Heath A. Havey served as a law professor, directed the employment law section of two countries for e-Commerce giant Amazon with a workforce exceeding 75,000, and spearheaded litigation, M&A and employment compliance projects at the world’s top-ranked international law firm in Tokyo and the premier employment law firm in the U.S.
Dr. Havey received his doctorate from BYU Law School in 1998, and has been licensed in California, Nevada and Japan. As a law professor in Tokyo, he taught US, Japan and international employment laws, US litigation and civil procedure, and US and international contracts. He has been part of M&A transactions exceeding $30 billion and defended companies in class actions worth over $50 million. He also was the chief editor of the leading treatise on Japan employment laws published by Wolters-Klewer.
With over 25 years’ experience, Dr. Havey represents companies in employment compliance, M&A employment due diligence, and employment litigation. He has handled over 200 employment class actions in California and over 300 PAGA actions.
Dr. Havey represents management in employment, labor and benefits law and related litigation. He practices before the state and federal courts in California, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Equal Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, all courts of Nevada, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Dr. Havey also defends management in statewide and nationwide class action and collective action litigation. He also defends management in litigation involving wrongful termination, reductions in force, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, wage and hour, benefits, and other labor and employment-related actions. Havey also conducts employee and management training seminars, and provides proactive employment advice and counsel.
Dr. Havey has focused exclusively on representing management in employment law actions since 1998. He has handled over 300 class, collective, and PAGA actions in California. He has extensive experience in all aspects of class action and PAGA litigation, including proactive and preventative strategies, budgeting, state-wide defense efforts, class-wide discovery, arbitrations, mediations, exposure analyses, class certification, investigations, depositions and experts. Havey has been recognized as a “Rising Star” and “Super Lawyer” in multiple editions of the Northern California Super Lawyers publication since 2011, and was rated the 2016 “Top Rated Employment & Labor Attorney” by Super Lawyers Magazine. Havey has also taught employment law, contracts, and civil procedure as an adjunct law professor for Temple Law School.
While residing in Japan, Dr. Havey attained the distinguished qualification of receiving a license to practice as a Registered Foreign Lawyer in Japan (Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi) and was a member of the Japan Bar Association (Nichibenren). He practiced in Tokyo for a number of years, and was director of employment law for two countries at Amazon Japan G.K. for five years. Havey is fluent in Japanese and has a comprehensive understanding of Japanese employment practices and laws.
Credentials
Admissions
California
Nevada
U.S. District Courts of Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Japan Gaiben
Memberships
State Bar of California
State Bar of Nevada
Japan Bar Association
Education
J.D., J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, 1998 (Doctoral Dissertation: “Personal Jurisdiction in Cyberspace” (1997)
B.A., Brigham Young University, 1995 (University Honors)
Honors
“Top Rated Employment & Labor Attorney”, Super Lawyers Magazine (2016)
“Rising Star” & “Super Lawyer”, Northern California Super Lawyers (2011)