Alexander Harwin

Partner

Alexander.Harwin@lewisbrisbois.com

Alexander Harwin is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Lewis Brisbois, a vice-chair of the Hospitality Practice and a member of the Labor & Employment Practice. He concentrates his practice in all aspects of labor, employment and business litigation and counseling matters. He has extensive experience defending businesses involving claims of sexual harassment; age, disability, race, religious and national origin discrimination and harassment; wrongful termination; contract disputes; defamation; invasion of privacy; wage and hour and training. Mr. Harwin also defends discrimination and personal injury claims made against businesses, landlords and property owners including those brought pursuant to the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Labor & Employment
  • Wage & Hour Class Actions
  • COVID-19: Labor & Employment
  • Hospitality

Additional Experience

Admissions

California

United States District Court for the Central District of California

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

United States District Court for the Southern District of California

Associations

  • San Fernando Valley Bar Association (Inclusion & Diversity Committee)
  • City of Calabasas, Head Basketball Coach, 2016 to 2020
  • USA Basketball Associate Licensed Coach
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association, Labor & Employment, Executive Committee, Section Chair 2012
  • NFL Players Association, Certified Contract Advisor
  • Los Angeles Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
  • USA Taekwondo

Professional Presentations

  • Presented on classification of independent contractors at the Comic Book Law School seminar at the July 2018 San Diego Comic Con International.
  • Presented employment and Fair Housing seminars and trainings for public, business associations and private clients.
  • Presented on “work-for-hire” issues at the Comic Book Law School: Hot Topics seminar at the July 2010 San Diego Comic Con International.
  • Presented Internet Piracy lecture at the July 2009 San Diego Comic Con International.
  • Presented on the termination of assignment rights pursuant to the Copyright Act of 1976 at the July 2008 San Diego Comic Con International.
  • Presented lecture entitled, "Copyrights 101: Protecting Your Creation" at the March 2008 Wizard World Los Angeles.
  • Presented Intellectual Property lecture before the Comic Arts Conference at the February 2008 San Francisco Wondercon.

Education

Loyola Law School

Juris Doctor, 2002

University of California, Los Angeles

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1999

Legal Experience

Mr. Harwin is well-versed in all phases of litigation, including taking and defending depositions, arguing before the courts on pre-trial law and motion matters, drafting motions for summary judgment, propounding and responding to discovery, negotiating settlement agreements and mediating cases. Mr. Harwin thoroughly prepares his cases by conducting online and public records investigation to conduct thorough background checks of employees, parties and witnesses, in addition to witness interviews, in order to effectively prepare for depositions and trial. 

  • In 2023, Mr. Harwin successfully tried and obtained a complete defense ruling at arbitration a wrongful termination matter brought by the Chief Financial Officer of his client who claimed he was misclassified as an independent contractor, wrongfully terminated, and was not paid all compensation owed.
  • In 2019, Mr. Harwin successfully tried an employment matter involving a delivery truck driver making claims of unpaid overtime, meal and rest breaks before the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
  • In 2018, Mr. Harwin prepared and successfully argued a motion granting summary judgment in his clients’ favor which secured dismissal of plaintiffs’ race/national origin discrimination claims, multiple disability accommodation claims and injunctive relief claims pled in a Fair Housing matter. Elliott v. QF Circa 37, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98668, 2018 WL 2933467 (S.D. Cal. June 12, 2018). Mr. Harwin then followed this up by securing a complete dismissal on post-trial motions after the jury deadlocked in a 6-1 vote in favor of his clients/defendants on the remaining disability discrimination based claims. Elliott v. Versa CIC, L.P., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16744, 2019 WL 414499 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 1, 2019).
  • In 2018, Mr. Harwin also prepared and successfully argued for dismissal of Fair Housing and Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act matter in a Federal court action. Andoh-Kesson v. Law Office of McIntyre Law Grp., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96048 (C.D. Cal. May 21, 2018). This dismissal was preceded by multiple lawsuits in state court in which Mr. Harwin obtained over $30,000 in judgments against Plaintiffs which were affirmed on appeal. Andoh-Kesson v. San Juan Meadows Homeowners, 2017 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 3604 (2017).
  • In 2014, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued successful demurrer sustained without leave to amend as to all statutory disability discrimination and non-statutory wrongful termination causes of action in employment action brought by former executive. 
  • In 2013, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued successful demurrer sustained without leave to amend in employment disability discrimination action brought by former physician. The decision was later affirmed on appeal. (Birnbaum v. Tarzana Anesthesia Med. Group, 2014 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8903.) 
  • In 2012, Mr. Harwin prepared successful opposition to discovery motion for order to compel employer financial discovery in employment wrongful termination lawsuit. (EEOC v. Giumarra Vineyards Corp., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14109.) 
  • In 2011, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued a successful summary judgment motion in a residential property dispute. 
  • In 2009, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued a successful summary judgment motion on behalf of a product manufacturer. 
  • In 2009, Mr. Harwin became licensed by the NFL Players Association as a Certified Contract Advisor. 
  • In 2007, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued a successful summary judgment motion in a credit defamation case. (Woods v. Protection One Alarm Monitoring, Inc. (E.D. Cal. 2007) 628 F. Supp. 2d 1173.) 
  • In 2006, Mr. Harwin prepared and argued three successful Motions for Summary Judgment in the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior Courts. 
  • Mr. Harwin also has experience and interest in comic book intellectual property issues, professional sports labor issues and Internet privacy law. 
  • Mr. Harwin is admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Published/Reported Opinions

  • Elliott v. QF Circa 37, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98668, 2018 WL 2933467 (S.D. Cal. June 12, 2018)
  • Andoh-Kesson v. Law Office of McIntyre Law Grp., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96048 (C.D. Cal. May 21, 2018)
  • Andoh-Kesson v. San Juan Meadows Homeowners, 2017 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 3604 (2017)
  • Andoh-Kesson v. McIntyre Law Grp., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 143478 (C.D. Cal. 2015)
  • Birnbaum v. Tarzana Anesthesia Med. Group, 2014 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8903 (2014) 
  • Burnett v. Maiwandi, 2012 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8830 (2012) 
  • United States EEOC v. Giumarra Vineyards Corp., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14109 (E.D. Cal. 2012) 
  • Flores v. AutoZone West, Inc., 161 Cal. App. 4th 373 (2008) 
  • Woods v. Protection One Alarm Monitoring, Inc., 628 F. Supp. 2d 1173 (E.D. Cal. 2007)