Gary Ganchrow

Mr. Ganchrow honed his litigation and trial skills as a young lawyer by defending large insurance companies in high-stakes “bad faith” lawsuits. He joined Parker, Milliken, Clark, O'Hara & Samuelian in 1996, became a shareholder soon after, and now chairs the firm’s Litigation Department. He has litigated a wide array of employment, business, real estate and contract matters, while also dispensing the common-sense and practical advice needed to help corporate clients steer clear of the courtroom. He also regularly assists California businesses, both start-up and established, on statutory and regulatory compliance issues, and represents corporate fiduciaries with respect to issues relating to compensation and corporate duties.

Professional Experience:

Mr. Ganchrow has more than 25 years of litigation, trial and regulatory experience in State and Federal courts. A brief sampling of Mr. Ganchrow’s broad litigation and regulatory experience has included:

• Defending and prosecuting individual and class action wage and hour lawsuits
• Defending wrongful termination, discrimination, non-compete and ADA lawsuits
• Helping a client navigate an investigation by the Office of Civil Rights and avoid penalties for HIPAA violations
• Obtaining defense verdicts and judgments in punitive damages “bad faith” lawsuits
• Obtaining summary judgment in favor of a mezzanine lender in a multi-million dollar lawsuit brought against it by an investment banking firm
• Negotiating a pennies-on-the-dollar “coupon” settlement in class action consumer unfair business practices lawsuit
• Successfully representing a public entity at the trial and appellate court levels in complex pension litigation
• Successfully compelling a non-profit corporation to reinstate a deposed corporate officer and director
• Successfully defending and prosecuting of trade secret misappropriation claims
• Prosecuting a federal Administrative Procedures Act against the FDIC
• Successfully defending DLSE misclassification claims

Academic Experience:

Adjunct Professor at USC Gould School of Law: Legal Writing and Advocacy Program (2017 - 2019)

Sample Publications:

• “Manual Transmission” – The Effect of Employment Manuals, Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 22, 2008
• “Take It or Leave It” – The California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) and the Notice Requirements, Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 5, 2008
• “Embracing Give and Take” – The Interactive Process Under the FEHA, Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 26, 2008
• “At-Will Power” – How Employers Can Protect Themselves From Wrongful Termination Lawsuits, Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 7, 2008
• “The Ins and Outs of Employee Medical Leave Under the California Family Rights Act and Family Medical Leave Act”– Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 18, 2008
• “Can You Be Sued for Your Tenant’s Actions,”Apartment Owners Association News – November, 2011
• “Minimizing Legal Exposure When Hiring Resident Managers,”Apartment Owners Association News – December, 2011
• “Scope of Bank Info Privacy is Uncertain”- Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 19, 2017
• “The Do’s and Dont’s of Dealing with Injured Employees,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – March 2017
• “Strategies for Contracting With and Paying Resident Managers,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – April 2017
• “License for Hire? Make Sure Your Contractors Are Covered,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May 2017
• “Employee Manager v. Resident Manager – Know What the Difference is and What It Means to You,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – August 2017
• “Harassment Prevention – More to think about for property managers,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – March 2018
• “How the Supreme Court's Decision Regarding Who is An Employee Affects Property Management,”Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – February, 2019
• “A Square Peg In a Round Hole - Paying Resident Managers with a Salary,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May, 2019
• “Making a Molehill Into a Legal Mountain – How Small Resident Manager Payment Problems Can Turn Into Big Ones,”Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – June, 2019
• “The Unforeseen Pitfalls of Hiring a Resident Manager Under AB 1482,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – January, 2020
• “Am I My – Or My Management Company’s – Resident Manager’s Keeper?” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – April, 2020
• “Covid-19: Emergency Ordinance And Executive Orders - A Crash Course,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May, 2020
• “Understanding the contract clause of the US” - Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 15, 2020
• “Avoiding Employee Harassment Claims: What Every Property Owner and Manager Needs to Know,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – August, 2020
• “Do Rent and Eviction Moratoriums Violate Landlords’ Constitutional Rights Under the Contract Clause?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – August, 2020
• “Strategies for Avoiding Liability As a Joint Employer,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – November, 2020
• “Pitfalls of Paying Resident Managers a Generous Salary ("No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"),” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – December, 2020
• “Employing a Resident Manager Couple – A Savings, or Double Trouble?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – March, 2021
• “The Uphill Legal Climb for Property Owners and How to Avoid It,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – August, 2021
• “This Couldn’t Happen to Me – Could It?” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – December, 2021
• “My Resident Manager is Not Working Out – Now What?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – March, 2022

Speaking Engagements:

• Instructor, “The Ins and Outs of Employee Medical Leave Under the California Family Rights Act and Family Medical Leave Act,” Employment/Labor and Family Law sections of the Orange County Paralegal Association (OCPA) – 2009
• MCLE Ethics Instructor, “The Move to Disqualify” – January 25, 2011
• Labor and Employment Law Conference Panelist, “Mandatory Arbitration Agreements and the Erosion of Public Access to the Judicial System,” Orange County Labor and Employment Relations Association (OC LERA) – July 19, 2017
• Guest Lecturer, “Strategies for Paying Resident Managers and Other Employment Topics,” North American Real Property Management (NARPM) – November 15, 2017
• Guest Lecturer, “Helping Clients Navigate Relationships with Resident Managers – From the ‘Marriage’ Through ‘Divorce’ – and How to Avoid Legal Fallout When the Relationship Sours,” San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SFVBA) – September 11, 2019
• Presenter, “How to Avoid Falling Prey to Attorneys Looking to File Resident Manager Lawsuits: Common Pitfalls, Misconceptions, and Solutions When Paying and Terminating Resident Managers,” Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) Conference and Expo – October 2, 2019
• Guest Host, “Legal Pandemic Q&A Session Webinar” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”)– July 9, 2020
• Webinar Panelist, “Resident Manager Lawsuits - The Inside Scoop from the Lawyers,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) – March 24, 2022

Pro bono:

Mr. Ganchrow has served on the Board of and performed pro bono legal work for various non-profit organizations. Mr. Ganchrow also runs the interest-free loan fund for Anshe Emes Synagogue.