Chris C. Scheithauer
Partner
Los Angeles
Orange County
T: +1 949 757 7163
F: +1 949 851 9348
cscheithauer@mwe.com
Chris C. Scheithauer is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Orange County and Los Angeles offices. Chris handles many types of general civil litigation matters, although he currently focuses his practice on class action employment benefits litigation and counseling under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Chris also has extensive experience in the area of labor and employment litigation and advice.
Chris’s ERISA practice involves counseling and representing employers, plan fiduciaries and trustees in matters concerning employee benefit plans. He regularly represents public and private companies and their ERISA plans in defending claims for wrongful denial of employee benefits, such as long-term disability benefits. Chris also defends companies, officers and directors, and other alleged ERISA plan fiduciaries against claims for breach of fiduciary duties in ESOP and 401(k) class actions about company stock declines or changes to pension plans. Chris is a contributing author to the Employee Benefits Law treatise, published by The American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section. Chris has served on the ABA’s Employee Benefits Subcommittee on ERISA Reporting and Disclosure, as well as the Subcommittee on Liability Issues Unique to Welfare Plans.
Chris has been repeatedly honored as a “Southern California Rising Star” in Los Angeles Magazine and the Southern California Super Lawyers-Rising Stars edition with regard to his ERISA and federal practices. He is also ranked in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions of Chambers USA and the 2011 edition of The Legal 500 United States for being a leading lawyer in this field.
Chris’s labor and employment practice primarily involves representing employers in defending claims pertaining to wage and hour disputes, employment discrimination and harassment (under both California and federal law), wrongful termination, breach of employment contract, unfair competition and misappropriation of trade secrets. On behalf of employers, he has successfully enforced restrictive covenants between employers and employees relating to the protection of customer accounts, unlawful customer or employee solicitations and improper use of trade secrets. Chris has litigated class actions involving wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as well as California’s Wage Orders. He has represented clients in both state and federal court litigation as well as in administrative proceedings and investigations before such agencies as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, and the California Department of Industrial Relations/Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Chris dedicates a significant portion of his practice to providing employers with employment advice regarding policies and procedures before litigation arises. He also speaks at seminars for employers and provides counsel to religious non-profit organizations concerning their legal advantages.
Chris is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Orange County Federal Bar Association. Chris is also a member of the California and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice in California. He is also admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern districts of California. Chris has appeared Pro Hac Vice for clients in various states.
While in law school, Chris served on the Interdisciplinary Law Journal.
Education
- University of Southern California - Gould School of Law, J.D., 1996
- University of Southern California, IR/POSC, 1993
