Chambord Benton-Hayes

Chambord Benton-Hayes is the founder and principal attorney of the Benton Employment Law in Oakland, California. She is an employment and labor law attorney representing clients in Oakland and the Walnut Creek area with legal matters regarding areas such as:

• Wrongful termination
• Executive agreements
• Employment litigation
• Severance agreements

Inspired by the well-known attorney Johnnie Cochran, Ms. Benton-Hayes started on her path to becoming a lawyer by enrolling in the University of California (UC) Hastings College of Law. After earning her law degree in 2010, she was licensed to practice in California the following year. She is also admitted to appear before the U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California; the California Court of Appeals for the 3rd Appellate District; and the Supreme Court of California. 

While in law school, Ms. Benton-Hayes wrote for the Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal, and she was the president of the Black Law Students Association as well as the National Job Fair coordinator. She was a recipient of the Diversity Scholarship by Farella Braun + Martel and the Bay Area Minority Scholarship by The Bar Association of San Francisco. Ms. Benton-Hayes also has an undergraduate degree in politics and philosophy, cum laude, from the University of San Francisco.

With more than a decade of legal experience, Ms. Benton-Hayes has commendable litigation skills that she has developed over the years by handling complex cases in both state and federal courts. Prior to founding Benton Employment Law Group, she worked for large corporations, counseling C-suite leadership on labor law compliance and related matters. She now represents individual workers in cases involving sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination based on gender, race, sex, disability and pregnancy.

Active in the legal community, Ms. Benton-Hayes is a past president and current board member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California, and she is also a part of the following legal associations:

• The California Association of Black Lawyers
• The National Bar Association
• The Charles Houston Bar Association
• The Bar Association of San Francisco 
• The State Bar of California – Labor and Employment Law Section 
• The Alameda County Bar Association
• The Sacramento County Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section
• The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Ms. Benton-Hayes has been recognized by Best Lawyers under the “Ones to Watch” 2022 list, and she has been voted among the “Top 40 under 40” list by The National Trial Lawyers. She also has a “Very Good” rating on Avvo, along with many positive client reviews lauding her quality legal services. Renowned for her vast legal knowledge, she is often invited to speak on motivational topics in high schools, universities and community organizations. She has also trained many attorneys, executives and employers on labor and employment law issues and compliance.