S. Brett Sutton earned election to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2016, a fellowship that recognizes lawyers who have demonstrated sustained distinction in the field over the course of a career. That recognition, paired with an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and more than 30 years of labor and employment practice, defines where this firm sits in the employer-side defense market across California and Nevada.
Overview
Sutton Hague Law Corporation operates as a management-side labor and employment defense firm with five offices across California and Nevada: Fresno, San Jose, Beverly Hills, Reno, and Las Vegas. The Las Vegas office was established in 2014. The firm represents employers exclusively and does not take cases on behalf of employees.
The firm operates under the motto “Strength Through Advocacy and Devoted Service.” That framing reflects a practice built around sustained litigation defense and preventive counsel rather than one-off transactional engagements. The firm’s track record includes successfully dismissed wage and hour class actions, jury verdicts in employment discrimination and breach of contract matters, a federal court victory in an ADA workplace discrimination case, and successfully defeating union organization efforts.
Attorney Jared Hague serves as partner alongside Sutton, bringing additional depth in Nevada labor law through his board membership and legislative chair role with the Southern Nevada Society for Human Resource Management. That connection to the HR professional community gives the firm a channel into how workplace policies and compliance practices operate from the employer’s operational side, not just the legal side.
The firm describes having helped recover tens of millions of dollars for clients across various litigation matters, though specifics of individual case outcomes are not publicly broken down beyond that summary figure.
Practice Areas
Sutton Hague concentrates its work in labor and employment law from the employer’s perspective. The firm’s practice spans both litigation defense and advisory work.
Employment litigation covers claims filed in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. This includes defense of employment discrimination allegations, wage and hour disputes, sexual harassment claims, and breach of contract matters. The firm has handled class action defense, including the dismissal of wage and hour class actions brought against employer clients.
Agricultural labor and employment law is a distinct component of the practice, reflecting the firm’s roots in California’s Central Valley. This area addresses the specific regulatory environment governing farm labor, including compliance with agricultural labor regulations and defense of related claims.
Workplace investigations are offered as a service where the firm conducts or assists in internal investigations of employee complaints, misconduct allegations, or regulatory inquiries.
Preventive labor counsel includes employee handbook drafting, workplace policy development, and management training. The firm provides sexual harassment prevention training programs for employer clients, which serves both a compliance function and a litigation risk reduction function.
PolicyMall is a workplace policy resource the firm offers, providing employers with template and customizable policy materials as part of its broader advisory practice.
Arbitration and class action defense are both listed practice areas, reflecting the firm’s positioning in complex, high-stakes employment disputes.
Attorney Profiles
S. Brett Sutton is the founding attorney with over 30 years of experience in labor and employment law. He holds bar admissions in California and Nevada. He was elected a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2016, a distinction conferred by the College on lawyers who have made significant contributions to the field. He currently chairs the Ninth Circuit North Credentials Committee. Martindale-Hubbell has awarded him its AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating. His specific law school is not identified in publicly available sources.
Jared Hague is a partner with a JD from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (2007) and a BA from the University of Utah (2003 to 2004). He completed training through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He is admitted to practice in California and Nevada, and holds admissions in the U.S. District Courts for the District of Nevada, Eastern District of California, Central District of California, and Northern District of California. He serves as board member and legislative chair of the Southern Nevada Society for Human Resource Management. He completed a two-year church mission in Mexico and is a fluent Spanish speaker and Eagle Scout.
Evelin Bailey is an Employment Defense Attorney based in California. Further credentials and bar details are not publicly available.
Brady Briggs is an attorney with the firm. Specific credentials and bar details are not publicly available.
Location and Service Area
Sutton Hague operates across five offices:
Central California: 5250 N. Palm Ave, Suite 222, Fresno, CA 93704. Phone: (559) 325-0500.
Northern California: 2570 N. 1st St, Suite 200, San Jose, CA 95131. Phone: (408) 273-4624.
Southern California: 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
Northern Nevada: 9790 Gateway, Suite 200, Reno, NV 89521. Phone: (775) 284-2770.
Southern Nevada: 6671 Las Vegas Blvd S., Suite 210, Las Vegas, NV 89119. Phone: (702) 270-3065.
The firm’s service area covers California statewide and Nevada statewide, with attorneys strategically placed across the two states to handle matters in both jurisdictions and the federal courts that sit within them.
Client Focus
Sutton Hague represents employers, not employees. Its client base consists of businesses facing employment claims, companies seeking to establish or update workplace policies, and organizations navigating labor law compliance in California and Nevada, both of which have among the most employer-regulated labor environments in the country.
Jared Hague speaks Spanish fluently, providing a language resource for clients or matters with Spanish-speaking parties. Other language capabilities at the firm are not publicly specified.
Consultation details, including whether an initial consultation carries a fee, are not specified in the firm’s public materials. Inquiries can be directed to the nearest office by phone or through the website contact form at suttonhague.com/
FAQ
Does Sutton Hague represent employees in employment disputes?
No. The firm represents employers exclusively. It is a management-side defense practice. Individuals seeking representation as employees in claims against their employers should contact a different firm.
What states does the firm practice in?
Sutton Hague holds admissions and has physical offices in both California and Nevada. Jared Hague is admitted in multiple federal district courts across both states, in addition to state court practice.
Does the firm offer training or policy services beyond litigation?
Yes. The firm provides management training, sexual harassment prevention training programs, employee handbook drafting, and access to workplace policy resources through PolicyMall. These are designed to reduce litigation exposure before claims arise.
What is the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers?
It is a professional fellowship that recognizes lawyers who have demonstrated sustained distinction in the field of labor and employment law over the course of their careers. Brett Sutton was elected a Fellow in 2016.
Does the firm handle agricultural employment matters?
Yes. Agricultural labor and employment law is a specific practice area, which is relevant given the firm’s presence in California’s Central Valley and the significant agricultural workforce there.
Closing
Sutton Hague Law Corporation’s multi-office structure across California and Nevada is a direct function of the regulatory environment in both states, where employer-side employment defense requires practitioners who understand the distinct demands of California labor law, Nevada employment regulations, and the federal courts sitting in each. The firm’s combination of litigation depth, preventive counsel, and management-side exclusivity places it in a focused and consistent position within the employer defense market.