Cassandra M. Ferrannini
Partner / Executive Committee Member
Cassandra Ferrannini draws from her broad experience to assist clients in finding their best strategic position to prevent, defend, and resolve employment disputes.
In her counseling practice, Cass guides public and private employers through the complex federal and state regulatory landscape. In doing so, she frequently encounters and resolves issues ranging from employee terminations to designing, implementing, and auditing comprehensive, company-wide employment policies.
Cass defends public entities, staffing agencies, restaurant owners, and internet start-ups against a variety of employment claims, including class actions, wage and hour, sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, ERISA, and fraud—all with great success. Clients value Cass as a “creative thinker and problem solver” who finds outside-the-box strategies. As employees and information become increasingly mobile, she safeguards her clients’ confidential information by bringing and defending numerous actions involving misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition, achieving effective resolution.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- KVIE, Board of Directors, 2018-2024
- California Bar Foundation, Board of Directors, 2018
- The Rotary Club of Sacramento Breakfast, President, 2017-2018
- Sacramento County Bar Diversity Hiring and Retention Committee, 2013-present
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, 2004-present
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, 2000-present
- California Lawyers Association, Litigation Section, 2000-present
Honors & Rankings
- Sacramento Magazine, Top Lawyer, Appellate, Employment & Labor, Employee Benefits, 2015-2023
- Order of the Coif
Employment Litigation
- Won decertification of overtime, meal break and rest break classes on behalf of a trucking firm, eliminating hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential exposure.
- Eliminated PAGA claims and successfully opposed class certification for a multi-state construction company.
- Successfully brought a multi-million dollar trade secret claim on behalf of a national privately-owned company resulting in an injunction requiring the return of hundreds of thousands of misappropriated electronic documents.
- Prevented former employees from raiding repossession management company’s workforce, customer list, and financial information by obtaining a preliminary injunction prohibiting further solicitation of employees and use of trade secrets.
- Effectively prosecuted stalking and harassment claims against a union on behalf of the general manager of a heavy-equipment manufacturer.
- Defended wildlife biologists against trade secret misappropriation claim. Obtained favorable monetary settlement after cross-complaining for gender discrimination.
- Prevailed on summary judgment against employees who brought whistleblower claims against a county and obtained a full award of defense costs and attorneys’ fees.
- Defended private trucking firms against class action overtime and meal and rest period claims, including trial of the DOT exemption to the California Wage Orders.
- Successfully arbitrated a wrongful termination claim based on an employment contract for owners of a car-repair shop. Obtained award of defense costs.
Employment Counseling
- Provided strategic advice to bank regarding broker’s departure to join competitor. Negotiated mutually acceptable resolution without litigation.
- Prepared California-compliant handbook for national pharmacy service acquiring California workforce, including comprehensive review of wage and hour compliance, harassment prevention, new leave of absence and confidentiality agreements and implementation of procedures to assure conformity with California law.
- Audited wage and hour practices related to insurance claims adjustors, targeting key areas of potential exposure, suggesting strategies for communicating exempt duties in job descriptions, and devising procedures to ensure proper handling of those adjustors moving to non-exempt status.
- Analyzed and advised about labor and employment risks and liabilities raised by the acquisition of a California company by a German manufacturer.
- Devised successful plan to facilitate the peaceful departure of HR Director who facilitated the theft of unearned PTO for his co-employee paramour.
- Advised healthcare company regarding the potential issues raised by the employment application of a mentally disabled pediatrician and created a legally compliant strategy for handling the employment.
- Assisted company in reconfiguring the compensation of its auto mechanics in response to changes in California law affecting workers paid by piece rate.
General Litigation
- Obtained defense verdict at trial in favor of a municipal utility district on dangerous condition and contract claims based on alleged property damage to a geothermal plant.
- Defended homeowner against claims brought against him by a homeowner’s association. Obtained monetary settlement in favor of homeowner after bringing cross-complaint against association.
- Defended heavy-equipment merchant in a construction dispute with a general contractor. Succeeded in obtaining dismissal of a bank claiming a security interest in the construction contract and an assignment of the proceeds. Obtained award of defense costs and attorneys’ fees, which was affirmed on appeal.
- Represented a city in a three-week arbitration for claims including breach of a golf-course lease. Successfully defended against Cross-claims exceeding $5,000,000, ultimately prevailing on entity’s breach of lease claim.
- Successfully assisted bank in foreclosing against manufacturing plant after loan default.
Appellate Work
- Amedee Geothermal Venture I v. Lassen Municipal Utility District (9th Cir. 2015) 2015 WL 9298840
- Amicus Brief in RiverIsland Cold Storage, Inc. v. Fresno-Madera Production Credit Assn’ (2013) 55 Cal.4th 1169.
- Price v. Operating Engineers Local No. 3 (2011) 195 Cal.App.4th 962
- Golden West Nuts, Inc. v. Willadsen Orchards, Inc. (C-64123, Third App. Dist. Unpub.)
- Eicher v. Advanced Business Integrators, Inc. (2007) 151 Cal.App.4th 1363.
- Dell Merk, Inc. v. Franzia (2005) 132 Cal.App.4th 443.
- City of Burbank v. State Water Resources Control Bd. (2005) 35 Cal.4th 613
- Buckley v. Butte Community College District (2000) (C-030308, Third App. Dist. Unpub)
Announcements
9 related items-
August 1, 202338 Downey Brand Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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August 3, 202233 Downey Brand Attorneys Named Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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June 17, 202138 Downey Brand Attorneys Honored as Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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July 24, 202045 Downey Brand Attorneys Earn Top Lawyers Distinction from Sacramento Magazine
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May 1, 201949 Downey Brand Attorneys Distinguished as Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine
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June 29, 2018Sacramento Magazine Recognizes 54 Downey Brand Attorneys As Top Lawyers
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July 14, 201752 Downey Brand Attorneys Make Sacramento Magazine’s 2017 Top Lawyers List
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July 15, 201660 Downey Brand Attorneys Make Sacramento Magazine’s 2016 Top Lawyers List
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July 14, 201551 Downey Brand Attorneys Named to Sacramento Magazine’s 2015 Top Lawyers List
Speaking Engagements / Events
28 related items-
January 24, 20242024 and Onward – Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand In-Person Employment Seminar
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February 2, 20232023 and Onward – Annual Employment Law WebinarDowney Brand Employment Webinar
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January 19, 20232023 and Onward – Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand In-Person Employment Seminar
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February 11, 20222022 and Onward – Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Webinar
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March 11, 2021The COVID-19 Vaccine Landscape and What Employers Need to Know to Implement a Successful Vaccination ProgramDowney Brand COVID-19 Webinar Series
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January 13, 20212021 and Onward – Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Webinar
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May 8, 2020COVID-19 Webinar No. 7: Considerations for Businesses & EmployersDowney Brand COVID-19 Webinar Series
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April 17, 2020COVID-19 Webinar No. 5: Considerations for Businesses & Employers in the Food & Ag IndustryDowney Brand COVID-19 Webinar Series
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April 15, 2020Experts Answer Critical Small Business QuestionsGreater Sacramento Economic Council, COVID-19 Webinar Series
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April 3, 2020COVID-19 Webinar No. 3: Considerations for Businesses & EmployersDowney Brand COVID-19 Webinar Series
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March 20, 2020COVID-19 Webinar No. 1: Considerations for Businesses & EmployersDowney Brand COVID-19 Webinar Series
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January 28, 2020Webinar: New Year, New Challenges – 2020 Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Webinar
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January 2020New Year, New Challenges: 2020 Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Seminar
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January 2019New Year, New Challenges: 2019 Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Law Seminar
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November 27, 20182018 ACWA Legal Briefing & CLE Workshop Presented by Downey Brand LLPACWA 2018 Fall Conference & Exhibition
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February 2017New Year, New Challenges: 2017 Annual Employment Law BriefingDowney Brand Employment Law Seminar
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May 25, 2016California Business Owners Subject to New Employment RegulationsCo-presenter, Metro Chamber 2016 Seminar Series
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March 30, 20162016 Employment Law BriefingCo-presenter, Metro Chamber 2016 Seminar Series
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February 24, 2016A New Year Means New Challenges: 2016 Annual Employment Law BriefingCo-presenter, Downey Brand Employment Law Seminar
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June 18, 2015Mid-Year Employer Update: Mental Health and the WorkplaceCo-presenter, Downey Brand Employment Law Seminar
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January 27, 2015Are you ready for 2015? Many New Laws Will Affect California EmployersCo-presenter, Downey Brand Employment Law Seminar
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January 30, 2014Are You Ready for 2014? Many New Laws Will Affect California EmployersSeminar
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January 2012ACWA, E-discovery: A Trap for the UnwaryPresenter
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January 2012Sacramento Law Library, What’s on CalendarPresenter
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2011Downey Brand LLP, Employment Law Update: A Review of Changes for 2011Presenter
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2011-2013CEB, Civil Litigation UpdatePresenter
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February 3, 2010University of California, Davis, Social Media as Evidence: New Legal and Ethical FrontiersPanelist
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2006-2013Downey Brand LLP, Employment Law UpdatePresenter
Legal Alerts
61 related items-
July 12, 2024Key Changes to PAGA and What Employers Should Know
Employment Law -
June 25, 2021US Supreme Court Confirms Farmers’ Private Property Rights
Food and Agriculture Law -
June 18, 2021COVID-19 Employers’ Requirements Update
Employment Law -
December 7, 2020Three Important New Employment Laws Taking Effect on January 1, 2021
Employment Law -
June 26, 2020Employers Take Note – Recent Updates From the EEOC Regarding Antibody Testing and Harassment and Discrimination
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
June 22, 2020The United States Supreme Court Holds Title VII of the Civil Rights Act Protects Gay and Transgender Workers
Employment Law -
May 8, 2020Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order Announcing Workers’ Compensation Presumption for COVID-19
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
April 6, 2020The Department of Labor Issues New Regulations on the FFCRA
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
March 29, 2020The Department of Labor Issues Additional Guidance Regarding FFCRA Compliance
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
March 25, 2020Employers Should Consider the EDD’s Work Share Program As an Alternative to Layoffs
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
March 20, 2020What is the status of the federal government’s changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act?
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
March 17, 2020In response to increasing concerns regarding COVID-19, Governor Newsom seeks to minimize hardships and uncertainties for employers and their employees
Downey Brand COVID-19 News and UpdatesEmployment Law -
February 18, 2020California Supreme Court Holds Apple Employees Must Be Compensated for Time Spent Undergoing Exit Searches
Employment Law -
July 31, 2018California Supreme Court Declines to Apply the Federal De Minimis Doctrine to Post-Shift Activities
Employment Law -
June 28, 2018U.S. Supreme Court Declares Agency Fees Unconstitutional, Leaving Unions and Others in the Lurch
Employment Law -
June 28, 2018SCOTUS Upholds Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements
Employment Law -
June 28, 2018California Supreme Court Clarifies Overtime Calculation Involving Flat Sum Bonuses
Employment Law -
May 3, 2018California Supreme Court Narrows Independent Contractor Classification
Employment Law -
May 10, 2017California Supreme Court Clarifies Day of Rest Rules
Employment Law -
November 9, 2016The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act: What It Means For California Employers
Employment Law -
April 5, 2016California Supreme Court Addresses Suitable Seating
Employment Law -
February 25, 2016ICE Traffic Stops – Now What?
Food and Agriculture Law -
October 20, 2015California Hammers Final Nail into Piece Rate Coffin at the Same Time it Creates an Affirmative Defense
Employment Law -
October 6, 2015Governor Signs Urgency Legislation to Help Curb Frivolous PAGA Suits
Employment Law -
August 25, 2015Fair Employment and Housing Council Amends California Family Rights Act Regulations
Employment Law -
August 25, 2015California Legislature Amends the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014Protections under the Fair Employment and Housing Act Extended to Unpaid Interns
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014California Legislature Clarifies and Expands Prevailing Wage Laws
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014California Becomes Second State to Require Paid Sick Leave
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014Minimum Wage Citations Issued by the Labor Commissioner Now Include any Applicable “Waiting Time” Penalties
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014California Imposes Additional Requirements to Address Sexual Harassment of Agricultural Field Workers
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014Employers Now Share Liability with Staffing Companies and Labor Contractors for Wage Violations
Employment Law -
October 8, 2014Required Sexual Harassment Training for Supervisory Employees Must Now Include Training on the Prevention of Abusive Conduct
Employment Law -
June 16, 2014California Minimum Wage Increases to $9
Employment Law -
June 16, 2014California Supreme Court Decision Expected this Summer Regarding Enforcement of Class-Action Waivers in Arbitration Agreements
Employment Law -
June 16, 2014California Expands Paid Family Leave
Employment Law -
July 2013Supreme Court Clarifies Definition of “Supervisor” for Title VII Harassment Claims
Employment Law -
July 2013Supreme Court Raises the Bar for Employee Retaliation Claims
Employment Law -
July 2013Supreme Court Further Affirms the Right to Enforce Arbitration Agreements, Including Class Action Waivers
Employment Law -
May 2013Businesses Employing Workers Supplied By Farm Labor Contractors or Professional Employer Organizations May Create an Unintended Joint Employer Relationship, Resulting in Unforeseen Liability
Employment Law -
May 2013Employers Must Use New Form I-9 Beginning May 7, 2013
Employment Law -
May 2013Employers Beware: Retaliation Suits May Linger Even After Harassment Claim Dismissed
Employment Law -
March 2013An Employer’s Obligation to Accommodate an Employee Disabled by Pregnancy Is Not Limited by California’s Pregnancy Disability Leave Law
Employment Law -
March 2013Courts Grapple with California Law Requiring Employers to Provide Employees with “Suitable Seating”
Employment Law -
March 2013New FMLA Regulations Require New Poster and Expand Military Leave Entitlements
Employment Law -
April 2012The Brinker Decision…at Long Last
Employment Law -
April 2012Court Enjoins NLRB Posting Requirement
Employment Law -
October 2011NLRB Delays Effective Date of Posting Requirements
Employment Law -
October 2011The Supreme Court Finally Sets the Long Awaited Brinker Decision For Oral Argument
Employment Law -
October 2011Legal Updates on Independent Contractor Classification
Employment Law -
October 2011New Law Restricts Employer Use of Consumer Credit Reports for Background Checks
Employment Law -
July 2011Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes ― United States Supreme Court Denies Class Certification to One of the Most Expansive Class Actions in History
Employment Law -
July 2011California Supreme Court Holds That Out-of-State Employees Working in California Must Be Paid California Overtime
Employment LawEmployment Law -
July 2010You Ask — We Answer
Employment Law -
July 2010Keeping Arbitration Where it Belongs – In Arbitration: Big Win for Employers in Rent-a-Center, West, Inc. v. Jackson
Employment Law -
July 2010How Private is Your Employee’s “Sexting?”: The Supreme Court Weighs In
Employment Law -
March 5, 2010July 1st: May be Able to Deter ADA Plaintiff’s Lawsuits With New ADA-Focused Inspections
Real Estate Law -
October 2009California Law Permits Employers to Have a Waiting Period for Vacation/PTO Accrual
Employment Law -
October 2009The Double-Edged Sword of Technology: Text Messages and Social Online Networks Offer A New Source of Evidence for Plaintiffs in Discrimination and Harassment Lawsuits
Employment Law -
October 2009Workplace Accidents Can and Do Happen: Does Your Business Have a Cal OSHA Injury Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP)?
Employment Law -
June 2009Employers Must Use Revised Form I-9 for Employment Eligibility Verification for Employees Hired On or After April 3, 2009
Employment Law
Publications
4 related items-
September 7, 2018Dynamex Ruling and the Autonomy of California Workers
Sacramento Business Journal -
November 2015Urgency Legislation Helps Curb Frivolous PAGA Lawsuits
California Grocer, Issue 6 -
February 2015Understanding California’s New Paid Sick Leave Law
California Grocer, Issue 1 -
January 2010Follow Federal Guidelines When Asking Job Applicants About Drug and Alcohol Use
Commercial Lease Law Insider
After viewing all nominated pictures, Cass hosts an annual Oscar party for friends and family featuring her renowned, hand-crafted ricotta gnocchi. Participants in this twenty-year tradition compete to predict the highest number of Oscar-winners. The winner of the competition is graced with gifts of chocolate.
Professional, Community And Pro Bono Involvement
- KVIE, Board of Directors, 2018-2024
- California Bar Foundation, Board of Directors, 2018
- The Rotary Club of Sacramento Breakfast, President, 2017-2018
- Sacramento County Bar Diversity Hiring and Retention Committee, 2013-present
- American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, 2004-present
- Sacramento County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, 2000-present
- California Lawyers Association, Litigation Section, 2000-present
Honors & Rankings
- Sacramento Magazine, Top Lawyer, Appellate, Employment & Labor, Employee Benefits, 2015-2023
- Order of the Coif