sfode@nfclegal.com

P: 973.665.9100

D: 619.292.0545

F: 973.665.9101

Stacy L. Fode, ESQ.

Partner

Stacy L. Fode focuses her practice on employment litigation and advisement and business litigation. She specializes in representing business clients in all aspects of employment law including wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, whistle blower, employment agreement and trade secret disputes, and wage and hour matters, including class actions and PAGA matters. Stacy’s clients have included employers in the financial, insurance, retail, entertainment, technology, package delivery, telecommunications and energy industries.

Rated AV®-Preeminent by Martindale, Stacy has represented hundreds of clients before state and federal courts, appellate courts and administrative agencies such as the EEOC and DFEH throughout California. In addition, she regularly conducts employment-related training seminars for employers and employment lawyers, and investigations of employee misconduct and discrimination claims for her clients.

She also negotiates and drafts a variety of employment agreements for high-level executives and has extensive experience in matters involving the protection of trade secrets and confidential information. Stacy has been a frequent speaker on employment and diversity issues and has appeared on television segments on Fox News, NBC, and CBS.

As General Counsel for the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, Stacy is active in the community and committed to issues of diversity and inclusion. She is a past President of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, a bar association committed to advancing the status of women in the law and society with over 1,000 members, and a current member of its Advisory Board and Judicial Endorsements Committee. She is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Bar Association and member of its Leadership Outreach Committee and is active in organizations involving her two children and community of Point Loma.

AV® Preeminent™ Rating, Martindale Hubbell
Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2015-Present
San Diego SuperLawyer® 2016- Present
San Diego Business Journal's Recipient of "Top 100 Leaders in Law" Award 2023
San Diego Business Journal's Recipient of “Women of Influence in Law” Award 2022
San Diego Business Journal's Recipient of “Women Who Mean Business” Award 2009
San Diego Magazine Top Lawyer 2014
San Diego Metro Magazine “Mover to Watch” 2012

AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM and Martindale-Hubbell NotableSM are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell® certification procedures, standards and policies. A description of the selection methodology can be found at www.martindale.com/Products_and_Services/Peer_Review/Methodology.aspx. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

The Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Emloyment Ranking is issued by Best Lawyers®. A description of the selection methodology can be found at http://www.bestlawyers.com/About/MethodologyBasic.aspx. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

The “Best Law Firms” Rankings list is issued by U.S. News & World Report. A description of the selection methodology can be found at https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/methodology.aspx. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Professional Experience
Brown Law Group | San Diego, CA, Partner & Chief Client Officer 2019-2020
Brown Law Group | San Diego, CA, Managing Partner 2015-2019
Brown Law Group | San Diego, CA, Partner 2008-2015
Brown Law Group | San Diego, CA, Associate 2003-2008
Smaha & Daley | San Diego, CA | Associate 1999-2002
Professional Activities
American Bar Association, Member
American Inn of Court, Louis M. Welsh Chapter, Former Member
Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Current Member/Former Chair - Woman of the ADTA Committee
California Women Lawyers, Member
Defense Research Institute, Member
Lawyers Club of San Diego, President; Advisory Board; Fund for Justice, Member; Judicial Endorsements Committee 2005-Present
NAMWOLF, Current General Counsel/ Former Board of Directors; Labor & Employment PAC, Member; Outreach Sub-Committee Co-Chair; Newsletter Editor
San Diego County Bar Association; Board of Directors/Secretary
San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, Policy Committee

 

University of Oregon School of Law Eugene, OR, J.D. 1998
University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA. B.A., Law and Society 1994

State of California
United States District Court - Eastern District of California
United States District Court - Southern District of California
United States District Court - Central District of California
United States District Court - Northern District of California
United States Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
Speaking Engagements
"Significant Judicial Decisions & Legislative Updates for California Employers", Hot Topics in California Employment Law webinar, Nukk-Freeman & Cerra April 2021
“The Workplace Transformed” Brown Law Group webinar August 2020
“Getting Ahead of the Curve – How Employers Can Manage Risk During These Challenging Times” Brown Law Group webinar April 2020
“Managing Employment and Privacy Risk in the Work From Home Environment, NAMWOLF L&E and IP PAC April 2020
“Annual Employment Law Update” Brown Law Group, San Diego, CA 2013-2020
“Battling the Bully: My Way or the Highway” NAMWOLF Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA September 2019
“Leadership Development Summit” Lawyers Club of San Diego, San Diego, CA November 2018
“Ban the Box Laws and Limits on Use of Criminal Background Checks and Arrest Records” SHRM Legal Insights at The Prado, San Diego, CA November 2018
“Bridge the Gap: Best Practices for Pay Equity Audits” NAMWOLF Trials and L&E PAC Regional Event, San Jose, CA August 2018
“Beyond the Headlines: The Practicalities and Corporate Response to #MeToo for all Employees” Xerox General Counsel Summit, Rochester, NY April 2018
“Blurred Lines: Cutting Edge Workplace Ethics for Employment Lawyers” NAMWOLF Labor & Employment Practice Area Committee Webinar June 2017
“Rear Window Investigation” San Diego County Bar Association, San Diego, CA September 2016
“Rising Ethical and Demographic Changes that Will Impact the In-House Legal Industry in the Next Ten Years” Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL October 2016
“The ADA: 25 Years and Compliance is Still Tricky” NAMWOLF Labor & Employment Practice Area Committee Webinar April 2016
“Workplace Policies” Women in Law Conference 2015 Institutional Opportunities, San Diego, CA October 2015
“50 Shades of Grey: Ethical Rules Related to the Role of In-House Counsel” NAMWOLF Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA September 2014
“Hot Topics in Employment Law” – Recorded CLE presentation, Attorney Credits Ongoing
Pro bono legal services to I Love a Clean San Diego
Mock trial coach, University High School

[awards_ie] [experience_ie] [education_ie] [bar_ie] [publications_ie] [interests_ie]

SIGN UP

SIGN UP NOW to receive time sensitive employment law alerts and invitations to complimentary informational webinars and seminars.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By clicking this button and submitting information to us, you will be submitting certain personally identifiable information, or information which used together with other information, can be used to identify you and/or identify information about you, to Nukk-Freeman & Cerra, PC (“NFC”). Such information may be used by NFC to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to, your [name, phone number, address and/or] email address. We collect this information for the purpose of providing services, identifying and communicating with you, responding to your requests/inquiries, and improving our services. We may use your personally identifiable Information to contact you with time sensitive employment law e-alerts, marketing or promotional offers, invitations to complimentary and informational webinars and seminars, and other information that may be of interest to you. However, by providing any of the foregoing information to you, we are not creating an attorney-client relationship between you and NFC: nor are we providing legal advice to you. You may opt out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from us by following the unsubscribe link in any email we send. However, this will not unsubscribe you from receiving future communications from us which are based upon an independent request, relationship or act by you.