Raymond H. Hixson
Co-Founder & Partner
San Francisco | San Jose
[email protected]
direct: 415-286-9977
"Ray is meticulous in his legal research and drafting, incredibly responsive in returning calls and emails, and possibly the most charming attorney we've ever worked with here at Siemens. Not only is his memory voluminous and his speech and writing skills highly articulate, he has real compassion for the people involved in the difficult employment situations which give rise to the need for legal counseling and litigation. Ray is the perfect blend of genuine Southern charm and Bay Area incisive thinking and decision-making."
Carolyn Garnaas, Senior Counsel, Siemens
"Ray and his firm have been handling our Employee Relations issues for several years now. They manage to take a practical view of situations and apply logic to the legal ramifications of decisions. Ray has also handled our Sexual Harassment Training. He managed to bring humor and interesting examples into his presentation, while at the same time, educating our management on the subtleties of what might constitute harassment and how to handle these types of situations. He received high praise for making a "required" training pleasant and interesting."
Darlene Harper, Director, Human Resources at Alexza Pharmaceuticals
"Ray provided outstanding support to Openet as a legal advisor - on a sensitive matter than required skill and discretion and resulted in a very satisfactory outcome for Openet. I recommend Ray without reservation."
Niall Norton, CEO at Openet Telecom
"I attended one of Ray's seminars and was very impressed with his employment law knowledge and the quality of his legal advice. I hired Ray as my employment counsel and brought him along to my new company as well. Ray always gives me fair, well-thought out legal advice. He is always available to take my calls and has advised me well in some very challenging HR scenarios. Ray never just quotes the law to me, he makes recommendations based on experience and based on the specific needs of the company. It is a pleasure working with Ray."
Lynn Herrick, Vice President and General Counsel
"Ray is a consummate professional with unparalleled depth and breadth in the field of employment law. He intuitively understands how to deliver the strategic legal advice on which business executives depend, both in crisis situations and day-to-day operations. I also have had the good fortune to know Ray personally, and there is no finer man to have on your team of trusted advisors."
Jason Meek, CEO of The iDeal World
"Ray is an outstanding attorney: client focused, with superb expertise, an excellent track record, great clarity and a calm, professional demeanor. Ray excels at all aspects of employment law. I've known Ray for over 13 years and heartily recommend him."
Jill Springer, VP Global HR & Talent Management at Spansion, Inc.
"I have worked with Ray on several occasions, all with excellent results. He is among the most friendly, professional and trustworthy people that I have met. From a professional level, his knowledge of the field is second to none, and our company has come to depend on his expertise. I recommend him strongly, and encourage any prospective clients of his to contact me directly with any questions."
Arnold Yoon, President, Digital-Telepathy
"Ray is one of the finest attorneys I've had the pleasure of working with. He has extensive experience in employment law and civil litigation, and is always the first person I call when a contentious employment matter needs to be resolved. I would recommend Ray to anyone looking for first-rate legal advice and straightforward representation."
Tom Levis, Associate General Counsel, Informatica
"I have selected Ray as my outside counsel on employment issues in my role as general counsel at two companies. I have great respect for Ray's subject matter expertise, and appreciate that he is always responsive, practical in his recommendations, and very congenial. His advice and counsel have saved my companies far more than the cost of his services. I highly recommend him."
Jordan Breslow, General Counsel, Etsy
"Ray provided great legal advice in a friendly and informative manner. Not only that, he did it while he was on vacation over the December holidays. He really made a big difference for me and was generous with his personal time because he knew my business transaction had to close by December 31. I was very impressed!"
Chris Becker, Program Director, SRI Interntional
"Ray is always a pleasure to work with and I have always been happy with the results he has given me. Without hesitation I would hired Ray at my next company."
Bonnie Braid, Senior Human Resources Consultant, The Melita Group
"Ray is an excellent attorney: he's knowledgeable, trustworthy, and analytical. He understands his clients' businesses and gives practical advice in that context. He also has a great sense of humor!"
Nancy Dearborn, Consultant at Employment Practices Solutions, Inc.
"Ray is a great HR attorney. He offers sage and pragmatic advice and boils the legal detail into plain no nonsense business talk. I appreciate his ability to actively understand the legal landscape and proactively keep his clients in step with the latest legal decisions. Finally, Ray is just plain nice and he is fun to work with. I consider him to be one of my most valuable HR resources."
Mike Vargas, Vice President/Director Human Resources
"I had the pleasure of working with Ray Hixson at Fenwick & West from 2000 until 2005. In my role as Chief Human Resources Officer at Fenwick I had occasion to seek Ray's counsel regularly with respect to personnel issues, employment policies, and training. Ray was my colleague and my confidante. He provided practical and insightful advice. He was open to my ideas, which I appreciated and found to be very refreshing."
"During the process of working with Ray I learned a great deal more about employment law and I became a more effective HR professional. I also had the opportunity to join Ray in providing training and education to firm clients. I found him to be absolutely committed to his clients, someone who went well beyond what was expected."
"I recommend Ray without hesitation. I miss working with him. I am grateful for Ray's support during the time that we worked together, and I am confident that anyone who seeks his counsel will find in him a trusted, responsive, ethical advisor."
Cheri Vaillancour, Chief Human Resources Officer, Fenwick & West
"Ray is an extremely knowledgeable and likeable colleague. He is very responsive and sensitive to client needs, and he was a delight to work with. He has my highest possible recommendation."
Erin Booth, Employment Law Attorney for Companies
"I had the pleasure of working with Ray and his team on an employment matter in California. I always found Ray and the team he manages to be engaging, practical, knowlegeable and insightful in all our dealings. We were able to bring our issue to a successful close without incurring excessive costs in both fees and settlement. I would not hesitate to work with Ray and his team again."
Paul Bouwmeester, Vice President - Global Human Resources
"Ray has all the qualities essential for a successful attorney, besides his charming personality he is an expert employment attorney. Ray dedicates his spare time to speaking to the HR community and professional organizations so that we can keep as current as possible on legal matters, and is always there to pick up the pieces when we need him. Ray freely donates his time to speak at regular events that I produce on behalf of Liberty Benefit for the “benefit” of my clients and colleagues. I regularly receive accolades from attendees about the quality of the program and information he delivers. I am truly one of Ray's biggest fans and would highly recommend him and his firm, Hixson Nagatani LLP to others."
Jenny Vonderwerth, SPHR-CA,CIP, HR and Benefit Consultant at BB&T - Liberty Benefit Insurance Services
"Ray has provided excellent legal service to our company. He provides practical legal solutions that make sense in the context of our business. He is also very accessible and very timely in his responses."
Brad Goodson, Senior Director, Legal Counsel at Infinera