AALRR Announces 2021 Equity and Non-Equity Partners

01.15.2021

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (“AALRR”), is pleased to announce the promotion of four equity and four non-equity partners.

“These promotions are well deserved by each of the attorneys” commented managing partner Mark Palin. “The diversity of practice areas and office locations really exemplifies AALRR’s breadth of practice and full-service capabilities throughout the state.”

The members of the AALRR’s newest class of equity partners are William Diedrich, Amber Healy, Scott Holbrook and Anthony Niccoli.

William Diedrich represents school districts, community college districts, and other public agencies in all aspects of labor and employment law. Having served for more than a decade as Chief Negotiator for school districts and community college districts throughout Southern California, Mr. Diedrich is experienced in using a traditional bargaining model, Interest-Based Bargaining (“IBB”) model, and hybridized bargaining models. His labor representation includes all levels of the collective bargaining process, from pre-planning through impasse. Additionally, his areas of practice include certificated and classified employee discipline, contract enforcement and arbitration, representation of employers before the Public Employment Relations Board, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Office of Administrative Hearings, certificated and classified layoffs, merit systems, and general education law.

Amber Healy has extensive experience litigating class actions and complex matters in state and federal courts throughout California. Her practice focuses on the defense of employers and management in class action, multi-plaintiff, and single-plaintiff lawsuits. She has particular expertise in the area of wage and hour class and representative actions alleging claims for off-the-clock work, unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, meal and rest break violations, unreimbursed expenses and inaccurate wage statements. Ms. Healy has litigated novel issues in both class actions and representative actions brought under California Labor Code’s Private Attorneys General Act before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Court of Appeal.  Ms. Healy works with employers in all major industries and heads the firm’s Complex Litigation Team overseeing high stakes employment litigation matters.

Scott Holbrook provides representation and legal counsel to school districts, county offices of education, and community college districts in labor and personnel matters, including certificated/classified employee discipline and dismissal, responses to EEOC and DFEH complaints, responses to unfair practice charges before the PERB, and collective bargaining. He advises clients in all aspects of charter school law, including petitions and appeals, forming “dependent” charter schools, operating agreements, and Prop 39 facility requirements. In addition, Mr. Holbrook handles matters involving litigation, student discipline and expulsion, the ADA, FERPA, the Brown Act, interscholastic athletics and collegiate sports law, special education, and general school law issues.

Anthony Niccoli has obtained hundreds of favorable outcomes for his clients through litigation, mediation, arbitration, and settlement. He has extensive experience representing contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, and owners for a full range of construction issues, including licensing, contract drafting and negotiations, bid disputes, responsive and responsibility issues, change order disputes, terminations, and indemnity obligations and claims. In addition, he handles breach of contract actions such as delay, disruption, acceleration, mechanics’ lien, stop payment notice, payment bond actions, including Federal claims and Miller Act Bonds, and labor issues. Mr. Niccoli heads the firm’s private construction team.  He is also the legal and legislative chair for the Southern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association, Engineering Contractor’s Association, and is a board member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Associated General Contractors. 

AALRR’s new non-equity partners are Dan Bulfer, Lexe Davidson, Stephen McLoughlin, and Susana Solano.

Dan Bulfer is a trusted advisor to clients on a broad range of employment, compliance, and risk management issues, assisting clients in all stages of the employment relationship from hiring through workplace investigations, corrective action, and termination.  Mr. Bulfer helps his clients find non-litigated solutions whenever possible.  But, when litigation cannot be avoided, he vigorously and efficiently defends his clients before administrative agencies and courts, from the filing of the initial charge or complaint through the highest stages of appeal.

In addition to his comprehensive labor and employment experience, Mr. Bulfer has represented contractors, designers, and governmental agencies in connection with a wide array of construction-related issues.  He counsels construction industry clients on competitive bidding, contract drafting and administration, scheduling and delay issues, differing site conditions, change orders, mechanics lien, stop payment notice and bond rights, and other project-level issues.  He has handled multimillion-dollar disputes on a number of high-profile construction projects, achieving favorable resolutions on behalf of his clients.

Alexandria Davidson represents California public school districts as general counsel.  She has experience with employment-related matters, including reductions of force, certificated layoffs, and collective bargaining agreement interpretation.  Ms. Davidson’s practice also includes student discipline and general student matters, complaint processes, including Title IX, and well as general governance issues, the California Public Records Act, and the Brown Act. She has represented employers before the Public Employment Relations Board, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, California Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the Office of Administrative Hearings.  Ms. Davidson is an experienced trainer, including in FRISK, PROOF, and Title IX.

Stephen McLoughlin Stephen McLoughlin advises public and private agencies on a wide variety of transactional and litigation issues. He represents California community college districts, universities and school districts in education-related matters, providing advice and counsel concerning compliance with Title IX, transgender accommodations, First Amendment, and other constitutional rights of students and employees and related federal and state laws. He represents education clients in grievance arbitrations, administrative hearings, and civil litigation in state and federal court. Mr. McLoughlin also drafts and negotiates contracts for property and general service matters, including technology-related services. He has experience with various land use issues, including the drafting of licenses, leases, easements and joint use agreements. Mr. McLoughlin has provided clients with analysis and guidance regarding federal regulations such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Susana Solano advises and represents private and public employers and management in litigation arising out of the employment relationship, such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, accommodations, medical leaves of absence, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and employee complaints filed with governmental entities. She has experience defending wage and hour class actions and representative actions. She assists employers in developing policies and practices that comply with state and federal law and helps clients prepare employee handbooks, arbitration agreements, class action waivers or employment contracts that are defensible in litigation. She also offers training on wage and hour compliance and on the prevention of discrimination, harassment, retaliation or bullying in the workplace. She is fluent in Spanish.

About Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
With 40 years of unwavering commitment to client service, AALRR is one of California’s leading law firms. Our diverse team brings a seasoned perspective to California’s complex legal landscape for public and private entities, with particular strength in the areas of education, labor and employment, construction, complex litigation, corporate, taxation, and water. Our public sector clients include more than 400 K-12 school districts, community college districts and universities, as well as cities, counties and special districts. We also represent diverse business entities, from small, family-run businesses to publicly traded corporations. At 215 lawyers and growing, AALRR has nine offices in Cerritos, Fresno, Irvine, Marin, Pasadena, Pleasanton, Riverside, Sacramento and San Diego to serve our clients throughout California. For more information about AALRR, visit our website at: www.aalrr.com.

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