Christopher B. Cato

Christopher B. Cato is a trial partner with the firm and practices in the Southern California offices. Christopher is a member of the Employment and Tort practice groups with extensive experience defending businesses, professionals, public entities, and heath care organizations. His employment practice includes defending employers against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, unlawful harassment, whistleblower retaliation, failure to accommodate, breach of contract, and other related employment claims. He also regularly defends employers against wage and hour class actions.

Christopher has tried numerous cases to verdict, successfully handled civil appeals before the California Court of Appeals, and defended employment claims before various administrative agencies including the DFEH, DLSE, and EEOC. Christopher has served as a volunteer Deputy District Attorney.

Christopher provides counseling to employers on a variety of personnel issues, including employee discipline, hiring and termination practices, accommodating medical and disability leave requests, and developing employee handbooks.

Christopher also has extensive experience defending clients against tort and product liability claims.  

Admissions

• California
• U.S. District Court, Central, Eastern and Southern Districts of California

Memberships

• State Bar of California, Employment Section
• American Inns of Court

• Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a large auto dealership after a month long jury trial in which a manager alleged he was wrongfully terminated due to his race and in retaliation for complaints about unlawful conduct at the dealership.  
• Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a food product company and supervisor after a month long trial in which an employee alleged she was subjected to constant sexual harassment over a three year period. 
• Obtained a defense verdict on behalf of an equipment manufacturing company after a multiple week trial in which an employee alleged he was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for complaints about safety violations and discriminatory conduct. 
• Successfully defended a non-profit organization against a retaliation claim after an employee was discharged by an officer within two weeks of complaining about sexual comments by that officer.  After a multiple week trial, the jury returned a nominal award of a few thousand dollars.  The employee made a high six figure demand to settle prior to trial.  The trial court denied a request for an award of attorneys’ fees by the employee’s attorneys because of their lack of success.  
• Obtained defense verdict on behalf of a university after a two week trial of an action by a student.
• Prevailed at trial on action for breach of contract on behalf of an engineering company and recovered attorneys’ fees.
• Resolved numerous wage and hour class action lawsuits against local and national companies seeking multi-million dollar awards.
• Obtained summary judgment in over 20 cases, including the following examples:
  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of a product manufacturer in an action for whistleblower retaliation/wrongful termination brought by a former employee.
  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of medical center in an action for sexual harassment and retaliation brought by a temporary employee.
  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of a medical center in a binding arbitration of a former employee’s complaint of disability discrimination and failure to accommodate.
  • Multiple summary judgments in product liability actions.

Presentations

• Getting to the Finish Line as a Winner: Tools for Successful Case Resolution in 2023, GRSM Legal Education Conference, New York, NY, May 2023
• Getting to the Finish Line as a Winner: Tools for Successful Case Resolution in 2023, GRSM Legal Education Conference, Hartford, CT, May 2023
• Insurance and Settlements: Ethical Considerations, GRSM New York Legal Education Seminar, May 2018
• Insurance and Settlements: Ethical Considerations, GRSM Hartford Legal Education Seminar, May 2018
• They Did What? Avoiding & Resolving Claims in the Workplace, GRSM Los Angeles Legal Education Seminar, June 2017
• Trial Warriors Tell All – Lessons from the Trial Trenches, GRSM Los Angeles Legal Education Seminar, June 2016

Education

J.D., University of Southern California Law Center, 1991

• Highest Honors in Employment Law

B.A., Psychology, Duke University, 1987

• Dean’s List
• Class Honors

Honors

Super Lawyers® distinction in the fields of Employment Litigation: Defense, Employment & Labor, and Personal Injury - Products: Defense (2010-2020)

Top Attorney distinction in Labor & Employment (2011, 2013, San Diego Daily Transcript)