LOS ANGELES- Liebert Cassidy Whitmore is pleased to announce that Partner Brian Walter has been chosen by the Los Angeles Business Journal to be profiled as a 2023 Leader of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys for his unwavering commitment to our clients and steadfast dedication to the practice of law. Brian was also recognized in 2020 for this same honor.
The Los Angeles Business Journal Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys are selected based on a demonstration of impact made on the profession of law and on the Los Angeles community.
Background on Brian Walter
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Partner Brian Walter represents a diverse group of the firm’s clients, including police departments, not-for-profit hospitals, and independent schools against complex employment and parent/student claims, and is often asked to defend high-profile matters involving elected officials, police chiefs, city attorneys and high-level administrators. Brian has extensive experience handling class and collective actions in federal and state courts in addition to FLSA issues. Brian has written amicus briefs on behalf of public employer organizations to the Third Circuit, Ninth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. He has also published numerous articles regarding labor and employment issues, including articles for the IPMA Public Personnel Management Journal, Los Angeles Daily Journal, and California Public Employee Relations Journal. Brian has also participated in drafting of legislation regarding wage and hour issues.
Brian is a focused and strategic litigator, and positions the matters he defends for summary judgment. He has obtained complete summary judgments in numerous cases, including an age discrimination claim brought by the chair of the Radiology Department of an academic teaching hospital, and in a federal whistleblower violation lawsuit brought by the former Independent Assessor of the Los Angeles Fire Department against the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Garcetti and the City’s Fire Commissioners, among others. In a lawsuit against an independent school brought by a parent challenging the school’s disciplinary process, Brian was successful in having the lawsuit [and arbitration] dismissed, and assisted the school in opposing the parent’s social media campaign against the school’s board and administrators.
Recently in Rosario v. Los Angeles City Department of Water & Power, Brian served as lead counsel and was able to obtain a complete defense verdict in this disability discrimination case. Rosario was a construction electrical mechanic who suffered a knee injury on the job in 2018. After three months, Rosario was released by his doctor to return to work with several significant restrictions which DWP could not accommodate. Rosario requested a light duty assignment but DWP had a policy that prohibited employees in Rosario’s classification from light duty assignments. Rosario returned to work without restrictions. Rosario was later terminated after conflicts with supervisors in which Rosario refused to perform work and failed to follow policies for requesting time off. After a threeweek trial in 2022, the jury only deliberated for 3.5 hours and then returned a complete defense verdict on Rosario’s failure to engage in the interactive process, disability discrimination, and failure to reasonably accommodate causes of action.
Brian has been recognized throughout his career including by the Daily Journal as one of California’s 75 top employment law attorneys, citing his expertise in defending against employment claims brought by the employer’s former attorneys. These cases require extensive and complex privilege assertions during discovery, and Brian helps clients navigate the sensitive issues involved in ensuring that the attorney-client privilege is maintained. Brian has also been named as a Southern California Super Lawyer.
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Liebert Cassidy Whitmore is a labor, employment, and full service education law firm that provides comprehensive, responsive, and highly competent legal advice, representation, litigation services, negotiations and training to public entities, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations throughout California. The firm has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, San Diego, and Sacramento. For more information, visit our website: www.lcwlegal.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Cynthia Weldon
Director of Marketing & Training
310.981.2055
cweldon@lcwlegal.com