Chris C. Scheithauer
Top rated Class Action & Mass Torts attorney in Newport Beach, California
Call & Jensen, APC
Practice areas: Class Action & Mass Torts, Business & Corporate, Employee Benefits; view more
Licensed in California since: 1996
Education: University of Southern California Gould School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2026 - 2027 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2005 - 2007 Call today:
949-822-7496
Call & Jensen, APC
610 Newport Center DriveSuite 700
Newport Beach, CA 92660 Visit website
Representing employers across matters pertaining to employment and labor law, commercial law and class action lawsuits, Chris C. Scheithauer provides formidable defense to his clients. Working from his office at Call & Jensen in Newport Beach, California, he serves individuals and businesses across California. With nearly three decades of experience in the legal sphere, he has advocated for clients in both state and federal courts, as well as agencies such as the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, among others.
In his employment law practice, Mr. Scheithauer defends employers against individual and class action claims, including wage/hour disputes, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and breach of contract. He also represents plan fiduciaries and trustees in claims regarding wrongful denial of benefits such as long-term disability and ERISA. Additionally, he safeguards companies, officers, directors and trustees against breach of fiduciary duty claims and Employee Stock Ownership Plan class actions.
Approaching each case with a deep understanding of the law and an open mind, Mr. Scheithauer strives to comprehend the circumstances and the intricacies of each case. He recognizes the unique nuances of the case and ensures that his strategy of defense is tailored to fit the narrative of your situation. Drawing from his years of experience and his shrewd legal acumen, he tirelessly endeavors to win you an outcome that suits your goals.
Before pursuing his career in law, Mr. Scheithauer completed his bachelor’s in international relations and political science at the University of Southern California. He then proceeded to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 1996 and, in the same year, was admitted to The State Bar of California. He is further licensed to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th, 8th and 11th Circuits and the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of California.
Practice areas
Class Action/Mass Torts: Plaintiff, Business/Corporate, Employee Benefits, Employment & Labor: EmployerFocus areas
Class Actions, Wage & Hour Laws
- 40% Class Action/Mass Torts: Plaintiff
- 20% Business/Corporate
- 20% Employee Benefits
- 20% Employment & Labor: Employer
First Admitted: 1996, California
Professional Webpage: https://www.calljensen.com/attorney/chris-scheithauer/
Bar / Professional Activity
- California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- California Supreme Court
- Orange County Federal Bar Association, Past Member
- Orange County Federal Bar Association, Board of Directors
- Orange County Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Board of Governors, 2026
- American Bar Association, Employee Benefits Subcommittee on ERISA Reporting and Disclosure, as well as the Subcommittee on Liability Issues Unique to Welfare Plans
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Corporate Express Office Products, Inc. v. Martinez, 2002 WL 31961458 (C.D. Cal. March 8, 2002)
- Ryles v. Pitney Bowes, Inc., 2002 US Dist. LEXIS 13665 (E.D. Penn. July 23, 2002)
- Young v. GM Inv. Mgmt. Corp., 325 Fed. Appx. 31 (2nd Cir. May 6, 2009)
- Pfeil v. State Street Bank & Trust Co., 671 F.3d 585 (6th Cir. 2012)
- Skinner v. Northrop Grumman Ret. Plan B, 673 F.3d 1162 (9th Cir. 2012)
- Jay v. Mahaffey, 218 Cal.App.4th 1522 (2013)
- In re Touch America Holdings, Inc. ERISA Litigation, 563 F.3d 903 (9th Cir. 2009)
- Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation v. Goldentop Road, LLC, 2016 WL 3568261 (June 23, 2016)
- Won multi-million dollar verdicts in favor of Northrop Grumman Corporation in various real estate lease disputes.
- Assisted institutional plan trustee obtain judgment defending an ERISA dispute involving the General Motors Corporation ERISA 401(k) Plan in “stock drop” case connected to bankruptcy of General Motors
- Prevailed in ERISA fiduciary duty case brought involving the former Montana Power Company 401(K) plan and company “stock drop” case
- Successfully represented Northrop Grumman Corporation in ERISA fiduciary duty case involving 401(k) plan fees and administrative expenses
- Obtained judgment in favor of Northrop Grumman Corporation in a pension-benefits dispute with over a billion dollars at issue
Pro bono / Community Service
- The Samueli Academy, Board of Trustees and Governance Committee Chairman
- Orangewood Foundation, Audit Committee
Educational Background
- University of Southern California, IR/POSC, 1993
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- More Paid Sick Leave – the New Trend Sweeping California, Westlaw Journal Employment, July 19, 2016
- How to Avoid Liability in ERISA Fiduciary Litigation, Midwest In-House, October 2007
- Fiduciary Breach Suits Against Companies, Officers, and Directors Under ERISA, Benefits Law Journal, Aspen Publishers, Vol. 20. No. 4, Winter 2007
- Contribution and Indemnity by Co-Fiduciaries Under ERISA: An Examination of the Current State of the Law and an Appeal for Intervention, Benefits Law Journal, Aspen Publishers, Vol. 22. No. 2, Summer 2009
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Second Edition, 2009 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2009)
- Rewrite Author and Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Second Edition, 2010 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2010)
- No Seventh Circuit Rehearing in Kraft ERISA “Excessive Fees” Case, The National Law Review, June 10, 2011
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Second Edition, 2011 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2011)
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Third Edition, (BNA 2012)
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Third Edition, Fall 2013 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2013)
- Sponsors Should Update ERISA Plans after High Court Ruling, Law360, February 25, 2014
- Employee Stock Option Plans, Benefits Law Journal, Aspen Publishers, Vol. 27, No. 3, Autumn 2014
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Third Edition, 2014 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2014)
- Contributing Author: Employee Benefits Law, Third Edition, 2015 Cumulative Supplement (BNA 2015)
Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America 2019, Litigation – ERISA
- Southern California Super Lawyer, Rising Star, ERISA and federal practices
- Los Angeles Magazine, Southern California Rising Star
- The Legal 500 USA pointed to Chris Scheithauer as a leader in the practice.
- Chambers USA 2009 noted that clients called out Chris Scheithauer “for his ‘methodical and precise’ defense of clients in ERISA and benefits cases.”
Office location for Chris C. Scheithauer
610 Newport Center Drive
Suite 700
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-822-7496
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2026 - 2027
- Rising Stars: 2005 - 2007
