Victories
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Litigation Victory
Woodruff Secures Victories for State of California in COVID‑19 Eviction Moratorium Litigation Across Federal and State Courts Woodruff attorneys secure dismissals across four related actions challenging pandemic-era eviction protections. Gary C. Weisberg and Michael L. D’Angelo, retained by the State Attorney General’s Office, secured favorable outcomes for the State of California in a series of…
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Woodruff Defeats Amalgamated Transit Union’s Claim That At-will Supervisor Who Returned to Bargaining Unit Position After Seven Years Retained Property Rights Under Memorandum of Understanding
Amalgamated Transit Union brought a grievance when a former supervisor (who returned to the Coach Operator bargaining unit after being demoted) was terminated without first affording the grievant due process. Further, ATU claimed that the employer did not have just cause to terminate. ATU relied on provisions in the MOU relating to definitions of seniority…
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Woodruff Obtains Ninth Circuit Win for OCTA
In a ruling issued on March 13, 2024, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Southern California Gas and Southern California Edison must bear the cost for relocating their facilities to make way for OCTA’s Streetcar Project. OCTA agreed to advance the cost of relocations, approximately $14 million, so that there would be no…
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Woodruff Obtains Ninth Circuit Win for City of Beverly Hills
In Yagman v. Wunderlich, et al., Plaintiff, Stephen Yagman, a well-known civil rights attorney, representing himself, sued the City based on a $1,000 fine he received for parking in a disabled spot without properly displaying a DMV-issued placard. He claimed this fine was excessive and filed suit in federal court asserting nine constitutional claims under 42…
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Woodruff Director Obtains Two Favorable Administrative Appeal Decisions
Keith Dobyns successfully represented the Orange County Fire Authority in a two-day hearing before a hearing officer who heard the appeal of a denial of the application for disability retirement benefits by the Orange County Employees Retirement System for an employee who was disabled and had not been able to work for eight years. OCFA…
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Woodruff Obtains Two Favorable Appellate Court Wins for Public Agency Clients
Woodruff obtained a favorable appellate decision upholding summary adjudication in Roe v. County of Orange. In this case, Plaintiff, a deputy, sued the County and another deputy who she alleged was her supervisor on various FEHA causes of action, including sexual harassment, alleging the other deputy sexually assaulted her while they were on an out-of-state…
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Woodruff Director Assists with Negotiations of Agreement In Relation to Land Sale Netting Client $5.3 Million
Woodruff Director and City Attorney, David Kendig, assisted a municipal client negotiate a Profit Participation Agreement (PPA) as part of a sale of agency-owned property. The developer that purchased the land recently completed its sales of the new homes at the property at values that had increased since the sale closed, so the PPA netted…
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Woodruff Director Negotiates FTA New Starts Grant Agreement for OC Streetcar
James M. Donich recently completed negotiations on behalf of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) with the Federal Transit Administration for a Federal New Starts Grant in the amount of $149 million for the OC Streetcar Project. The Full Funding Grant Agreement was executed by the parties at a ceremony at the Santa Ana Train…
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Woodruff Obtains Five Favorable Appellate Court Wins for Public Agency Clients
In a recent span of two weeks, Woodruff was successful in defending four different public agency clients against civil rights/tort liability claims before the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal and California Court of Appeal. In two different state cases, the plaintiffs alleged various state and federal civil rights violations against the county and its…
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Appellate Court Upholds Approval of Water Project
We represented a private landowner (Cadiz, Inc.) that is developing a project in partnership with a local water district to store billions of gallons of groundwater in a large aquafer in San Bernardino county. Several different groups, including a mining operation and various environmental organizations, filed six separate lawsuits primarily on environmental grounds, challenging the…