Frederick G. Sandstrom

Frederick G. Sandstrom
Partner
Labor & Employment

Biography

Gus Sandstrom concentrates his practice in employment, ERISA and labor litigation and counseling. He has experience in all aspects of litigation, including case management, discovery, depositions, dispositive motions, oral argument, trials, appeals and settlement. Gus is adept in the defense of class and collective action employment matters and is respected by clients for his creative and collaborative approach to litigation strategy. Gus also regularly defends employers against claims filed with the EEOC and state anti-discrimination agencies.

Gus’ extensive counseling experience includes advising employers on a wide-range of labor and employment law compliance matters and litigation avoidance strategies, including Service Contract Act investigations and compliance.

Gus served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Ronald M. Gould, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is also a member of the Order of the Coif, the national honor society for law students.

Experience

  • Service Contract Act - Successfully managed and resolved multi-year Service Contract Act investigations into health, welfare, and vacation payments to over 500 telephone interpretation contractors, resulting in nearly 50% reduction in claimed exposure for underpayments?.
  • Wright v. Verizon Communications Inc., No. 06-1819 (D.D.C.) – Negotiated employer-favorable settlement of former employee claims alleging discriminatory discharge and denial of employment benefits under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and ERISA.
  • Walker v. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, 439 F. Supp. 2d 103 (D.D.C. 2006) – Obtained summary judgment for major trade association in former employee action alleging breach of fiduciary duty, discriminatory discharge, and denial of employee benefits under ERISA.
  • Young v. Verizon’s Bell Atlantic Cash Balance Plan, 615 F.3d 808 (7th Cir. 2010), 667 F. Supp. 2d 850 (N.D. Ill. 2009) – Lead associate in precedent-setting ERISA litigation that secured reformation of a $1.7 billion drafting error in an ERISA plan benefit formula. The trial and appellate court orders were the first published decisions allowing reformation of a scrivener’s error in an ERISA plan document. Argued successful trial defense of separate $350 million claim challenging discount rate used to calculate employee benefits.
  • Keen v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 486 F. Supp. 2d 481 (E.D. Pa. 2007) – Obtained summary judgment for employer in putative class action challenging classification of temporary workers as independent contractors.
     

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2020, listed in Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll
  • 2018, “Client Service All-Star,” BTI Consulting Group

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • District of Columbia
  • Illinois

Education

  • Brown University, BA
  • Stockholm University, GRAD
  • University of Michigan Law School, JD, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif
Languages
  • Swedish

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.

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