Christopher W. Rowlett | Pérez Vaughn & Feasby

Experience

Christopher W. Rowlett possesses extensive litigation experience before state and federal trial courts, appellate courts, administrative bodies, as well as FINRA, JAMS, AAA and other arbitration forums. Clients seek his counsel and expertise in employment, non-compete, trade secret, contractual disputes, and many other types of complex commercial litigation.

Mr. Rowlett also counsels employers of all sizes on a broad range of employment and labor law matters, including discrimination, strategic workforce planning, wage and hour issues, executive employment and compensation, restrictive covenants, and trade secret matters. With proactive, forward-thinking counsel, he helps employers avoid liability for unpaid wages, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, among other employment claims.

Mr. Rowlett’s clients include multi-national Fortune 100 corporations, large national corporations, family-owned companies, brokers, and individual entrepreneurs, spanning a number of industries including financial services, technology, health care, and construction.

Prior to joining PVF, Mr. Rowlett was a partner at Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn in Detroit, Michigan from 2013 – 2016 where he was a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment practice group. Prior to Honigman, Mr. Rowlett was an associate at Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps, and subsequently McKenna Long & Aldridge, in San Diego.

Notable Engagements

Mr. Rowlett represents employers at many phases of litigation, administrative audits, and proceedings that arise under federal and state wage and overtime laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the California Labor Code, Michigan’s Minimum Wage Law and the Wage & Fringe Benefits Act, including significant class and collective action experience.
Mr. Rowlett conducts wage and hour audits and investigations, and evaluating employee exempt, non-exempt and other classifications for employers of all sizes.
Mr. Rowlett helps clients negotiate and enforce employment-related agreements, including employment contracts, severance agreements, confidentiality agreements, restrictive covenants, and independent contractor agreements.
Mr. Rowlett represents employers in harassment and employment discrimination lawsuits brought under federal and state anti-discrimination laws.
Mr. Rowlett helps clients draft, implement, and enforce work rules, policies, procedures, and employee handbooks that appropriately match their specific business goals.
In arbitrations nationwide, Mr. Rowlett represents a major Fortune 100 securities firm, or brokers employed by it and sued by their former employers, in claims alleging raiding, improper solicitation of clients, breach of contract, misuse of alleged confidential and trade-secret information, unfair business practices, tortious interference, and seeking immediate and permanent injunctive relief and damages.
In state and federal courts, Mr. Rowlett represents both employers and employees in claims regarding breaches of restrictive covenants, misappropriation of confidential and trade secret information, breach of fiduciary duties, and other similar claims.
Mr. Rowlett represents employers in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the United States Department of Labor (DOL), the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH);
Mr. Rowlett counsels employers regarding planning and implementing workforce reductions, early retirement incentive programs, reorganizations, mass layoffs, and plant closings, including under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN Act) and analogous state statutes.

Civic and Professional Activities

American Bar Association
American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh Chapter
American Inns of Court, Hon. William B. Enright Chapter
San Diego County Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Michigan Bar Association
Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Leadership Development Committee

Education

J.D., University of Michigan, 2007
B.S.E (Aerospace Engineering), University of Michigan, cum laude, 2004