Overview
With more than 16 years of experience practicing employment and labor law, Rowe Manasan brings a pragmatic and strategic perspective to advising employers – one shaped by more than a decade serving as in-house counsel to privately-held companies across diverse industries.
Before joining Fisher Phillips, Rowe served as Associate General Counsel at a diversified international management company, where he advised subsidiary companies on a broad range of employment and compliance issues, from wage and hour compliance and workplace investigations to reductions in force and labor negotiations. His hands-on involvement with everything from corporate governance and pay practice audits to managing outside counsel in complex employment litigation – including wage and hour class actions, PAGA claims, and wrongful termination suits–allows him to spot risk and identify workable, business-aligned solutions for clients.
Rowe draws on his in-house perspective to help clients proactively manage compliance, resolve disputes efficiently, and develop policies and training programs that reduce legal exposure while supporting organizational culture. In addition to litigation management and counseling, Rowe has deep experience in drafting employee handbooks, workplace policies, and arbitration agreements. He has also designed and led training programs for both management and staff on harassment prevention, OSHA compliance, wage and hour rules, and performance management practices. Additionally, Rowe performs labor and employment due diligence in M&A transactions.
Earlier in his career, Rowe served as General Counsel to multiple companies, advising on employment classification issues, timekeeping and compensation systems, and legal compliance infrastructure to navigate California’s complex regulatory environment.