Johnnie has extensive experience in every aspect of employment law, including advising corporate clients on wage and hour issues, the myriad of leave laws under state and federal law, COVID compliance and best practices in the hiring and firing of employees and independent contractors. Johnnie also litigates and defends corporate clients against claims for whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, and discrimination and harassment claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and the California Labor Code.

Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Johnnie was a partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and Manatt Phelps & Phillips, where he co-managed Manatt’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. Johnnie also spent several years in-house, serving as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of SAGE Publications, Inc., an international academic publishing company. Johnnie began his legal career at Alschuler Grossman & Pines, a litigation boutique firm in Los Angeles, where he became that firm’s first African-American partner in 1997.