From advice and counseling, to complex transactional matters and litigation, Walter is the go-to lawyer—and business partner—for clients with challenging employment issues. Drawing on 25+ years of employment law experience, he provides practical solutions that minimize legal exposure for businesses in a heavily regulated employment environment. Walter is recognized as a thought leader on California employment law topics. He has been a guest on KQED radio programs and served as a contributing author for Aspatore’s Thought Leadership series on Employment Law. He’s also been selected for the list of Best Lawyers in America since 2013 and Northern California Super Lawyers since 2014.
wms@millerlawgroup.com 415 464 4300 LinkedIn
Education
J.D., 1990 - Cornell Law School
B.A., 1987 - Marquette University
Bar Admission
California
Illinois
2013-2017 Inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America"
2014-2016 Selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers List
2008 Bar Association of San Francisco, Award of Merit
2005-2006 The Best Lawyers in the Bay Area, Bay Area Lawyer Magazine
2005-2006, 2008 Bar Association of San Francisco Pro Bono Award, Bar Association of San Francisco Volunteer Legal Services Program
2003, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Award, Bar Association of San Francisco Volunteer Legal Services Program
Speaking Engagements
Sep 2017, Association of Corporate Counsel-San Francisco Bar Association: Top Tips to Make Your Company Employment-Litigation Ready
Apr 2017, KAWL Radio Interview: Legal Rights of California LGBT Employees Against Workplace Discrimination
Mar 2015, Northern California HR Association HR West Conference: Medical Record Keeping in California and Beyond
Nov 2014, KQED Radio Interview: The Retail Workers Bill of Rights
Oct 2014, Association of Corporate Counsel-San Francisco Bar Association Startup Essentials Program (StEP): Employment Law Essentials for Startups
Aug 2014, CA HR Conference by PIHRA: Avoiding Payroll Traps: Compliance Do's and Don'ts to Stay Out of Court
Jul 2014, KQED Radio Forum Guest: The Debate Over Part-Time Work
Jun 2014, Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) Mid-Year Legal Update: The Latest on Background Checks and 'Ban the Box' - What Employers Need to Know
Apr 2014, Northern California HR Association HR West Conference: Are Your Policies Legal? The NLRB May Not Think So!
Apr 2014, CalSHRM State Legislative & HR Conference: The Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA
Jan 2014, Sierra Human Resources Association: 2014 Legal Update for California Business Leaders and Managers
Apr 2013, Northern California HR Association HR West Conference: Hot Topics and Emerging Trends in Employment Law
Feb 2013, Sierra Human Resources Association: The Year in Review and Looking Forward to 2013
Jan 2013, Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) Annual Legal Update: Commission Agreements in California: A Toolkit for Managing Your Risks and Obligations Within the Law
Jan 2013, Northern California HR Association Legal & Legislative Conference: Wage and Hour: Trends and Tactics for California Employers
Jan 2013, Women for WineSense HR Roundtable: Commission Agreements in California: A Toolkit for Managing Your Risks and Obligations Within the Law
Nov 2012, Association of Corporate Counsel-San Francisco Bar Association Employment Law Legal Audit: Employment Law Toolkit for Managing Within the Law
May 2012, Association of Corporate Counsel-San Francisco Bar Association: Essentials for Startups: A Legal Toolkit for In-House Counsel
Apr 2012, NCHRA HR West Conference: Hot Topics and Emerging Trends in California Employment Law
Mar 2012, Northern California HR Association Presentation: Creating, Retaining and Destroying Corporate Records
Jan 2012, Northern California HR Association Legal & Legislative Conference: Wage and Hour Laws: New Twists on Old Problems
2011, NCHRA Webinar Series: (Restrictive Covenants in California, California Employment Law Update, Complying with California Leave Laws, Navigating California Wage and Hour Laws, Discrimination in California, and Protecting Business Trade Secrets)
Apr 2011, HR West 2011: Hot Topics and Trends in Employment Law
Apr 2011, ExecSense Webinar: Modern Media in the Traditional Workplace: The Game Has Changed...The Rules Have Not
Jan 2011, Northern California HR Association 2011 Legal and Legislative Conference, The California Labor Code: Doing Business in a Fiercely Employee-Friendly Environment
Jan 2011, Association of Corporate Counsel Hard-to-Find CLE Credits Program, Burlingame, CA (Substance Abuse): So, a Stressed-Out Lawyer Walks Into a Bar...Alcohol, Drugs and the Practice of Law
Publications
Jun 2017, Bloomberg BNA: Management Attorneys Examine Potential Return of DOL Opinion Letters, Provide Guidance on Joint Employment Issue and More
Quoted in a Nov 2015 article, The Recorder: After 'No-Poach' Case, It's Open Season on Hiring Pacts
Apr 2015, ACC Docket: Ditch the Boilerplate: Avoid Drafting Mistakes in Employment Agreements
Quoted in a Nov 2014 SHRM article: Meal-Break Class Actions Continue in Post-Brinker Era
Jan 2013, Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin: Brinker: The Death Knell for Meal Period and Rest Break Class Actions?
Aug 2012, Bender's California Labor & Employment Bulletin: Supreme Court Doesn't Buy DOL's Narrow View of the Outside Sales Exemption
2011, Aspatore's Thought Leadership series: Employment Law 2011: Top Lawyers on Trends and Key Strategies for the Upcoming Year
Mar 2011, The Recorder: Social Media and Labor Law
Jan 2011, Law360: Employers' Genetic Information Obligations
Board Member Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA), 2011-2013
Member, Editorial Board for “Bender’s California Labor & Employment Bulletin”
Bingham McCutchen (Partner)
Morrison & Foerster
Regulatory, Compliance & Risk Management
Emerging Growth
Class Action & Complex Litigation
Employment Litigation
Regulatory, Compliance & Risk Management
Trials and Appeals
