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On November 16, 2017, Payne & Fears LLP Partner Paul J. Coady passed away of natural causes.
Paul’s career as a labor and employment attorney spanned nearly 40 years. At the time of his passing, he was managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Payne & Fears.
With a special emphasis on high stakes litigation and disaster mitigation, many of Paul’s engagements have entailed the defense of wage-and-hour collective and class actions, wrongful discharge, discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower, and labor-management litigation. Paul also had in-depth experience representing management in traditional labor law matters and proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
He represented established, national companies, including national retailers, financial institutions, technology companies, manufacturing concerns, service industry employers, medical device suppliers, and entertainment companies.
Paul graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1975 with a B.A. in Economics, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1978.
A long-time resident of Los Angeles, Paul was an avid runner who loved skiing and hiking, and was an admirer of contemporary art. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, he lived in Broomall, Pa., and Norristown, Pa.
“This is a true shock to all of us who knew Paul,” said Jeffrey K. Brown, Managing Partner of our Irvine office. “The untimely passing of any colleague is cause for sorrow. In Paul’s case, though, it also comes as a complete surprise. You could not spend time with Paul without being struck by his understated humor, his enthusiasm for the craft of litigation, and his relentless positivity; it is incomprehensible that, so suddenly, we will no longer have that presence with us.”
He is survived by his sisters, Mary Coady, Katharine Orlando (John), Carol Okonski (the late Henry), Michele Stern (Richard), and Frances Coady, by brothers David Coady and Joseph Coady (René), as well as nine nieces and nephews, a grand-niece and grand-nephew.
In lieu of flowers, Paul’s family asks friends and family to donate in Paul’s name to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles.