Chris Mason is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Scottsdale office and a member of the Labor & Employment practice group. Mr. Mason counsels employers and management on all aspects of labor and employment law, including collective bargaining and union organizing; restrictive covenants; employment discrimination; sexual harassment; whistleblowing; retaliation; wrongful termination; wage and hour compliance; personnel policies; reductions in force; trade secrets; duty of loyalty; drug and alcohol testing; and other state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

He is also an experienced litigator, representing clients in Arizona, federal, and appellate courts, as well as before administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Arizona Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Economic Security.

Chris Mason has extensive experience representing and advising employers in traditional labor matters, including in responding to:

  • Union organizing campaigns
  • Coordinating employer handling of union election (RC) petitions and processes
  • Responding to strikes, picketing, and walk-outs
  • Collective bargaining planning, negotiation, and agreement drafting
  • Strategizing organizational development and planning to address union jurisdiction and union versus non-union (“double-breasted”) operations
  •  Handling grievances and arbitrating labor disputes
  • Litigating unfair labor practice (ULP) charges and other matters before the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of employers.

He has offered this type of support on behalf of employers in countless industries, spanning construction, mining, grocery, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, security services, ambulance, and medical support, among others, in numerous states across the country. Some of these states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Awards and Honors

  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Employment Law – Management and Litigation (2020 – 2025)
  • Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Stars® (2012)

Professional Involvement

  • General Counsel, Board of Directors, Arizona Industry Liaison Group (AZilg)
  • Secured summary judgment in an ERISA matter on behalf of the ERISA Plan, the Plan administrator, and the employer, in a heavily-contested dispute over benefits through an ERISA Top Hat Plan. Plaintiff contended that he was entitled to well over $500,000 pursuant to the Plan. After assisting the clients in navigating through the appropriate Plan administrative process, and after suit was filed in Federal District Court for the District of Arizona, successfully demonstrated to the Court that the Plan administrator’s interpretation was reasonable and consistent with the Plan.
  • After aggressive litigation, convinced a claimant and her counsel to voluntarily dismiss her claims of alleged discriminatory termination, without any payment to her.
  • Defended client against claim of unfair labor practice termination.
  • Defended client against a class action claim alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
  • Secured ruling from federal district court authorizing taking of depositions of the state’s attorneys and ruling that the attorney-client privilege did not apply to their involvement in the investigation of the underlying claims of discrimination. This prompted a quick resolution by the state.
  • Advised client of legal issues concerning transition of workforce in connection with the sale of an operation valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and assisted in preparing sales contract terms concerning the workforce.
  • Act in connection with criminal employment background checks and secured a settlement for a nominal amount for the client’s benefit.
  • Assisted client in preparing for collective bargaining negotiations, including preparation of facility and handling of possible strike contingency planning, and assisted in the crafting of new collective bargaining provisions.
  • Assisted client with the handling of a delicate separation of a key executive and prepared a comprehensive severance agreement with a release and waiver of all potential claims.

Mr. Mason earned his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, Order of the Coif. He earned his B.A. in Political Science & Sociology from the University of California, Davis.

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the District of Arizona
  • Member, Board of Directors, United Food Bank (2021 – present)
  • Member, Governance Committee, United Food Bank (2021 – present)