When employers face any of a litany of labor and employment-related issues or litigation, they turn to John Wicker for advice and to defend and resolve them in and out of court. Working proactively, John advises on compliance issues and develops clear and effective policies, practices and employment agreements that help avoid future disputes. A tenacious and talented litigator, he has successfully represented clients in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, mediations, and arbitration hearings.
Businesses ranging from startups to long-established companies depend on John for his astute counsel on the full spectrum of labor and employment-related complexities from hiring, termination, severance, compliance audits and leave of absence issues, to complaints and claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Employers also rely on John’s extensive experience in handling single-plaintiff, representative and class action litigations, including wage and hour class actions and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims,
as well as unfair competition, trade secret, worker classification and ADA-related matters. John is also well-versed in negotiating executive employment agreements on behalf of both businesses and senior executives and stays abreast of current market developments to ensure his clients receive accurate and up-to-date advice.
Innovative, hardworking, and practical, John makes himself available to his clients whenever they need him. Working closely with each client, John gains a clear understanding of their objectives and the challenges they face and then he efficiently devises strategies to mitigate risk and resolve issues, avoiding litigation where possible. If litigation becomes necessary, he develops and implements efficient and effective approaches to defend each case, positioning his clients to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Before joining Stradling, John worked at two employment defense firms and served as an Assistant Deputy to the Honorable Don Knabe of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Awards:
John was named a “Southern California Rising Star” by Super
Lawyers in 2018, and 2020 – 2023.
