Clifton W. Albright

Clifton W. Albright

LOS ANGELES - As the president and founder of Albright, Yee & Schmit, APC, Clifton W. Albright has seen a lot. His firm has been handling employment defense for nearly 30 years, during which he became the first attorney to win a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regarding its public health service training program.

“We represent both municipalities and private employers,” said Albright, describing his practice. “We’ve been doing this for a number of years, so we know the different concessions for each set of clients, and the government has a number of special exemptions that private employers do not have. We have to know the difference so that when we look at different liabilities or employment matters that we know the exemptions are the privileges that a government has.”

Albright says he represents his clients depending on the facts and circumstances, and that’s what guides his strategies. In some cases, he advocates for his clients settling quickly because that is in their best interest. “But in some cases, it’s a matter of principle,” he said.

“In those cases, the clients want to litigate and not set a precedent. We’ve done privileged claims, or an employee may have accused them of something heinous. I just try to litigate in a way that by the time all is over, there are no personal feelings involved,” Albright said.

Albright remarked on the importance of honor during trials. “My goal is to never have anyone say, ‘Yeah, he won, but he’s a cheater or a liar.’ This has never happened in the 40 years that I’ve been practicing. I take integrity as a cornerstone of the business and what allows you to enjoy the practice.”

Albright uses his experience and connections to mentor men and women in furthering their education and business goals. He provides guidance, finances, jobs, and work experiences to assist hard-working individuals in realizing their dreams.

Albright says the key to success is to work hard, and even then, outworking the other side. “That means we have to know what the law is. We need to know what the client’s business is all about and understand what matters to the client. The client needs to be up to speed on what we’re doing and the team members need to work as a team and keep each other informed,” he said.

--Federico Lo Giudice