Jawid Habib

Senior Counsel

Contact

Locations

Jawid Habib focuses his practice on wage-and-hour compliance and litigation risk, including extensive experience with PAGA actions and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation matters under state and federal law. He also has significant experience conducting independent workplace investigations and advising employers through high-risk employee-relations issues across modern, distributed, and hybrid workforces.

Jawid brings more than a decade of experience counseling companies, ranging from high-growth startups to global public employers, on disability and leave management, pay equity, NLRA/NLRB matters, reductions in force, and emerging issues such as AI in the workplace. He regularly guides executives and HR leaders through sensitive personnel decisions, regulatory risk, and complex organizational challenges.

Prior to joining GRSM, Jawid served as senior in-house employment counsel for a global technology company, where he led employment advice and counsel for an organization of more than 800 employees and a hybrid workforce of over 1,500 contractors. In that role, he also served as product counsel on cross-functional initiatives and partnered closely with HR to build scalable processes that improved operational efficiency and reduced friction between HR and Legal. He oversaw multiple reductions in force, led the design and implementation of the company’s first AI governance program, developed workplace investigation protocols, and advised senior leadership on high-impact matters involving trade secrets, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, accommodations, and complex employee-relations issues.

Jawid’s background spans the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), leading employment law firms, and the federal judiciary. His experience managing complex litigation, advising on workforce strategy, and conducting trauma-informed workplace investigations positions him as a trusted resource for clients navigating sensitive disputes, organizational change, and emerging legal risks.

Defended a global technology company in a wage-and-hour class action alleging statewide violations of California’s meal, rest, and final pay laws. Supported the trial team through all phases of litigation and helped secure a defense verdict on all claims except one subclass’s meal-period allegation.
Successfully led a class decertification effort involving over 800 non-exempt employees who had signed arbitration agreements. Argued the motion before the court and achieved a 91% reduction in the allegedly aggrieved employee group, substantially lowering the client’s potential exposure.
Directed two nationwide employer-response projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, managing a team of more than a dozen associates to deliver rapid, accurate guidance on evolving federal and state executive orders, leave laws, and WARN Act compliance.
Counseled a high-growth technology company through multiple reductions in force and complex workforce restructuring, including WARN Act analysis, impact assessments, and cross-functional coordination with HR and executive leadership.

Admissions

California

Memberships

California Bar Association
- Labor & Employment Law Section

Community Involvement

Former Member & Co-Chair of Engagement and Philanthropy Committee, Board of Directors, The Preuss School UC San Diego, 2017-2021

Education

J.D., University of California Los Angeles School of Law, 2014
B.A., Political Science and International Relations, University of California San Diego, 2011
- Provost’s Honors

Languages

Farsi (Persian)