Zuber & Taillieu

Johnny Griggs is a partner in Zuber & Taillieu’s litigation department, where he focuses on civil litigation, and employment and labor law.  He represents Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized businesses, public benefit corporations and governmental entities.  With over a quarter of a century’s experience, Mr. Griggs handles all aspects of complex business litigation, including prosecution and defense of real estate and real estate-related claims, defense of toxic tort claims, defense of land subsidence claims, and defense and prosecution of claims related to complex business transactions.

Mr. Griggs’ employment expertise includes matters relating to wage and hour, hiring and firing, workplace discipline, workplace privacy, trade secret, non-competition, non-solicitation, and human resources management.  Mr. Griggs regularly defends employers against claims alleging race, age, gender, disability and sexual orientation discrimination; sexual harassment; whistleblower retaliation; wrongful termination; and related contract and tort claims. Mr. Griggs regularly counsels employers on labor union relations, including with respect to union organizing drives, collective bargaining agreements and claims before the National Labor Relations Board.

Mr. Griggs also lends his legal expertise to causes relating to education and urban issues.  His pro bono work and public service has won him numerous accolades, including the African-American Insurance Professionals Association Community Service Award, the Los Angeles City Council Commendation for Public Service, 2003, and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California Pro Bono Civil Rights Award.  Mr. Griggs is the current Chairman of the Board and serves as the Board Restructuring Director of the WATTS Health Foundation.

Prior to joining Zuber & Taillieu, Mr. Griggs was partner at Sidley & Austin.

Notable Representations:

• Successfully represented the owners of a group of car washes in Los Angeles with respect to a significant unfair labor practices claim before the National Labor Relations Board, as well as advised and counseled the clients with respect to a related union organizing campaign;
• Advised and counseled the Forum in Inglewood (previously known as the Great Western Forum) respecting matters concerning a major labor union dispute;
• Represented the former General Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in the successful negotiation of his employment contract with the District;
• Represented the former Chief of Police of the City of Los Angeles respecting employment and other issues arising out of his tenure with the Los Angeles Police Department, resulting in a significant severance package for the former Police Chief;
• Successfully represented the owners of the Forum in Inglewood respecting a dispute with the owners of the Staples Center in Los Angeles; and
• Represented plaintiffs challenging Los Angeles Police Department racial profiling policies, resulting in changes to the Police Department’s practices relating racially-motivated traffic stops.

Representative Publications:

• “Circuit City’ Ruling Shelves Most Arbitration Clauses,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 28, 2002
• “Investigate and Remedy”, Los Angeles Daily Journal, December 27, 2001
• “Sexual Harassment, in Law Firms?”, California Lawyer, June, 2001
• “Lady Justice Not Blind to Sexual Harassment in Law Firms,” Michigan Lawyers Weekly, January 15, 2001

Representative Speaking Engagements:

• Speaker, “Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession,” Buchalter Nemer, 2011
• Speaker, “Nuts and Bolts of Employment Law, Part II,” Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2011
• Speaker, “Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession: A Quarter Century Retrospective,” State Bar of California, 2011
• Keynote Speaker, “Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession,” Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association, 2009
• Keynote Speaker, “Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession,” Sidley Austin, 2008
• Keynote Speaker, Urban Education Partnership Academies Graduation, 2006
• Panel Member, Public Education Network No Child Left Behind Hearings, 2004
• Panel Member, Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Seminar entitled: “Recent Amendments to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act,” 2004
• Keynote Luncheon Speaker, National Conference of the National Black Law Students Association,  2004

Professional Honors and Activities:

• Named One of Los Angeles’ Top Black Attorneys by L.A. Focus Magazine, 2011
• African-American Insurance Professionals Association Community Service Award, 2006
• Los Angeles City Council Commendation for Public Service, 2003
• ACLU Foundation of Southern California Pro Bono Civil Rights Award, 2001
• One of the Top 25 California Lawyers under the Age of 45, 1993
• Los Angeles County Commendation for Public Service, 1992
• Langston Bar Association Loren Miller Lawyer-of-the-Year Award, 1991

Public Service:

• Chairman of the Board and Board Restructuring Director, WATTSHealth Foundation
• Former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Urban Education Partnership
• Former Legal Counsel, Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Project
• Former Legal Counsel, Los Angeles Educational Partnership
• Former Legal Counsel, Families In Schools
• Formal Legal Counsel, Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade
• Former Legal Counsel, African American Unity Center