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Bruce D. May

Partner

620 Newport Center Drive

Suite 200

Newport Beach, CA 92660

949-791-5124
949-791-5224

Bruce D. May is a founding partner of Stuart Kane LLP, and practices in the Employment group.

Experience

Mr. May has represented employers for nearly 43 years. Since 1979, he has devoted his practice exclusively to advising and defending companies of all sizes in every aspect of employment litigation and employment counseling. His expertise spans the entire spectrum of employment law from recruitment and hiring to termination and post-employment misconduct, and everything in between.

Mr. May provides expert counseling to management on day-to-day personnel issues, with an emphasis on minimizing the risk of employee lawsuits while protecting the employer’s right to manage the workplace. But he is also a highly effective trial lawyer who defends employers in everything from small wage claims before the Labor Commissioner to multi-million class action lawsuits in state and federal court.

This dual role as counselor and litigator has enabled Mr. May to master the best strategies for dealing with the toughest personnel issues. Knowing how a workplace dispute will play out at trial provides powerful insights in how to prevent that dispute from getting to court in the first place.

Employment Counseling: Mr. May’s expertise in counseling employers includes every aspect of the employment relationship, from before the employee is recruited and hired to after the employee leaves the company and starts competing. Here is a partial list of the subject matters that he has mastered:

  • Recruiting practices and background checks
  • Immigration compliance
  • Overtime exemptions and wage and hour compliance
  • Drafting offer letters, employment contracts, and bonus and commission plans
  • Creating employee handbooks and personnel policy manuals
  • Leaves of absence
  • Accommodation of disabilities
  • Workplace safety
  • Unionism and collective bargaining
  • Unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation complaints
  • Employee discipline and termination
  • Layoffs and reorganizations
  • Negotiating and drafting severance agreements
  • Return of company property
  • Post-employment competition, trade secrets, and non-competes

Employment Litigation: Mr. May also has nearly 42 years of experience representing employers in litigation and at trial in State and federal court in both individual and class action lawsuits. His expertise includes all of the following types of claims:

  • Employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
  • Wrongful termination and “whistleblower” claims
  • Overtime, meal and rest period, and other wage and hour claims
  • Commission and incentive compensation claims
  • Accommodation of the disabled
  • Occupational safety and health
  • Unfair competition and trade secrets

Public Speaking: Mr. May is also a highly effective public speaker and educator. He has developed an enlightening and entertaining workshop for management called Unlawful Harassment 101 which satisfies the requirements for anti-harassment training in California and which he has presented to hundreds of companies and trade groups over the years. He is also a regular speaker before the National Human Resources Association, OCTANE OC (formerly TechAmerica and the American Electronics Association), and numerous networking groups including Vistage and Trusted Advisors.

Pro Bono Work: Throughout his career, Mr. May has devoted significant time to charitable and pro bono causes. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and has previously served as President of the Board for Providence Speech and Hearing Center, a leading non-profit speech and hearing clinic based in Orange County.

Mr. May also provides free legal representation to a variety of charitable and religious organizations, including:

  • The AIDS Services Foundation of Orange County
  • THINK Together
  • Crean Lutheran High School

Prior to becoming a founding partner of Stuart Kane LLP, Mr. May was a shareholder at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth.

News About Bruce May

Five Stuart Kane Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers 2023

Nine Stuart Kane Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2023

Five Stuart Kane Attorneys Recognized in 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers List

Seven Stuart Kane Partners Recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2022

Five Stuart Kane Attorneys Recognized in 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers

Seven Stuart Kane Partners Recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2021

Stuart Kane Supports Providence Speech and Hearing Center’s 54th Annual Gala

Six Stuart Kane Partners Recognized by Best Lawyers® in America 2020

Five Stuart Kane Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2019

Employment Law Update: A Workshop for Management 2018

Bruce May Named “Lawyer of the Year” for Labor and Employment Litigation in Orange County

Bruce May Named One of Best Lawyers in America for 2018

Bruce May Presents “A Top Ten List For Employers” at OC Tech Alliance HR Roundtable

Bruce May and Shane Criqui Present OCTANe 2017 Employments Law Update

Education

University of California, Los Angeles, J.D., 1979
University of California, Berkeley, B.A., 1976

Memberships & Associations

Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County Chapter

Honors

Mr. May has been consistently recognized for excellence in employment law and was recently selected as 2018 Labor and Employment Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Orange County by Best Lawyers®  and he continues to be listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice area of Employment Law – Management. 2021 marks Bruce’s fifth year on the list. He has also been listed as a Southern California Super Lawyer since 2021.

Mr. May graduated from UC Berkeley in 1976, where he received the Sherman Bennett Prize for Political Science Writing. He received his law degree from UCLA School of Law, where he participated in the Moot Court Honors Program and was voted Most Improved Advocate.


Best Lawyers Award Badge

Publications

Contributor, Employment & Labor Law Roundtable, Orange County Business Journal, February 2, 2015

Co-author, It’s Obamatime! Get Ready for Changes in the Federal Overtime Laws, Orange County Business Journal, June 16, 2014

Co-author, Employment Termination Handbook (John Wiley & Sons, New York).

Court Admissions

  • United States District Court – Central District of California
  • United States District Court – Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court – Southern District of California

Bar Admissions

California