Michael joined what is now Lackie, Dammeier & McGill in 2004 as an associate and became a partner in 2008.  He has spent his entire career specializing exclusively in the representation of public safety associations and their officers.  Michael represents officers in all labor and employment matters, with a primary focus on litigation and trial work.  His aggressive style has produced tremendous results significantly enhancing the rights of public safety officers throughout the United States.  Michael has successfully litigated virtually every state and federal law affecting the rights of public safety officers and is widely considered an expert on important matters, such as the Public Safety Officer Procedural Bill of Rights Act, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the First Amendment.

Michael divides his time equally between state and federal court, and his repeated successes have netted his clients millions of dollars through settlement or trial.  His work has resulted in several published decisions each improving the rights afforded to peace officers, including Florio v. City of Ontario, 130 Cal.App.4th 1462 (2005) (finding that arbitration cost-sharing provisions are unconstitutional); Soto v. County of Riverside (2008) 162 Cal.App.4th 492, 76 Cal.Rptr.3d 21 (holding that union contract cannot waive the constitutional rights of its members); Rialto Police Benefit Association v. City of Rialto, 155 Cal.Rptr.4^th 1295 (2007) (as an issue of first impression, city was required, under Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, to meet and confer with association concerning city's decision to contract out with county for services); York v. Robinson, 566 F.3d 817 (9^th Cir. 2009) (public safety officer's reporting of numerous instances of possible corruption, and follow-up communications when he did not receive adequate response, involved "matters of public concern"); Quon v. Arch Wireless Operating Co., Inc., 554 F.3d 769 (9^th Cir. 2009) (ground breaking case involving the privacy rights of public employees in text message devices owned by the city, in which the court held that employees had an expectation of privacy in content of their city-owned text messages); and Desrochers v. City of San Bernardino, 572 F.3d 703 (9^th Cir. 2009) (identifying the parameters by which a public employees may be entitled to constitutional protection for speech in the workplace).

Michael graduated from California Lutheran University in 1999 with a B.S. in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training.  He later graduated cum laude in 2003 from the University of La Verne College of Law.  Michael received the University of La Verne's Merit Scholarship and was both a Staff Writer and Staff Editor for the College of Law's Journal of Juvenile Law.  Michael is a member of the California Bar, each of the U.S. District Courts for the State of California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court. 

Michael was born in Oxnard, California, the third of four children.  Prior to commencing his legal education, Michael's first love was basketball, at which he earned several intercollegiate awards while completing his undergraduate degree.  Michael makes his home in Orange County with his wife.

Email Michael at  Mcgill@policeattorney.com