Oswald Cousins, a partner in the San Francisco office, is a member of the Employment Law Group. Mr. Cousins has extensive experience litigating wrongful termination, disability accommodation, discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wage-and-hour cases in federal and state courts, arbitrations and administrative forums. His counseling expertise includes employee policies, reductions in force, workplace investigations and audits, employment disputes, alternative dispute resolution and disability accommodation matters. His recent engagements include the following:
- Wrongful Termination Litigation. Mr. Cousins recently defended a large retail organization against wrongful termination and harassment claims brought by a terminated executive. As first chair in a nearly three-week arbitration hearing, Mr. Cousins obtained a complete defense verdict.
- Bonus Litigation. Mr. Cousins defended a major California energy company against a US$2.5 million claim for unpaid bonuses brought by a former energy trader who worked for a subsidiary of the company in Maryland. At trial, Mr. Cousins assisted in obtaining a jury verdict in favor of the defendant.
- Wrongful Termination/Harassment Litigation. Mr. Cousins recently defended a large real estate company and other defendants in a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging medical leave retaliation and harassment and discrimination based on age and disability. After obtaining dismissal of most claims on summary adjudication or directed verdict, Mr. Cousins and partner Robert Shwarts obtained a jury verdict in favor of the defendants on the remaining claim for medical leave retaliation.
- Multi-Plaintiff Discrimination Litigation. Mr. Cousins is currently defending a large real estate company and other defendants in complex litigation involving claims of discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination by 10 plaintiffs.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Cousins was an associate at Latham & Watkins from 1994 to 1998.
Print-friendly
web-friendly