Contact Information

555 Capitol Mall 9th Floor

Sacramento CA 95814

916.444.3900

sschoenig@mhalaw.com

Practice Focus

Employment

Harassment

Litigation

Susan L. Schoenig | Shareholder

Professional Experience

Sue joined McDonough Holland & Allen PC in 1981. While her practice has involved a wide range of real estate and commercial litigation, she focuses on employment law. Sue is also the leader of the employment law team, a subgroup of the Public Law practice group.

Sue advises a diverse group of public and private employers in all types of employment/labor matters including drafting contracts; employee handbooks and policies; counseling on discipline and termination matters; and investigating claims of discrimination and harassment. She has handled wrongful termination and unlawful harassment matters from the filing of the initial complaint through investigation, subsequent litigation and trial.

She also served as California Public Employees Retirement System’s (“CalPERS”) litigation supervisor with direct responsibility to CalPERS for all litigation handled by the firm.

Representative Matters

Advised Northern California health client on how to respond to and investigate an employee complaint of sexual harassment so that employer was able to achieve a dismissal in the early pleading stages from a subsequent lawsuit.

Successfully obtained two summary judgments for a Northern California health client in wrongful termination, retaliation and harassment lawsuits.

Represented major security firm in numerous injunction proceedings and negotiated favorable settlements in NASD matters involving raiding and employment issues.

Successfully defended major security firm in wrongful termination matter that resulted in plaintiff dismissing all her claims.

Conducted numerous employment investigations, including cases for large Northern California public agencies that involved allegations of wrong doing on the part of high-ranking officials.

Successfully defended school district’s imposition of impact fees on developers which resulted in the published opinion El Dorado Un. High Sch. Dist. v. Ct. of Placerville, 144 Cal.App.3d 123 (1983).

Presentations/Publications

Presenter, “Harassment and Discrimination Prevention – It’s Not Just About Sex,” Supervisor Training mandated by AB 1825. Given for numerous private and public entities and offered as an on going in-house seminar.

Presenter, “Wage and Hour Issues,” Sacramento Employers Advisory Council, 2005

Presenter, “Wage and Hour Issues,” Council on Employment, 2005

Presenter, “Wage and Hour Issues,” Sacramento Area Human Resources Association, 2004

Presenter, “Workplace Privacy: Minding Your Business,” Sacramento Area Human Resources Association

Presenter, “How to do a Proper Evaluation,” various dates

Presenter, “How to Maintain Personnel Files,” various dates

Presenter, “How to Respond to an ADA Claim,” League of California Cities Annual Meeting

Presenter, “How to Investigate a Sexual Harassment Complaint,” League of California Cities Annual Meeting

Leadership Positions/Affiliations

Member, State Bar of California

Member, Sacramento County Bar Association

Past Member, Milton L. Schwartz Inn of Court

Member, Sacramento Area Human Resources Association

Member, California Women Lawyers

Member, Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court (2000-2003)

Honors/Awards

Recognized as a 2004, 2007 & 2008 Northern California Super Lawyer®

American Jurisprudence Awards in Civil Procedure, Trusts, and Finance

Emil Gumpert Award for Outstanding Achievement in Trial Advocacy

LexisNexis, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated – AV

MHALaw Search

Admitted to Practice

State Bar of California, 1979

United States District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California

United States Supreme Court

Education

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

J.D., with Distinction, 1979

Dean’s Honor Roll

Lifetime Member Traynor Honor Society

California State University, Chico

B.A., Psychology, 1974

Teaching Credential, 1974