Matt Drenan

Experienced complex and class action litigator in employment, commercial business disputes and transportation matters

Matt Drenan advises local, national and international clients on a wide range of labor, employment, transportation, logistics and commercial litigation matters, including single plaintiff, complex, class and representative action defense in both state and federal court. He is deeply experienced handling wage and hour compliance, class actions, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) litigation, single-plaintiff wage and hour disputes, and matters related to pay equity, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, religious exemption, executive compensation, federal and state leave law, and more. Matt has represented individuals and both for-profit and nonprofit companies in an array of industries, including:

• Maritime, oil and gas
• Logistics and transportation
• Construction and plumbing
• Agribusiness, food and hospitality, breweries and California wineries
• Technology, education and banking
• Pharmaceutical and health care
• Health clubs and retail

Matt also is a highly respected transportation and maritime attorney with international experience representing multinational shipping, energy, and oil and gas companies in litigation matters, regulatory compliance, incident investigations and pollution response. He is specifically adept at Carmack and related transportation litigation under the FAAAA, representing both shippers and carriers.

Matt is a creative and competitive litigator who acts as a fierce advocate from case inception to completion. He is adept at formulating client-specific, results-oriented strategies, consistent with the respective venue and substantive complexity. Clients appreciate Matt’s out-of-the box thinking, entrepreneurial settlement style and subtle sense of humor.

Prior to joining Quarles, Matt worked for Am Law 100 and Am Law 200 law firms throughout California, where he represented business entities, executives and related stakeholders in in a wide range of industries.

Employment Litigation

• Represents clients in state and federal courts in both single-plaintiff and class action defense, arbitrates and mediates nationally, and practices before state and federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), U.S. Department of Labor, the California Civil Rights Department, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA).

Labor & Employment

• Conducts workplace investigations and management training on a wide array of employment law matters.
• Provides employers with advice and counsel on a broad range of employment and workplace issues, such as employee discipline and termination, leaves and accommodation, wage and hour compliance, and workplace investigations.

Business Litigation

• Counsels businesses, individual members, officers and directors, both in defense and prosecution of state and federal litigation, including trade secret and employee mobility actions, breach of contract matters, and various business torts and commercial disputes.

Transportation and Logistics Litigation

• Represents both shippers and carriers in defense and prosecution of Carmack and related transportation litigation under the FAAAA, and corresponding regulatory regimes.

• Prevailed in commercial lease trial representing landlord for numerous breaches of lease.
• Successfully defended executive and company against claims for breaches of fiduciary duty, derivative shareholder allegations, and wage and hour claims.
• Obtained complete dismissal of action on behalf of biotech startup, prevailing on a motion for non conveniens.
• Achieved dismissal of wrongful termination action for national staffing agency on motion for summary judgment.
• Secured favorable outcome for clients facing NLRB investigations and complaints.