Erin M. Connell

Erin M. Connell, Co-chair of Orrick's EEO & OFCCP Compliance Group and Pay Equity Task Force, represents employers in high stakes employment litigation and is a leader in equal employment opportunity law, pay equity, and OFCCP compliance.

• Mandate

  Notable Engagements Include:

  Regular Outside Employment Counsel to Oracle

  • As lead trial counsel, obtained a complete dismissal of all claims in a high-stakes case against the OFCCP involving allegations of systemic compensation and job assignment discrimination at Oracle's headquarters location, earning Erin recognition as a "Litigator of the Week" by the American Lawyer and a 2021 Employment MVP by Law360
  • Currently lead counsel for Oracle in one of the first and biggest pay equity class actions under the newly amended California Equal Pay Act. This high-profile and precedent-setting case is currently set for trial in November 2022.
  • Currently advising Oracle on EEO and OFCCP compliance issues including with respect to multiple audits.
  • Resolved a complex and politically charged set of cases in both state and federal court against the State of Oregon arising from Oregon's failed health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Following several years of contentious litigation that included resolution of multiple complex constitutional issues, Erin and her team successfully resolved the matter, leading a major publication in Oregon to declare Oracle "the winner in the settlement."

  Class Actions and High-Stakes Single or Multi-Plaintiff Employment Litigation

  • Represents employers in pay equity and wage and hour class actions, as well as other high-stakes employment litigation, including Oracle, Pinterest, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Facebook, Morgan Stanley, The Home Depot, Synopsys and Netflix.

  Confidential Government Investigations and Audits by EEOC, DFEH and OFCCP

  • Given Erin’s expertise in defending systemic discrimination and large-scale pay equity matters, some of the nation’s most prominent employers turn to Erin to represent them in broad-based investigations by the EEOC and the California DFEH, as well as in audits by the OFCCP. Erin has handled dozens of these high-stakes confidential matters, which often include national or state-wide classes of employees or applicants, and involve complex legal claims and frequent disputes over the appropriate use of statistics to prove them.

  Trusted Advisor on Complex Counseling Matters, Pay Equity Analyses, Internal Audits and DEI Best Practices

  • Given Erin’s deep expertise in employment law, several of the nation’s most prominent employers regularly turn to Erin for advice and counsel, including with respect to new and developing areas of employment law such as those related to the COVID 19 pandemic, diversity, equity and inclusion; pay equity and pay transparency; and OFCCP compliance. Erin also has led dozens of internal pay equity analyses and other audits and provides ongoing legal advice to minimize risk.