Stephen T. Lanctot - Coblentz Law

Steve Lanctot specializes in general business law with an emphasis on labor and employment issues. He represents a number of closely-held corporations in a variety of industries in corporate transactions and strategic issues, including matters related to executive compensation, personnel policies, and privacy issues, providing proactive counseling and compliance as well as litigation avoidance. He also represents executives in negotiating compensation agreements and counsels them on creating exit strategies with optimal outcomes.

As part of his employment counseling practice, Steve advises with respect to sexual harassment and other training issues, disciplinary, disability and family leave, severance issues, and compliance with FLSA and other regulatory schemes. Steve’s industrial relations practice includes the representation of management in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, and NLRB administrative hearings.

He drafts personnel manuals and other human resources materials for clients of all sizes in various industries, tailoring policies and procedures to each client’s unique human resource and operational requirements.

Steve also counsels clients on the risks and rewards of business formation, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions and reorganizations. His wide-ranging expertise includes advising clients in matters of incentive-based compensation, salaries, commission schedules, deferred compensation agreements, severance benefits, stock option and other equity participation plans, and shareholder issues.

He has experience in maritime and transportation law and served for two years as associate division counsel for Sea-Land Service, Inc.

Steve has lectured on labor and employment law before numerous private and public organizations. He served on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit National Brain Tumor Society for 17 years (1994-2011) and is chair of the Board of Directors of Immaculate Conception Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in San Francisco. Steve also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of San Francisco School of Law (1979-1985).

Steve earned his undergraduate degree in History from Santa Clara University in 1973 and his law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1978.

Employment for a green-tech company
Steve represented the founder of a green-tech company in Silicon Valley who sought review of a separation agreement and a consulting agreement with an aggressive non-compete provision. Through negotiations, the former employer ultimately dropped the consulting agreement, and Steve focused on negotiating the separation agreement, which ultimately included mutual release of claims, mutual non-disparagement, fair severance payment as well as other favorable terms and conditions.

Employment for an e-marketing agency
Steve represented an e-marketing agency client in a case involving a substantial services agreement that required it to dramatically increase its employee headcount on very short notice in order to perform the contracted services. The new contract prohibited subcontracting by the agency, forcing it to either reject the contract, or do the impossible: immediately recruit and hire dozens of highly skilled and specialized professionals and risk breach of the no-subcontracting provision. Steve worked to transform the targeted subcontractor into a staffing agency to deliver the requisite added workers without risk of breach of the new contract.

Steve is recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in the Employment Law – Management category. In 2022, Steve was honored with the Emerald Award for the Community Organization and Representation Project by the Justice & Diversity Center.

Speaker, “Understanding Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements,” Bar Association of San Francisco (April 2023)

Co-Author, “California Assembly Bill Five Excepts Certain Categories Of Workers From Independent Contractor Classification Overhaul“ (September 2019)

Speaker, “Negotiating Your Employment Contract: Tongue-Tied & Stammering or Crisp & Persuasive,” Financial Executives International (June 2014)

Speaker, “Labor & Employment Law Career Panel,” Labor and Employment Law Student Association, University of San Francisco School of Law (November 2010)

Speaker, “Employment Tax Landmines,” AICPA Not-for-Profit Financial Executive Forum (November 2010)

News

News - August 17, 2023

35 Coblentz Attorneys Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for 2024

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Publications - August 15, 2023

2023 Mid-Year Labor and Employment Update

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Events - April 12, 2023

Understanding Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements

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