Peter J. Brown Partner

Peter Brown has been involved in all areas of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore's practice since 1989, representing public agencies in litigation, collective bargaining negotiations and many different types of administrative hearings.  Peter has a unique talent in promptly developing an expertise in most of the laws which impact our public agency clients such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Acts, and the state labor relations laws.  Many of the firm's clients have come to rely on his advice in guiding them in these constantly changing areas of law.

Peter has also distinguished himself as a sought-after speaker, author and trainer on topics that impact our firm's clients. He speaks at numerous conferences throughout the state of California and nationally on public sector labor and employment law topics.

Peter is one of the most prolific and popular presenters in the firm's renowned training activities. Although Peter spends much of his time out of the office in  labor negotiations, at City Council and Board meetings and in workshops or conference presentations, he finds that the most enjoyable part of the practice of public sector labor and employment law is advising clients how to resolve day-to-day problems. "Helping people resolve a difficult problem is very gratifying. It is why I went to law school."  "I want the client to not only know the answer, but specifically what the law says.  I show them the law.  Most people are visual."

Peter is the Chair of the firm’s Labor Relations and Wage & Hour Practice Groups.  As Chair, Peter is responsible for developing both internal training for the attorneys as well as external training to the firm’s clients on the latest Labor Relations and Wage & Hour developments. 

Peter has also published numerous articles and has authored the CPER pocket guide to the Family and Medical Care Leave Acts since 1997.  

APPELLATE

Echaverria v. City of Upland (2004) - In an unpublished decision, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, affirmed that the trial court's decision that the nonpayment of sick leave was not punitive action under POBR that would entitle the officer to an administrative appeal because the peace officer had no right to sick leave when he was not sick.

NEGOTIATIONS

City of Pasadena (2014-2015) - Brown was able to reach long-term agreements with the City's Fire Fighters Association, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and Pasadena Management Association. These agreements addressed pension reform, consolidation of the electrical classifications in IBEW so that employees can work in both the overhead and underground portions of the utility, as well as well as literally dozens of other issues as the collective bargaining agreements were significantly rewritten. Brown was able to assist the Council with some tense moments in one of the negotiations where employees were picketing in front of City Hall while the City Council was discussing their agreement. Ultimately, despite the intensity, each of the negotiations ended with a negotiated agreement.

City of Huntington Beach (2014)- Brown was able to negotiate collective bargaining agreements with both Huntington Beach Firefighters' Association and Police Officers' Association. Both of these negotiations addressed significantly operational issues for both departments as well as pension reform and numerous other issues which were priorities to the City Council.

Ventura Regional Sanitation District (2014) - As the Chief Labor Negotiator for this special district, Brown worked with its Board that was made up of Council people from all of the agencies in Ventura County who use the District for their sanitation services and landfill services. Both International Union of Operating Engineers and Service Employees' International Union made concessions in the area of pensions, but also received a salary increase as part of the agreements Brown was able to get for the District.

City of Beverly Hills (2014) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Beverly Hills, Brown successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements for the City's Municipal Employees Association, Safety Support Association, Confidential Employees Association, Management and Professional Employees Association and Supervisory Employees Association. The agreements addressed the Council's priority of pension reform as well as providing caps on health insurance which have never been addressed before.

City of Palm Springs (2014) - Brown negotiated and was able to reach four-year agreements with the City's General Employees Unit (represented by SEIU, Local 721), the Management and Professional Association, the Police and Police Management Associations and the Fire and Fire Management Associations. These agreements all included the employees' payment of the CalPERS member contribution as well as numerous other issues, including, significant modifications regarding health insurance and operations of the airport. The City Council desired long-term contracts for labor peace and stability and was pleased to have accomplished that with Brown's guidance.

Orange County Fire Authority (2014)- Brown is the Chief Labor Negotiator for the OCFA which has in excess of 800 firefighters providing fire service to the majority of cities in Orange County as well the County itself. Brown works directly with the 26 member Board of Directors. In 2014, Brown was able to negotiate agreements with both the Firefighters Association and the non-safety association represented by the OCEA. The agreement with the Firefighters Association addressed some significant priorities for the Board addressing hours worked for overtime purposes and also provided the firefighters with a cost of living adjustment. The agreement with the OCEA addressed a priority for the Board - pension reform. During the term of this agreement, all employees in the unit will pay their entire member contribution to the pension system whose costs continue to rise each year.

City of Manhattan Beach - Police, Fire and Teamsters Negotiations (2012-2013) - As Chief Negotiator for the City of Manhattan Beach on all of the City's labor negotiations, Peter Brown was able to successfully negotiate three-year successor labor agreements with all three groups which included pension reform, health care reform and overall savings to the City.

City of Palm Springs - Police, Police Management, Fire, Fire Management, Management and Professional Employees and SEIU (2012) - As Chief Negotiator for the City of Palm Springs on all of the City's labor negotiations (six bargaining units), Peter Brown was able to successfully negotiate two-year successor labor agreements with all six groups which included pension reform, health care savings for the City as well as other issues which provided savings to the City.

City of Beverly Hills - Fire Association, and Part-Time Municipal Employees Association (2012) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Beverly Hills, Peter Brown successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with the Fire Association and the Part-Time Municipal Employees Association. The agreements addressed the Council's priority of pension reform and other important savings measures.

City of Monrovia - Fire Negotiations (2012) - As Chief Negotiator for the City of Monrovia, Peter Brown was able to reach a successful conclusion to its Fire negotiations with significant concessions in the area pension reform and other overall savings.

City of Upland - Police, Police Management and Fire Negotiations (2012) - As Chief Negotiator for the City of Upland, Peter Brown was able to reach agreements with the sworn employee groups to accept very significant pension reform savings. The savings enabled the City to avoid impacts to service.

City of Tustin - Municipal Employees Association, Police Association, Police Management, Safety Support Associations (2012) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Tustin, Peter Brown was able to reach agreements with all four employee associations, which provided continued savings to pensions and other items due to the City's continued financial condition.

City of West Covina - Police, Police Management, Fire and Fire Management Associations (2012) - As the Chief Negotiator for West Covina, Peter Brown negotiated all four safety bargaining groups at the same time and received agreements from all four with savings for the City related to pensions several other issues including retiree health insurance.

City of Santa Ana Police, Fire and General Employee Negotiations (2011-2012) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Santa Ana, Brown recently was tasked with helping the City who was faced with a $30 million budget deficit. Brown was successful in negotiating savings with the Police Association in excess of $10 million and negotiating with the Fire Association whose services were contracted to the Orange County Fire Authority by reaching an agreement which also saved in excess of $10 million per year. An agreement was also reached with Brown as the Chief negotiator with the general employees unit which also saved millions of dollars to help the City address their significant deficit.

City of Beverly Hills - Police, Police Management and Fire Associations (2011-2012) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Beverly Hills between late 2011 and early 2012, Brown successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with the Police and Police Management Associations and is finishing negotiations with the Fire Association. All the agreements addressed the Council's priority of pension reform and other important savings measures.

City of Tustin - Police, Police Management, Safety Support and General Employee Associations (2011) - As the Chief Negotiator for the City of Tustin, Brown successfully negotiated four collective bargaining agreements with the each of the four employee associations in Tustin which resulted in significant savings for the City and addressed the pension reform which with the City Council was concerned. Tustin, like many California cities, continues to receive significant increases to their pension costs and these goals of the negotiations process were realized.

Long Beach Community College District - Faculty Negotiations (2011) - As the Chief Negotiator, Brown was able to negotiate an agreement with the faculty in a way that saved the District hundreds of thousands of dollars while having minimal impact on the faculty. Primarily, modifications were made to health insurance options in a creative manner acceptable to the faculty and the Board of Trustees.

City of Claremont - Four Employee Associations (2011) - Mr. Brown served as the Chief negotiator for the City of Claremont reaching agreements with all four of their non-safety employee associations which included pension concessions to address pension costs which added to the City's budget issues. The concessions require the employees to pay all of the employee contributions over a three-year period. The agreements also brought labor peace and stability to the City.

Ventura Regional Sanitation District - Two Employee Associations (2011) - Mr. Brown successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements with both the SEIU and IUOE bargaining units resulting in savings to the District who was faced with a significant budget deficit. Those savings came from pension reform as well as other concessions.