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2600 Capitol Avenue Suite 300 Sacramento, CA 95816-5930 |
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| Tel. | +1.916.329.4734 |
| Fax. | +1.916.441.3583 |
Silicon Valley
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2550 Hanover Street Palo Alto, CA 94304-1115 |
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| Tel. | +1.650.233.4509 |
| Fax. | +1.650.233.4545 |
Professionals
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Thomas N. Makris
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Mr. Makris has nearly 30 years of experience in employment-related litigation and counseling including wage and hour disputes, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, employment-related torts, and copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets disputes.
Mr. Makris provides counseling on compliance issues including wage and hour audits, EEO compliance, leaves of absence, and ADA accommodation issues, as well as general policies and procedures. He provides tactical support for decisions that employers need to make quickly regarding employee terminations and discipline, harassment and discrimination complaints (including performing investigations), leave requests, and demands for accommodation. Mr. Makris also assists clients with long-range strategic issues, such as structuring bonus and other executive compensation plans, severance programs, and strategies for protection of intellectual property.
Mr. Makris aids his clients in avoiding liability related to hiring decisions and employment contracts, compensation, leaves, discipline, internal investigations, and terminations, and layoff decisions. Mr. Makris assists clients in negotiating, drafting and implementing effective employment and executive contracts, employee policies and handbooks, and other employment documentation.
Mr. Makris was certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resource Certification Institute. He has spoken on a wide-range of topics, including employment discrimination law, use and abuse of independent contractor relationships, wage and hour law, family and medial leave, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and current legislative and regulatory issues. Mr. Makris is a co-author and legal consultant for The Mutual Respect Program, a video based sexual harassment training and prevention program.
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Rated
Employment Law-Related
“Employment Law Outlook” Presentation, February 2013
“Employment Law Outlook” Presentation, February 2012
"Social Media, the Internet and the Legal Implications for Managing and Hiring Employees," Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, September 2011
"Employment and Benefits Issues in Acquisitions," Pillsbury M & A Training Series (Practice Area Specialties) May 2011
"Employment Law Outlook 2011," Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, January 2011
"Independent Contractor Misclassification," Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, June 2010
"Employment Law Outlook 2010," Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, January 2010
“Exemption Audits: Minimize Your Exposure to Costly Back Pay Claims by Conducting an Effective Self-Audit,” Seminar - BLR/ERI, May 2009
"Strategies for Reducing Employee Costs and Reductions In Force," Pillsbury's BackStage Pass Program, 30-Apr-2009
"Strategies for Reducing Employee Costs and Reductions In Force," Pillsbury's Employment Law WebEx Briefing, 05-May-2009
“2009 Employment Law Update,” Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, January 2009
“Drafting Invention Assignment, Non-Disclosure and Non-Competition Agreements,” Conference session—Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel All Hands Meeting, December 2008
“Disability Accommodation – 2008,” Breakfast briefing – PWSP, November 2008
“The ADA Amendments Act Of 2008,” Seminar - BLR/ERI, September 2008
“Workplace Privacy The Legal Issues Every Employer Needs to Understand,” Webinar – PWSP, September 2008
“Exempt or Non-Exempt? FLSA and State Law Employment Classification Lawsuits on the Rise,” Webinar - Strafford Publications, July 2008
“Protecting Trade Secrets/Preventing Competition By Former Employees: How Far Can Companies Go?,” Breakfast briefing – PWSP, June 2008
“Wage and Hour Litigation - Overtime Exemptions: Basics and Nuances,” Bridgeport CLE Conference Session, February 2008
“Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession,” Pillsbury CLE Marathon Seminar, January 2008
“2008 Employment Law Update,” Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, January 2008
“Internal Investigations,” – Employer Resource Institute Conference Session, December 2007
“Separation Agreements for Tech Companies,” Conference session—Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel All Hands Meeting, December 2007
“2007 Wage-Hour Update,” Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, October 2007
“How to Avoid Overtime Classification Mistakes in California,” Employer Resource Institute, Four-part Seminar – July/August 2007
“Start-ups: The Top 10 Employment Mistakes,” Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, June 2007
“2007 Employment Law Update,” Pillsbury Employment & Labor Practice Breakfast Briefing, January 2007
“Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession,” Pillsbury CLE Marathon Seminar, January 2007
Professional Memberships and CertificationsCalifornia Bar Association (CSB No. 104668) 1982-Present
Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF No. 13971) 1982-2000
Bar Association of Sacramento (SCBA No. 104668) 2000-2008
California Employer Advisor – Editorial Board 2005-2008
California Wage and Hour Advisor – Editorial Board 2006-2008
Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA No. 5914), 1991-Present:
- Member, Legislative Affairs Committee, 1991-Present (Chairman 1994-1997)
- Member, Board of Directors, 1997-2003
- Vice President for External and Legislative Relations, 1999-2000
- President, 2002
Society for Human Resource Management (Member No. 305875-95) 1995-Present:
- Member, Legislative Action Committee, 1999-2001
- Senior Professional in Human Resources, 1999-2005
American Arbitration Association, 1995-1999
Employment Training Materials
“Mutual Respect: A Positive Approach to Preventing Sexual Harassment” – This video and print product provides a fully integrated sexual harassment training and prevention program for mid-sized employers. Co-author, legal consultant and on camera expert (1999)
“Work Place Discrimination” – A Web based, interactive employment discrimination product. Co-author and legal consultant (2000)
