Christopher leads a group of compliance attorneys in the San Diego office. He also serves as a member of Ogletree Deakins’ California Advice Group, a network of California attorneys who lend expertise to the clients of Ogletree Deakins’ attorneys in our offices across the nation.  He has served as an instructor at Cal State University San Marcos, teaching a course titled “Legal Issues for HR Professionals” as part of the Human Resource Management Certificate Program. He is frequently an invited speaker for various industry groups, and regularly publishes employment law articles.

Christopher has 25 years of experience litigating employment law claims. During that time he has helped clients respond to just about every type of employment-related lawsuit that can be filed in California (and seriously, in California it’s a long list!). He works with a team of talented defense attorneys in the firm’s San Diego office, as well as the firm’s other offices throughout the state.

His litigation experience includes: California FEHA and Title VII discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims; wrongful termination claims; wage and hour litigation (claims for overtime, unpaid wages, meal and rest breaks, and the like); claims involving California CFRA, federal FMLA, and other leaves of absences; misappropriation of trade secrets, non-competition, and non-disclosure agreements; California and federal ADA accommodation; independent contractor misclassification claims; Labor Commissioner claims (Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement claims), U.S. Department of Labor claims, EEOC and California Department of Fair Employment and Housing claims; EDD and Unemployment Insurance claims.

Christopher has represented clients in state and federal trials, arbitration proceedings, and administrative law hearings. Christopher also has experience representing clients on appeals before California state and federal courts of appeal.

Jason Averbook is a leading analyst, thought leader and consultant in the area of human resources, the future of work and the impact technology has on that future. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Leapgen, a global consultancy helping organizations shape their future workplace by adopting forward-looking workforce practices and fast-innovating technologies personalized for their business. Prior to founding Leapgen, Jason served as the CEO of The Marcus Buckingham Company (TMBC). In 2005, he co-founded Knowledge Infusion LLC and served as its CEO until 2012, when the company was sold to Appirio. Earlier in his career, he served as the Chief Business Innovation Officer at Appirio Inc., where he led the HCM business. He has also held senior leadership roles at PeopleSoft and Ceridian Corporation. Jason has more than 20 years of experience in the HR and technology industries, and has collaborated with industry-leading companies in transforming their HR organizations into strategic partners.

For over 20 years, Ian has been an investor, entrepreneur, and advisor to education and technology companies. He has a deep global network in the education sector and brings a wealth of investing and board experience to the Owl Ventures team. Ian serves on the boards of Degreed, BenchPrep, LeLe Ketang, Sanjieke, and Abl and works closely with MasterClass. Prior to joining Owl Ventures, Ian led the education sector at Warburg Pincus and was a technology investor at Silver Lake Partners. Earlier in his career, Ian was a consultant at Bain & Company and also helped launch BigMachines, a SaaS company that was acquired by Oracle.

Ian serves on the Advisory Board for SEO, a non-profit that provides educational, career, and mentoring programs for young people from underrepresented communities. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Gladeo, a digital social enterprise dedicated to providing career guidance to underserved youth of diverse backgrounds. Ian was also the lead author of Caution: Watch for Scholarships Ahead, a practical guide for students to navigate the complex scholarship application process, which was endorsed by Stanford University’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Ian is a graduate of Stanford University, where he earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, with Distinction, and an M.S. in Industrial Engineering, with a concentration in technology management and entrepreneurship. He also received his M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar and Arbuckle Leadership Fellow.