J. Bernard Alexander III

Alexander, who spent the past two years chairing the California Employment Lawyers Association, has tried more than 35 cases to verdict since being admitted to the bar in 1987, besides dozens of mediations and arbitrations.

Some of his most satisfying cases were against public entities, such as his recent work as lead counsel with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, which helped secure a $3.5 million judgment in 2014 on behalf of three Latino police officers in Westminster who charged they were denied promotions in retaliation over complaints about ethnic discrimination.

Alexander has won verdicts against private companies, including recent disability discrimination judgments against Costco Wholesale Corp. for $1.7 million and DirecTV for $1.2 million. But his work involving public agencies is often much more challenging because of the legal hurdles involved.

"Government employees have to show that they have exhausted all possible remedies, which typically means jumping through a lot more hoops," he said. "The law tends to favor the public entity."

In 2014, one of Alexander's cases nearly died because of such requirements. Alexander's client, Jose Bazua, a former economic development director of the city of Montebello, alleged he was demoted and fired after complaining the city was misusing federal housing funds. Bazua also charged the city later defamed him by accusing him of being the one who misused the funds.

Without ruling on the merits, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michelle Rosenblatt dismissed the case on a demurrer from the city. Bazua failed to follow the city's internal appeals processes before suing, the judge found. But this March, the 2nd District Court of Appeal overturned both decisions, ruling that some of Montebello's appeals processes were not put into place until after Bazua was fired.

"It's been a 21/2-year odyssey of losing a case and then getting it back," Alexander said. "Whistleblower cases like this are important because you should have an expectation that the government will follow and enforce its law, so if ever you want people to step forward and report wrongdoing, it's in cases involving the government."

Alexander began his career as an insurance defense lawyer. He became dissatisfied with the work and switched to plaintiffs work 12 years ago.

"When I was doing defense, all my work was just representing the insurance adjusters," he said. "But when you're dealing with individual plaintiffs, you're dealing with their lives, their careers, their families and their ability to pay their bills."

— Dean Calbreath