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Ian Silvers of Bisnar Chase

Ian Silvers

California Employment and Class Action Lawyer

Ian Silvers has a substantial background in employment law and is fervent about protecting and fighting for the rights of employees. He represents employees in an array of cases including discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour matters. Silvers is a member of Bisnar Chase’s Class Action Litigation Department that handles wage and hour class actions. He also tackles non-class action matters addressing sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination. Silvers has successfully briefed, argued, certified, and gained court settlement approval in class actions as well as settlement approval in Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) actions.

2024 Nation's Top One Percent Lawyers

Silvers graduated from the University of California, San Diego, in June 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He obtained his law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in May 2006.

Silvers was a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honors Fraternity.

A Passion for Helping Employees and Wage Earners

When in law school, he interned at the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center, advising low-income employees under the supervision of other attorneys on employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongfully terminated employees, unemployment, and wage and hour.

It was here, Silvers says, that he got a taste of what it’s like to help “those who were truly not able to help themselves.”

I could see that in employment law matters, there were so many employees who did not fully know their rights and as a result they were being taken advantage of by their employers,” he said. “However these employees are not always able to take action against the employers, often for financial reasons.”

Legal Honors and Attorney Awards

Ian Silvers, Litigator of the Year 2023
Class Action Top 25 Trial Lawyers
Best law firms by Best Lawyers - United States
2024 Lawyers of Distinction
Distinguished Justice Advocates

Labor and Class Action Legal Representation

Silvers has also represented employees before the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement on wage and hour matters and obtained favorable decisions for his clients. He became a member of the California State Bar in December 2006 and is licensed to practice in California state courts and before the United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California.

Silvers perseveres in his efforts to assist those who cannot afford legal representation by volunteering advisory services. He received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Service in 2009.

Before joining Bisnar Chase, Silvers worked at a Long Beach employment law firm, where he regularly dealt with wage and hour matters, including class actions and Private Attorneys General Act matters. He has been able to reach significant settlements, including multiple seven-figure class action settlements for both small and large classes of employees.

Since joining Bisnar Chase, Ian has become a key part of the firm’s class action litigation and employment law departments. He handles various claims, including wage and hour, and takes pride in protecting employees.

In July 2020, Ian settled a wage-and-hour class action against a defendant employer for $8,750,000 in California Superior Court and subsequently obtained final approval from the court. As a result, the employment class action got final approval from the court. 

The claims included unpaid minimum wages, overtime, meal and rest break violations, and other claims for false wage statements and penalties for paying wages late.

In July 2021, Ian settled a wage-and-hour class and PAGA action against a defendant employer for $4,880,000 in California superior court. The certified employment class action involved claims for unpaid minimum wages,  meal-and-rest break violations, and derivative claims for inaccurate wage statements and penalties for the late payment of wages due. 

The court overseeing the matter has preliminary approved the class settlement and appointed Ian as co-lead class counsel.

Ian Silvers: Case Results

Award Amount Case Details
  • $117,500,000
  • Consumer Class Action
  • $8,750,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $4,880,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action and PAGA Representative Matter
  • $1,750,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action and PAGA Representative Matter
  • $1,750,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $1,750,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $1,700,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $985,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action and PAGA Representative Matter
  • $965,000
  • PAGA Only Case
  • $950,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $850,000
  • Wage and Hour Class Action
  • $812,377
  • Class Action
  • $595,000
  • Small Class Wage and Hour & pAGA
  • $570,000
  • Small Class Wage and Hour & PAGA

    Published Appellate Success in Employment Law

    Ian recently won an appellate victory when he affirmed a trial court’s denial of a motion to dismiss or stay an employment case. The employer sought to enforce a forum selection clause and have the case heard in Ohio instead of California. 

    Ian opposed it based on California Labor Code Section 925, which makes certain forum selection clauses voidable (those in a contract entered into, modified, or extended on or after January 1, 2017).

    This was the first Appellate Court decision to address what modified means in terms of Section 925. The Appellate Court upheld the trial court’s decision in a public opinion. 

    They also said that “modification” means any change to the contract, not just a change to a forum selection clause. They rejected claims that this would make the law illegally apply to the past and would be against the Contracts Clause in both the U.S. and California Constitutions. See Midwest Motor Supply Co. v. Superior Court of Contra Costa Cty., No. A160096, 2020 WL 6305492, at *1 (Cal. Ct. App. Oct. 28, 2020).

    The Appellate Court also affirmed the intent of the statute to provide California employees with a forum in California to litigate employment-related claims if the terms of their employment changed after January 1, 2017. 

    Ian is optimistic that this will help ensure that such forum selection clauses in California are no longer used, as the statute intended.

     

    Featured Article 2023 Daily Journal - Ian Silvers

    Mr. Silvers was featured in the Aug. 2023 Daily Journal, discussing new guidance on deferred deportation for non-citizens. 

    You can read it here or by clicking the image.

    Legal Associations Mr. Silvers Belongs to

    1. OCJBA (Orange County Jewish Bar Association)
    2. CAOC (Consumer Attorneys of California)
    3. CAALA (Consumer Attorneys Association LA)
    4. CELA (California Employment Lawyers Association)
    5. OCBA (Orange County Bar Association)
    6. AAJ (American Association for Justice)
    7. California Employment Lawyers Association – Wage and Hour Committee

    What Trial Attorney Ian Silvers Values Most

    Silvers says that his case successes for the employees whom he has helped over the years count among his greatest accomplishments.

    “It’s not just about helping them stand up for themselves against their employers, but also to help them understand how they can move on and get some sort of closure,” he said. “These cases are not just about money. Often times, employees get fixated on what happened to them, and it not only affects their future employment but also their relationships with others.”

    When he represents these individuals whose lives have been deeply impacted, Silvers says that he makes a point of looking to the future on their behalf and helping them figure out how to get past the situation. He gets tremendous satisfaction when he sees the difference he has made for an individual employee.

    “Employers may win, lose or settle a lawsuit, and it will not really change their business or how they conduct themselves,” Silvers said. “However, each time I receive appreciation from an employee who sees that I believed in him or her and fought on his or her behalf to help right injustice and wrongdoing, I’m reminded about why I love this area of law.

    Pride in Being a Bisnar Chase Team Member

    Silvers says he has been impressed with Bisnar Chase’s commitment to helping and giving back to the community – calling that a rare quality.

    “Many law firms pay attention to only their cases and the business, but Bisnar Chase regularly focuses on what it can do to help the community – whether it is donating some essentials such as backpacks, knitting items, etc., or contributing to a variety of charities not only financially but also with their time,” he said.

    Silvers grew up in the Los Angeles area. He lives in Orange County with his wife, Jennifer, a teacher in Anaheim and their two children, Lucas and Makenna. When Silvers is not fighting for employees’ rights, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports, especially football and basketball, and traveling.

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    Awards and Honors

    • Published appellate opinion: Midwest Motor Supply Co. v. Super. Ct., (2020) 56 Cal. App. 5th 702
    • California wage and hour class actions, PAGA matters, and FLSA collective actions in California and other states
    • Published opinion with Daily Journal on non-citizen worker’s rights and deferred deportation
    • Consumer class actions
    • Individual employment matters
    • Received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Service
    • Member of CAOC, OCJBA, CAALA, OCBA, AAJ, CELA, and OCTLA
    • 2023 Distinguished Justice Advocates
    • 2020-2024 Lawyers of Distinction
    • 2023 National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Plaintiff Lawyers
    • 2023 NADC Nation’s Top 1%
    • 2023 Litigator of the Year: AIOTL
    • 2023 SuperLawyers

    Client Reviews

    Bisnar Chase Google Review

    It was a pleasure working with such an amazing team. You will definitely feel welcomed and kept in the loop throughout the entire process. They do a great job making you feel like you are a part of their team which is how one should feel. The superb customer experience from finish to end. You can trust they will do all possible to promptly and efficiently handle your case.
    Yes! I recommend this team…

    Queen V
    Bisnar Chase Google Review - Lena

    I wasn’t sure if I needed a personal injury attorney because I’d never been in a car accident before. I assumed I’d just go straight through the other driver’s insurance but that quickly became a nightmare. I spent months fighting over the simplest of issues about my case, which was 100% the other driver’s fault. I hired Bisnar Chase to see if they could just take it over for me. I was really impressed with how much they communicated everything to me! I suddenly started getting calls from the insurance company, imagine that. My final settlement was 6 times what I asked for to begin with. Everyone I dealt with was really involved in what was best for me, not the insurance.

    Lena Murillo
    Bisnar Chase Google Review

    I had an attorney for my truck accident who wanted almost 60% of what my case was worth. Worse than that, he was willing to settle for $5,000.00 with the insurance company even though I was still treating for whiplash and back pain. I contacted Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys because a friend recommended them. My case was handled exceptionally well! I was being kept notified throughout the whole process and only when I was comfortable with the settlement figure, did my attorney Gavin Long, accept it. I felt like we were working together and I felt listened to. I would refer Bisnar Chase to anyone who wants quality over quantity!

    Lauren B
    Bisnar Chase Review - Natalie

    I’m so impressed with this law firm. I lost my mother because of a seat defect when she was rear-ended in an auto accident and Bisnar Chase stepped up and took our case. The staff is wonderful and Brian Chase took his time explaining everything via phone with me. I’m honored to have the best of the best working on our family’s behalf, trying to get justice for my Mom, because of a negligent car company still manufacturing faulty seats. I look forward to working with this firm and am hopeful for a positive outcome. Thank you so much, Brian Chase. I know you will work your hardest on this case. God Bless you.

    Natalie C.

    Case Results

    • 1

      $117,500,000

      Consumer Class Action

    • 2

      $38,650,000

      Motor Vehicle Accident

    • 3

      $32,698,073

      Auto Defect – Seat Manufacturers, Johnson Controls

    • 4

      $30,000,000

      Motorcycle Accident

    • 5

      $24,744,764

      Defective Seatback

    • 6

      $16,444,904

      Bicycle Accident