Richard Mann’s main practice focus is on labor and employment matters. He counsels employers of small, midsize and large companies across a wide range of industries including restaurants, hotels, entertainment, general manufacturing, sales, travel, service, steel, transportation, apparel, banking and finance.
“The employment relationship is an evolving one and facts change daily. It is crucial to get in early and control and structure the situation,” Mr. Mann maintains. He encourages close, constant and open communications with clients to prevent the escalation of employment-related conflicts.
Mr. Mann has an extensive background in successfully representing employers in resolving complex labor issues in mediation and arbitration. He has adroitly transferred these skills to achieve favorable, less adversarial and cost-effective results for employment matters heard in alternative dispute forums.
He represents clients nationally in all aspects of the employment relationship in both the union and non-union setting. Mann’s in-depth experience includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements, labor relations, grievance handling and arbitration, mediation, discrimination, wage and hour matters, employment policies and practices, and supervisor training.
In administrative proceedings, Mann represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other federal, state and local fair employment practices agencies.
His skills in labor and employment matters have been recognized by the EEOC, which designated him to conduct training for employees and supervisors on sexual harassment. He also has conducted seminars on preventing and investigating sexual harassment claims. In employment litigation matters, Mann has represented businesses in both state and federal courts.
Practice Emphasis
- Labor and Employment
- Business Law
- Business Litigation
Qualifications/Memberships
- State Bar of California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- U.S. District Court, all Districts of California
- U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Education
- Loyola University, Los Angeles, J.D., 1975, summa cum laude; Law Review, Member
- Stanford University, B.A., 1966
Representative matters:
- Represented the three highest-grossing restaurants in the nation on their employment matters.
- Counseled numerous companies and employers on structuring situations, establishing protective measures and avoiding litigation in employment-related matters such as disability, termination, discrimination and sexual harassment.
- Favorable settlement reached on behalf of a national restaurant chain involving EEOC sexual harassment claims made by four employees, including a claim of sexual assault. Following resolution, Mann was appointed by the EEOC to lead sexual harassment training for the company.
- Negotiated collective bargaining agreements for clients and established two-tier wage rates and lower starting rates, reducing benefit costs and increasing productivity.
- Advised a hospitality client who was in bankruptcy and facing a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) claim. Mann worked with bankruptcy counsel and the client in achieving beneficial resolution.
- Advised employers in apparel, hospitality, manufacturing and transportation industries in representational union elections campaigns under the National Labor Relations Act.
- Devised plans for employers to reduce the workforce and avoid potential liability for various forms of discrimination.
- Successfully assisted a motion picture producer in avoiding union organizing on production in Los Angeles.