WENDY LAZERSON is the co-chair of Sidley’s Labor and Employment international practice group and a partner in Sidley’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. She also serves on the firm’s COVID-19 Task Force. Wendy is a recipient of the BTI Client Service Award for excellence in service to clients. Clients turn to Wendy to handle their most challenging matters regardless of venue, due to her reputation as a thoughtful, pragmatic and strategic thinker. Wendy represents employers in litigation matters involving employment disputes such as discrimination and retaliation class actions and individual claims, sexual harassment, whistleblowing, wage and hour, trade secret theft, and PAGA. Wendy represents clients based in China and other foreign countries with U.S. subsidiaries and employees. Wendy regularly leads workplace investigations involving allegations of improprieties in the C Suite, including sexual harassment, violation of workplace policies and financial improprieties. Wendy’s role counseling clients compliments her litigation practice. She also trains workforces with regard to legal compliance and best practices to proactively avoid employee claims. Wendy has a long record of success obtaining arbitration awards, defense verdicts, summary judgment and defeating class certification. Wendy is comfortable in front of a jury, a judge or an arbitrator.
In addition to practicing law, Wendy is the local chair on the Committee for the Retention and Promotion of Women. Wendy regularly speaks on topics of interest and has published many articles with thought leadership. Wendy has received many honors and awards reflecting her recognition by peers and clients, including:
- Daily Journal as a Top Labor & Employment Lawyer (2020)
- Chambers USA as a “Notable Practitioner” (2019, 2020)
- BTI Client Service All-Star award (2017)
- The Best Lawyers in California (2015 – 2020)
- The Best Lawyers In America for Litigation — Labor and Employment (2016 – 2021)
- Best Lawyers in Northern California (2016 – 2020)
- Super Lawyers for Northern California — Employment and Labor (2008 – 2020)
- San Francisco Magazine as a Top Lawyer in Northern California (2013 – 2020)
- Benchmark Litigation as a “Labor and Employment Star” (2021)
Wendy earned her J.D. with distinction and honors, graduating cum laude from Union University, there winning the Trustee Prize awarded to the person ranked second in the graduating class. She attended Boston University and received her B.A. with honors from Binghamton University. She was invited to Law Review and to clerk for the Appellate Division of the New York State, Second Department.