Richard S. Amador has over thirty-five years of experience defending employers in state and federal court and representing entities victimized by fraud or unfair competition. A California judge before whom he successfully tried a 2005 case called Richard “one of the finest trial lawyers in the legal profession,” adding—“His reputation for honesty and integrity is impeccable.”

GC California magazine featured Richard as a “Hidden Gem” among the top employment lawyers in California, based on a statewide survey of in-house counsel and mediators. He is AV^® Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest ranking for ethics and legal ability.

Richard serves as President of the Board of Directors of the National Employment Law Council (NELC). He previously served on the Board of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF), as Chairman of the Board of the East L.A. YMCA, President of the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System, and as a Director of the California Minority Counsel Program and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund honored Richard for exceptional service as pro bono counsel and KCET Public Television honored him as a “Hero of the Community.” He is also a recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the California Bar Association.

Richard is frequently asked to speak on trial advocacy, deposition skills, client service, and employment law topics, and is a founding faculty member of the NELC Academy—a selective program for junior minority employment defense lawyers to receive advanced skills training from leading practitioners.

A 1988 graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, Richard received his undergraduate degree from UCLA in 1985. In 2020 he was elected to the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers for sustained contribution to the field and upholding the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and character. He formed Sanchez & Amador in 1994 and co-chairs the firm’s Employment Litigation, Investigations, and Counseling Group.