About Mark
Mark S. Spring has over thirty years of experience handling labor and employment law matters throughout Northern California. Spring’s practice is focused on the representation of management in union-management relations and handling litigation triggered by all types of employment-related disputes.
Spring has a successful record of dealings with union locals from the Teamsters, UFCW, IBEW, Laborers, SEIU, Steelworkers, and Stationary Engineers. He negotiates union contracts, handles ULP charges, resolves grievances, represents clients at grievance arbitrations, and manages secondary picketing issues and other strike-related litigation and matters. In addition, Spring assists non-union employers with union avoidance efforts. He also counsels employers during union campaigns.
Spring’s reputation for litigation excellence is further built upon an impressive record as lead trial counsel in high-stakes employment litigation in both federal and state courts. In addition to his successful courtroom and trial work, Spring regularly represents California employers in discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and employee safety issues in administrative matters/hearings before the NLRB, DFEH, EEOC, DLSE, Cal-OSHA, CUIAB, and other state and federal agencies.
Spring also maintains a significant litigation prevention practice, advising national and regional clients on adopting employment policies and managing challenging personnel problems in compliance with California law. Spring has also represented public figures, elected officials, executives, and athletes in high-profile sexual harassment lawsuits and investigations.
Spring is active in DEI issues. After serving for over fifteen years on the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Minority and Diversity Hiring and Retention Committee, in 2022, Spring was elected the Co-Chairperson of that organization. Spring is our firm’s representative on the Sacramento Legal Employers Diversity Collective.
Spring is a long-term member of the American Employment Law Council (AELC), a national invitation-only group of senior management-side employment attorneys. He is the Northern California representative for the Wage & Hour Defense Institute (WHDI) a group comprised of rigidly selected top wage and hour litigators from across the country. Spring was named the Best Lawyers® Sacramento 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” for the category of Employment Law – Management by his peers.
Spring loves to teach. He serves as an adjunct lecturer at California State University, Sacramento since 2014, where he teaches an undergraduate course in recreation law in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Administration Department. Spring is the Managing Editor of our award-winning California Labor and Employment Law blog. Spring is also a frequent speaker to employment-related groups and associations on a variety of labor and employment law issues and is in charge of our firm’s monthly webinar series.
In his off-the-clock hours, Spring enjoys playing golf, traveling, white water rafting, and coaching high school sports. He spent many years as a high school boys’ basketball and high school girls’ lacrosse coach and spent two summers in Montenegro coaching basketball at Balkan Basketball Diplomacy Project co-sponsored by the Georgetown University Basketball program and the United States Department of State.
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Areas of Practice
Traditional Labor Law - Unions and the NLRB
EEO Litigation
Wrongful Termination and Workplace Tort Litigation
Workplace Solutions, Advice and Training
Wage and Hour Issues
Workplace Safety and Health (OSHA)
Class Actions
Education
George Washington University Law School, J.D., with honors, 1991
- Journal of International Law and Economics, 1990-1991
- The Advocate Student Newspaper, Asst. Editor, 1989-1991
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Special Investigations, Law Clerk
Georgetown University, B.S. Finance, cum laude, 1988
- Dean’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the University, 1988
- Varsity Men’s Lacrosse Team, 1984-1985
Brasenose College, Oxford University, Summer 1987
- Comparative Business Program
Publications
“Personal Emails Aren’t Private on Corporate Devices,” Quoted, SHRM, June 2023
"Now what on the LAUSD service workers' strike? Will both sides be ready to negotiate ... or more embittered?" Live News Report, KNX News Los Angeles, March 2023
"NLRB Says Workplace Discussions of Racism Are Protected Activity," Quoted, SHRM, March 2023
"Cases That Could Shift NLRB Precedent In 2023," Quoted, Law360 Employment Authority, March 2023
"Low Union Density in Banking Poses Hurdles for Union Organizing," Quoted, Law360 Employment Authority, January 2023
"Ask Help Desk: What happens if you refuse to go back to the office?" Quoted, The Washington Post, April 2022
"Getting Answers: Where Will Masks Still Be Required Once Mandate Lifts Tuesday?" Interview on CBS 13 Sacramento, February 2022
"California Employers, Facing Tight Safety Rules, Need To Get Comfortable With Change," Quoted, HR Dive, August 2021
“Mandating Vaccines in the Workplace” Interview on Sacramento Fox 40 News, April 2021
“Can accounting firms mandate vaccines?” Commentary, The Journal of Accountancy, April 2021
"The PRO Act and the Future of American Labor Law," Daily Journal, March 2021
"The Challenges of Reimbursing Employees for Remote Work in California," Bloomberg Law, November 2020
"2020 Brings New Workplace Requirements," Today's General Counsel, Spring 2020 Edition
"Are You Prepared for California’s Sweeping Labor Law Changes?" TLNT.com, December 2019
"Lyft Sexual Assault Suit Alleges Inadequate Background Checks, Investigations," Contributor, HR Dive: Human Resources and Workforce Management News, September 2019
"California’s Battle over Worker Classification - Punching In: Acosta Hunkers Down, EEOC Eyes ‘Other’ Harassment," Contributor, Bloomberg’s Law’s Punching In Podcast, February 2019
"Doing Business In California? Be Sure You Comply With These New Employment Rules," Talent Management and HR, January 2018
Written Opinions
Medic Ambulance Service, 370 NLRB No. 65 (2021)
Kulshestha v. First Union Commercial Corp., 33 Cal. 4th 601 (2004)
English v. IKON Office Solutions, Inc., 94 Cal. App. 4th 708C (2001)
Ho v. IKON Office Solutions, Inc., 143 F.Supp. 2d 1163 (N.D. Cal. 2001)
Rains v. Criterion Systems, Inc., 80 F.3d 339 (9th Cir. 1996)
Presentations
Sampling of Recent Presentations:
"Navigating the Legal Landscape: Analyzing the Harvard/UNC Decision and Its Impact on DEI in the Workplace," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, August 2023
“California’s New Pay Transparency/Equal Pay Law in Thirty Minutes," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, February 2023
“Arbitration: The Not So New Frontier,” Co-Presenter, Wage & Hour Litigation and Compliance Conference, Practice Law Institute (PLI), January 2023
"New California Employment Laws and Developments for 2023," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, November 2022
"Managing Employee Performance and Misconduct Discipline, Discharge, and Documentation” Presenter, California Chamber of Commerce's 2022 HR Symposium, November 2022
"What’s Happening At The NLRB - The Biden Agency That Unionized & Non-Unionized Employers Need To Be Most Focused On In 2022," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, February 2022
"New California Employment Laws and Developments for 2022," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, November 2021
"What Healthcare Employers Can Expect from the NLRB Under the Biden Administration," Panelist, CDF Healthcare Education Webinar Series, October 2021
"Everything You Really Need to Know, Right Now, About the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards," Moderator, CDF Webinar Series, June 2021
"How the New Biden/Harris Administration is Likely to Affect California Employers,” Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, January 2021
"COVID-19 Related Wage and Hour Issues," Co-Presenter, CDF COVID Education Week, December 2020
"The Tidal Wave of Litigation California Employers Should Expect From the COVID-19 Crisis," CDF Webinar Series, July 2020
"Return to the Workplace - A Comprehensive Review of What California Employers Need to Know," Moderator, CDF Webinar, June 2020
“California Employment Law Review & Tips to Prepare for 2020 for Healthcare HR Professionals,” American Society for Health Care HR Administration (ASHHRA), February 2020
“CA Labor & Employment Law Year in Review – Key Developments from 2019 & Tips To Prepare for 2020,” Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar, November 2019
"Complying with Prop 11 - Managing and Preventing Workplace Violence and Disability-Related Issues," Co-Presenter, California Ambulance Association (CAA), 2019 Annual Convention, September 2019
"Important NLRB/Traditional Labor Law Developments," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, August 2019
"Dynamex – One Year Later: A Survey of Post Dynamex Developments and Issues In The Year Since It Was Published," Co-Presenter, CDF Webinar Series, June 2019
“What You Need To Know About Union Organizing Drives,” California Association for Health Services at Home (CAHSAH), April 2019
Professional Affiliations/Leadership/Awards
Listed, Top Authors - Readers' Choice Awards, JD Supra, 2022
Listed, Top Lawyers, Sacramento Magazine, 2018 - 2023
Listed, Best Lawyers®, "Lawyer of the Year," Employment Law - Management, Sacramento, CA, 2021
Listed, Best Lawyers®, Employment Law - Management, and Labor and Employment Law, Sacramento, CA, 2018 - 2024
Listed, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2008 - 2009 and 2013 - 2023
Listed, Super Lawyers, Top 25 Lawyers in Sacramento, 2020
Listed, Best of the Bar, Sacramento Business Journal, 2015 & 2019
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Rated
Wage and Hour Defense Institute (WHDI), Northern California Representative, 2015 - present
CDF Labor Law LLP
- Editor-in-Chief, CDF's California Labor & Employment Law Blog, January 2021 - present
- Committee Member, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, 2021 - 2023
American Employment Law Council (AELC), Member, 2007 - present
Sacramento County Bar Association Diversity Hiring and Retention Committee, Member, 2003 - present
- Co-Chair of Committee, 2022
California State University, Sacramento - Adjunct Lecturer - Introduction to Recreation Law, 2014 - present
Sacramento No Glass Ceiling Task Force, Board of Directors, 2005 - 2007
University of Phoenix, Sacramento Campus, Employment Law/Business law Adjunct Lecturer, 1998 - 2001
Sacramento Area Human Resources Association, Legal and Legislative Director/Board of Directors, 1998 - 2000
Civic Activities
Mark Spring featured in the December 15, 2017, Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal, In Recess Column Article "Coaching Advocate" - recognizing his coaching efforts since law school.
Volunteer Basketball Coach – Georgetown University/U.S. State Department Balkan Basketball Diplomacy Project – Bar, Montenegro, August 2011 and August 2012
Assistant Boys Basketball Coach - Folsom High School, 2000 - 2002; 2006 - 2009; 2012 - 2013; 2015 - 2019
JV and Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach, Oak Ridge High School, 2011 - 2014
Rolling Hills Middle School, Head girls basketball coach, 2010 - 2011
El Dorado Hills Youth Lacrosse Club, Youth girls coach, 2007 - 2010
Temple Or Rishon, Board of Directors, 1996 - 1998
Folsom Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Folsom Program Graduate
Pro Bono
Provides pro bono services to a variety of non-profit organizations in Sacramento, including Shalom Jewish School, UC Davis Hillel, Sacramento Jewish Federation, and Temple Or Rishon Congregation. Counsel includes representing these organizations in employee disputes, negotiations with their executives, and providing general guidelines on employment policies and situations.
Spring is also on an attorney panel for the ABA Military Pro Bono Project. The program provides pro bono representation for members of our armed services.
Chair, CDF Pro Bono Committee, 2015 - 2017
