approach compliance matters. She returns to private practice after 18 years of working in-house as the first and sole employment lawyer for a growing aerospace and defense company. In this role, she helped the company establish compliant practices.
Martha’s background gives her unique insight into her clients’ legal issues, as well as their business challenges. She can quickly assess situations and provide counsel, so her clients can move forward with their operations.
“I am a GSD – I am trusted to ‘get stuff done.’"
- JD, Notre Dame Law School
- California
- US District Court, Central District of California
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
May 14, 2026
Connecticut Expands Scope of Its ‘Stay or Pay’ Prohibition
-
Webinar
Jan 28, 2026
Seyfarth and ACC Sacramento Present: Preparing for California's AB 692: What You Need to Know
-
Blog Post
Oct 31, 2025
TRAPped No More? Navigating California’s Stay-or-Pay Reform
-
Blog Post
Aug 21, 2025
Gone But Not Forgotten: How to Handle Final Pay and Benefits When an Employee Passes Away, Part 2
- Co-Author, “Connecticut Expands Scope of Its ‘Stay or Pay’ Prohibition,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 14, 2026)
- Co-Author, "EEOC's Pregnant Worker Suits Are Compliance Lessons for Employers," Bloomberg Law (October 28, 2024)