Christopher W. Decker

Arbitration Agreements:

• Prosecuted two successful appeals from trial court decisions declining to enforce an arbitration agreement for a national automobile retailer, resulting in published opinions enforcing the client’s arbitration agreement under California law. Sanchez v. CarMax AutoSuperstores California, LLC, 224 Cal. App. 4^th 398 (2014); Casas v. CarMax AutoSuperstores California, LLC, 224 Cal. App. 4^th 1233 (2014).
• Successfully enforced an arbitration agreement barring class and representative claims in arbitration after the California Supreme Court held that waivers of representative claims are unenforceable under California law. Langston v. 20/20 Companies, Inc., 2014 WL 5335734 (C.D. Cal.)
• Successfully enforced an arbitration agreement barring class, collective and representative claims in arbitration, thereby terminating a nationwide class and collective action against a national automobile retailer. Luchini v. CarMax, Inc., 2012 WL 2995483 (E.D. Cal.)

Misclassification (Exempt/Non-Exempt):

• Obtained summary judgment for a major national insurer against claims that its worker’s compensation claims adjusters were misclassified as administrative exempt employees and successfully defended the judgment on appeal. Bucklin v. American Zurich Insurance Co., 2013 WL 3147019 (C.D. Cal.) aff’d 619 Fed. Appx. 574 (9^th Cir., July 20, 2015)
• Obtained summary judgment for a national automobile retailer against claims that its sales consultants were misclassified as inside sales exempt employees.
• Obtained a defense award in a week-long arbitration involving claims by an automobile sales manager that he was misclassified as an executive exempt employee.

Meal and Rest Period Violations:

• Successfully resolved four putative class actions at mediation on favorable terms, avoiding extensive litigation and continued exposure.

Wrongful Termination/ Discrimination/Retaliation:

• Obtained summary judgment for a national hotel chain against claims of wrongful termination based on an allegedly illegal drug test.
• Obtained a defense award in a week-long arbitration involving claims of retaliation for taking FMLA leave and disability discrimination.
• Successfully resolved more than one dozen individual actions on favorable terms at mediation or through informal negotiations with opposing counsel.

Education

• J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2003
• B.A., Harvard University, 1988

Admission to Practice

• California
• U.S. District Court, Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Keeping Current in California With Charles and Leslie” – June 29, 2022
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Keeping California Current With Leslie and Charles” – March 30, 2022
• Navigating California Employment Law – “Are You Ready for California’s New Pay Reporting Requirements?” – March 5, 2021

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024)
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®  for Litigation – Labor and Employment (2023-2025)