Linda Miller Savitt Partner

Ms. Savitt specializes in defending lawsuits on behalf of employers and supervisors who are sued for terminating employment. Such claims include wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. She is a frequent speaker at bar associations and legal seminars. In 2020 she was the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA’s nominee for CAL-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year.

She has tried over 100 jury and court trials, as well as numerous arbitrations, 90% of which are employment cases, with mostly punitive damages allegations.

She is a Diplomate level member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers , a member of the American Employment Law Council and former President of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. Linda has achieved successful results for employers in defending a variety of employment litigation claims, including:

• Receiving a defense verdict in a 21 day trial involving claims for wrongful termination, hostile work environment, retaliation, and misclassification as an exempt employee. The jury returned the verdict in 3 hours. Prior to trial, the plaintiff rejected a $300,000 settlement offer.
• Receiving a defense verdict for the employer in Fisher v. San Pedro Peninsula Hospital (1989) 214 Cal.App.3d 590.
• Obtaining a $450,000 judgment for the individual defendant on a cross-complaint against the plaintiff as well as an award of attorneys’ fees in Saret-Cook v. Gilbert, Kelly, Crowley and Jennett (1999) 74 Cal.App.4th 1211, after the plaintiff lost on claims of sexual harassment and sex discrimination. In addition to being admitted to practice law in California, she is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts in California.

Admitted to Practice

• California

Court Admissions

United States Courts of Appeals:

• Ninth Circuit

United States District Courts:

• Central District of California
• Eastern District of California
• Northern District of California
• Southern District of California

• B.A., Political Science, University of California at Los Angeles
  • Cum Laude
  • California Standard Teaching Credential, Elementary
• J.D., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California
  • Dean’s List

Supreme Court of the United States

• Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, 140 S. Ct. 2049 (2020) (employment discrimination claims of Catholic elementary school teachers were barred by the “ministerial exception”)

United States District Court

• Moore v. County of Los Angeles, 194 LRRM 2279 (C.D. Cal. 2012) (granting summary judgment for employer on First Amendment retaliation claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983)
• Eng v. County of Los Angeles, 737 F. Supp. 2d 1078 (C.D. Cal. 2010) (granting summary judgment for employer on First Amendment retaliation claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983)
• Ochiai v. Regents of University of Cal, 2009 U.S. Dist. Lexis 115912 (C.D. Cal. 2009) (granting judgment on the pleadings for employer and individual defendants on various causes of action)
• EEOC v. Reeves & Associates 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4395 (C.D. Cal. 2006) ($1 million attorneys’ fees awarded to defendant for defending a frivolous case; reversed on appeal by Ninth Circuit although affirming the defense verdict)
• Pieszak v. Glendale Adventist Medical Center, 112 F. Supp. 2d 970 (C.D. Cal. 2000) (granting summary judgment for employer and individual defendants on employee’s claims of sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and other causes of action)

Supreme Court of California

• Reeves v. Hanlon (2004) 33 Cal. 4th 1140 (affirms a judgment in our client’s favor on claims for intentional interference with contractual relations, misappropriation of trade secrets and sets standards for claims of tortious interference with at-will employment contracts)
• Western Steamship v. San Pedro Peninsula Hospital (1994) 8 Cal. 4th 100 (interpretation of MICRA in indemnity action)

Court of Appeal of California

• Simers v. Los Angeles Times LLC (2018) 18 Cal. App. 5th 1248 (upholding trial court ruling granting a new trial on damages and dismissing plaintiff’s constructive discharge claim)
• Cho v. Chang (2013) 219 Cal. App. 4th 521 (upholding trial court’s denial of anti-SLAPP motion to cross-complaint allegations of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress for plaintiff communicating to other employees allegedly false accusations of sexual harassment against manager)
• O’Byrne v. Santa Monica-UCLA Med. Ctr. (2001) 94 Cal. App. 4th 797 (affirming summary judgment on physician’s claims for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty arising from his removal from emergency department call panel and denial of certain clinical privileges)
• Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital v. Superior Court (2001) 88 Cal. App. 4th 488 (plaintiff’s peremptory challenge to disqualify judge was untimely filed)
• Pang v. Beverly Hospital (2000) 79 Cal. App. 4th 986 (interprets California Family Rights Act)
• Saret-Cook v. Gilbert, Kelly, Crowley & Jennett (1999) 74 Cal. App. 4th 1211 (upholds defense sexual harassment verdict, judgment on employer cross-complaint for emotional distress and $1 million attorneys’ fees award to employer improperly sued for sex harassment)
• Cooper v. Superior Court (1997) 56 Cal. App. 4th 744 (striking punitive damages in sexual assault case involving health care provider)
• Sada v Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital (1997) 56 Cal. App. 4th 138 (independent contractors can’t bring DFEH claim)
• Jackson v Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (1990) 220 Cal. App. 3d 1315 (statute of limitations on personal injury based on a statutory violation)
• Fisher v. San Pedro Peninsula Hospital (1989) 214 Cal. App. 3d 590 (hostile work environment, sexual harassment)
• Cedars-Sinai v Superior Court (1988) 206 Cal. App. 3d 41 (malicious prosecution)

She frequently lectures to management groups, administrators, judges, and physician groups as well as various bar sponsored groups. She also serves as a volunteer court appointed mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s mediation program.

Linda also serves on UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation Board of Directors and the Loyola Law School Board of Directors.

Awards and Memberships

• 2020 Los Angeles ABOTA Chapter “Trial Lawyer of the Year” nominee

• 2018 Recipient of Lee B. Wenzel Civility Award, ABOTA, Los Angeles Chapter

• 2017 Honoree, ASCDC Hall of Fame, Los Angeles, CA 2012 Distinguished Alumna, Loyola Law School

• 2007-2020 Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment (annually)

• 2011-2012 Top Attorneys, Pasadena Magazine

• 2010 Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year, Los Angeles Times

• 2011-2013, 2017 Top 75 Labor and Employment Lawyers, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2009-2012 Top Women Litigators in California, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2011 Honoree, Second Annual Women’s Accomplishments Dinner, Sponsored by Judicate West, CAALA Annual Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada

• 2010-2020 Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers

• 2004-2020 Top 50 Women Super Lawyers by Law & Politics Magazine

• 2009 Top 10 Employment Defense Lawyers, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2007 Top Women Litigators in California, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2007 Top 25 Lawyers of the Valley, San Fernando Business Journal

• 2006 Top 75 Women Litigators in California, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2003 Top 50 Women Litigators in California, Los Angeles Daily Journal

• 2011 – Present Fellow American College of Trial Lawyers

• Charter Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary Society

• Diplomate, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

  o Member Executive Board Los Angeles Chapter – (2007-2020)

  o Treasurer Los Angeles Chapter – (2008-2013)

• Member, American Employment Law Council, (2010-present)

• Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, 2011 President

• Defense Liaison to LACBA Litigation Section Executive Committee (2010-2011)

• Board Member, Loyola Law School, 2015-present

• Blue Ribbon Committee on Superior Court, L.A. County Bar Association (2005-2008)

• Presenter ABOTA Masters in Trial (2020)

• Instructor, The Jack Daniels Los Angeles ABOTA Trial School, 2006, 2008

• Member, State Commission on Civil Fees (2008)

• State Bar Special Advisory Sub Committee on Labor and Employment Jury Instructions (2001-2003)

• State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, Labor Law Consulting Group 1999

• State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Section

• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section (2011-2015) Best Lawyers in America, Labor & Employment

• Board Member, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation (2013-present)