Our Employment & Civil Rights Team

Byron Goldstein represents employees subjected to employment discrimination, including equal pay act and Title VII violations.  He represents employees for failure to pay all overtime owed and other wage and hour violations.  Byron litigates these claims through class actions and individual actions.  He also litigates privacy class actions.

Before joining Goldstein Browne, PC, he was a partner at Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho.  Prior to GBDH, Byron worked at Clarence, Dyer, and Cohen, he was a staff attorney in the Juvenile Rights Practice at The Legal Aid Society, and he served as a clerk for Judge UW Clemon in the Northern District of Alabama.

Byron is a Senior Reviewer of the Class Actions chapter in the ABA-BNA Employment Discrimination Law treatise (7th Ed.).  He speaks and writes about issues concerning class action litigation and employment laws.  The press has frequently quoted or referred to Byron’s work, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Oregonian, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

• J.D., Columbia University School of Law, 2007
• M.S.c., Development Studies, University of London School of Oriental & African Studies, 2004
• B.B.A., Business/Finance, Emory University, 2003

Cases

Rasmussen, et al., v. The Walt Disney Company ($43.25 million proposed class settlement on behalf of California employees of Walt Disney-related companies alleging equal pay act and disparate impact claims)

Anderson, et al v. The Arizona Board of Regents (putative class and collective action of women alleging violations of The Equal Pay Act and Title VII)

Cahill, et al. v. Nike, Inc. (putative class action of women alleging violations of Title VII and The Equal Pay Act)

Bazerman, et al., v. American Airlines ($11 million class settlement on behalf of passengers alleging airline charged checked bag fees in breach of its contract)

Flowers, et al., v. Twilio, Inc. ($10 million class settlement on behalf of Californians alleging their communications were recorded without consent in violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act)

McBain v. Behr ($5 million class, collective, and PAGA settlement on behalf of employees alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime and not paid all overtime wages, provided meal and rest periods, and reimbursed business expenses, and other wage and hour violations).

Talamantes v. PPG Industries, Inc. ($5 million class and collective settlement on behalf of employees alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime, not paid all overtime wages, and other wage and hour violations)

Willey, et al. v. TTI, Inc. ($3.5 million class, collective, and PAGA settlement on behalf of employees alleging they were not paid all overtime wages and other wage and hour violations).

Arrellano, et al. v. R&B Sales and Marketing ($2.1 million class, PAGA, and collective action settlement on behalf of employees alleging failure to pay all overtime, all wages owed, provide meal and rest periods, and reimburse business expenses)

Foster, et al. v. Advantage Sales & Marketing ($1.2 million class and collective action settlement alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime, not paid all overtime wages, and other wage and hour violations)

Zenelaj, et al. v. Handy ($1.2 million class settlement on behalf of workers alleging they were misclassified as independent contractors).

Lawson, et al. v. Consumer Portfolio Services ($1.1 million PAGA, class, and collective settlement on behalf of employees alleging they were misclassified as exempt from overtime and not paid all overtime wages, provided meal and rest periods, and reimbursed business expenses, and other wage and hour violations)

Barnes v. Sprig, Inc. ($1.05 million class, collective, and PAGA settlement on behalf of employees alleging failure to pay all overtime, all wages owed, provide meal and rest periods, and reimburse business expenses)

$600,000 settlement for a woman alleging sex discrimination and retaliation against a marketing company.

Martinez v. PPG Industries, Inc. ($590,000 settlement on behalf of employees alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act).

Garcia v. PPG Industries, Inc. ($500,000 class and collective settlement on behalf of employees alleging failure to pay all wages, reimbursement, and other wage and hour claims).

David has successfully represented hundreds of employment and civil rights clients throughout California. David has been practicing employment and civil rights law in California since 2012. Before moving back to California, David was an attorney for Wenzel Fenton Cabassa, P.A. in Tampa, Florida where he represented both employers and employees. Before practicing employment and civil rights law, David led a statewide voter protection effort in Florida, and counseled and mentored juvenile justice youth in San Diego and San Jose, California for AmeriCorps and Fresh Lifelines for Youth. David received his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law where he earned the Gold Pro Bono Award for his commitment to service throughout law school. Mr. Browne received his bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University, with honors, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned admission to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Mr. Browne is a long-standing member of the California Employment Lawyers Association.

Stephanie is a dedicated civil rights lawyer with a passion for employee rights cases. She is admitted to practice in the state of California, and the United States District Court for the Northern, Central and Southern District of California. Stephanie attended law school at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida and graduated with a concentration in Social Justice Advocacy. She was a member of the Stetson Trial Team and received the Victor O. Wehle Award for excellence in trial advocacy. She also received a pro bono award for her commitment to service throughout law school. Before joining Goldstein Browne, Stephanie worked at the Public Defender’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. Stephanie is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) and is a community organizer for the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties.

Barry Goldstein has successfully litigated dozens of employment discrimination and other employment class actions throughout the country.  Barry has argued numerous cases in the appellate courts and three cases in the United States Supreme Court: IUE v. Robbins & Myers; Lorance v. AT & T Technologies; Dague v. City of Burlington.

He worked for NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc., (LDF) for eighteen years, including several years as the Director of its Washington, D.C. office. In 1989, Barry joined Saperstein & Seligman, subsequently Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho, as a partner, then managing partner, and then as of counsel.

He received his B.A. from Harvard, a Diploma in Criminology from the University of Cambridge, and his J.D. from Columbia University.

Barry has been counsel in well over one hundred class actions, including, for example:

• Kraszewski v. State Farm Insurance Co. ($250 million class settlement in sex discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Jock v. Sterling Jewelers ($175 million class settlement in gender pay and promotion class action with injunctive relief) (S.D.N.Y.; Am. Arb. Association)
• Haynes v. Shoney’s, Inc. ($132.5 million class settlement in race discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Fla.)
• Shores v. Publix Super Markets, Inc. ($81.5 million class settlement in sex discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (M.D. Fla.)
• Satchell v. FedEx Corp. ($70 million class settlement in race discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch ($47 million class settlement in race discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Babbitt v. Albertson’s, Inc. ($24.5 million class settlement in sex and race discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Butler v. Home Depot ($87.5 million class settlement in sex discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Byrd v. Sprint Corporation ($60 million class settlement on behalf of class alleging unpaid commissions) (Circuit Ct. Mo.)
• Weddington v. Ingles Markets, ($16 million class settlement in sex discrimination class action) (N.D. Ga.
• Rice v. Southern California Edison Co., ($18.2 million class settlement in sex and race discrimination class action with injunctive relief) (N.D. Cal.)
• Albemarle Paper Company v. Moody, 422 U.S. 405 (1975) (drafted brief and lead trial counsel on remand)
• Coulter v. State of Tennessee, 806 F.2d 146 (6th Cir. 1986) (argued)
• Moss v. The Lane Company, 471 F.2d 853 (4th Cir. 1973) (trial counsel and argued)
• Pettaway v. American Cast Iron Pipe Co., 494 F.2d 211 (5th Cir. 1974) (argued)
• United States v. United States Steel Corp., 520 1043 (5th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 102 (1977) (Trial counsel in three consolidated private actions and argued on appeal)
• City of Burlington v. Dague, 112 S. Ct. 2638 (1992) (argued in Supreme Court)
• Lorance v. AT&T Technologies, 490 U.S. 900 (1989) (argued in Supreme Court)
• IUE v. Robbins & Myers, 429 U.S. 229 (1976) (argued in Supreme Court)

Devin has successfully represented hundreds of employees, tenants and other individuals in settlement negotiations, state and federal courts, and the California Court of Appeal. A devoted civil rights advocate, Devin has dedicated his career to helping people who are treated unfairly. Before founding Goldstein Browne, PC, Devin worked for the San Francisco Public Defender‘s Office, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and as a criminal investigator for The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS). Devin is a graduate of Georgetown University, the UCLA School of Law, and a long-standing member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA).

Megana graduated from the University of Southern California in 2024, with a B.A. in Law, History, and Culture and a B.A. in Health and Human Sciences. While in college, she interned with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and conducted research in Dr. Stanley Huey’s clinical psychology lab, which focuses on behavioral health disparities and culturally responsive treatment interventions. She remains an active member of this lab. Her experiences reflect a deep interest in advocacy and community-based work, and she plans to pursue law school in the near future.

Charlie is a legal assistant/paralegal at Goldstein Browne, PC, where he supports the firm’s employment litigation practice. Charlie graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in Philosophy, specializing in Law and Society, and a minor in Criminology. While at UCI, Charlie competed on the university’s nationally recognized Mock Trial Team, developing a strong foundation in trial advocacy and legal analysis. He plans to attend law school and is passionate about advancing justice through legal advocacy