J. Mira Hashmall

Complex Litigation

Los Angeles

Mira Hashmall has been handling complex appeals for more than 15 years, and she has been a certified specialist in appellate law for close to a decade. In less than a week, on June 24, she will argue on behalf of the County of Los Angeles, a regular client, in a lawsuit against the deputy sheriffs' association.

The case presents "complex issues with regards to when an employer can make decisions regarding employee discipline" or must bargain with the employees' union, she said. County of Los Angeles v. Association for the Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, B317439 (Cal. App. 2nd, filed Dec. 27, 2021).

Back in March, she and partner Nadia Sarkis filed an amicus brief on behalf of the county in the U.S. Supreme Court's case dealing with whether enforcing municipal laws prohibiting camping on public property is cruel and unusual punishment when used against the homeless. Hashmall said the county filed the brief because it has "such significant challenges in connection with this crisis and a really important perspective." City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, 23-175 (U.S., arg'd. April 22, 2024).

Hashmall also represents the county in the ongoing federal lawsuit over providing shelter and services for the homeless, primarily in Skid Row. She helped achieve a groundbreaking $1 billion settlement in September. L.A. Alliance for Human Rights v. City of Los Angeles, 2:20-cv-02291 (C.D. Cal., filed March 10, 2020).

One appellate court where she hasn't appeared is the California Supreme Court, but she should get to do that soon. She represents Inglewood in a lawsuit brought by the city's elected treasurer, who claims she was retaliated against for whistleblowing. Brown v. City of Inglewood, S280773 (Cal., filed Aug. 1, 2023).

The issue is whether elected officials are employees qualifying for protection under the state Labor Code's whistleblower provisions. "We believe strongly it's the voting public that's really the employer when it comes to an elected official, not the municipality," Hashmall said. "I'm excited to be able to address this novel issue of law before the Supreme Court and really examine the Legislature's intent." No argument date has been set.

Despite the many appeals she handles, Hashmall said roughly 70% of her practice lately is litigation in trial courts. In addition to Los Angeles County and Inglewood, she represents many health care and entertainment companies. Those industries have been facing some major challenges following the pandemic and the strikes and consolidation in the entertainment field.

"I've got really diverse clients," she said. "My private clients tend to have more confidential matters."

She is set to go to trial next month. In that case, she is defending the county against claims of disability discrimination from a former deputy sheriff. Before she took on the case, the deputy won an $8.1 million verdict. Hashmall got it reversed on appeal. Rodriguez v. County of Los Angeles, BC680213 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed Oct. 19, 2017).

-- Don DeBenedictis