Cynthia E. Fruchtman
Sole Proprietor
The Law Offices of Cynthia E. Fruchtman represents clients in employment-related litigation matters and consults with them on various employment issues. They defend employers in both federal and state lawsuits, arbitrations and mediations against claims of wrongful termination, breach of express and implied contract, discrimination and harassment, defamation, invasion of privacy, "whistleblower" violations, and related claims. They also represent employers in administrative investigations and proceedings, including investigations by the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, as well as the California Department of Labor. In addition to litigation, Ms. Fruchtman’s offices regularly advise employers on a full range of labor law issues, including the preparation and review or employee policy manuals, investigation and prevention of claims of discrimination and harassment, disability claims and accommodations, reductions in force and other employee separations, leave issues, and wage and hour matters. They have also maintained an Assisted Reproduction Technology law practice since 1990, representing gamete and embryo donors and recipients, intended parents, surrogates, agencies, laboratories, clinics and physicians, in all aspects of gamete and embryo donation, surrogacy transactions, and posthumous reproduction and have spoken and written extensively at legal and medical conferences on ART law related issues. Ms. Fruchtman graduated from Northwestern University in 1978 with a BA degree, and earned her J.D. from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1986, working as a research and clinical cytogeneticist in between. Since its formation in 1997, the Law Offices of Cynthia E. Fruchtman have represented clients in employment-related litigation matters and consulted with them on various employment issues with a focus on helping clients avoid litigation. They regularly advise management on a full range of employment issues and legal compliance, including the investigation and prevention of claims of discrimination and harassment, disability claims and accommodations, reductions in force and other employee separations, leave issues, posting requirements, record retention and management, and wage and hour compliance matters under California and Federal law. Ms. Fruchtman’s offices have written and spoken extensively for employers and at legal conferences on employment law issues. Ms. Fruchtman has written and spoken at many legal and medical conferences on various legal topics for CEB, the American Bar Association (former member); Los Angeles County Bar Association (current member); Joint Bioethics Committee with the Los Angeles County Medical Association: the Academy of California Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (president-elect, 2023); the American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys; the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy (former member); and the Medical Education Speakers Network. She has volunteered as a mediator, arbitrator and temporary Judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court, and was a visiting scholar at The Hastings Center for Bioethics, Garrison, New York. Ms. Fruchtman is a founder of the Chicago-Kent Alumni Association of Southern California.
