Erik T. Johnson’s practice involves advising and defending employers on a variety labor and management matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, unfair competition, and wage and hour claims. Erik enjoys assisting employers with the broad array of legal and personnel issues they face. Some notable accomplishments include securing a workplace violence restraining order to protect the employees of a publicly-traded company, winning the dismissal of a sexual harassment claim against one of the largest cities in San Diego county, and successfully opposing a motion for summary judgment filed by the former chief executive officer of a major public hospital district.
Erik has extensive experience litigating in California’s state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate level. He has also successfully represented clients before a broad array of state and federal administrative agencies, such as the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Employment Development Department, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, and Cal/OSHA. Erik has advised a diverse assortment of employers, from public agencies to large corporations to charter schools to nonprofit entities. Erik also has experience with the employment needs of California Benefit Corporations.
In addition to litigation, Erik counsels employers on effective ways to reduce their risk of litigation through policy changes, employee handbook updates and revisions, compliant leaves of absence, workplace investigations, discipline and terminations, employment agreements, arbitration agreements, commission agreements, reductions-in-force, and other human resource issues and strategies.
When Erik is not assisting employers, he enjoys spending time with his family, surfing, trail running, camping, and backpacking. He has also committed to providing his legal experience on a pro bono basis to indigent individuals with legal needs. Prior to his career as an attorney, Erik taught elementary school at a public school in Harlem through the New York City Teaching Fellows program.