Rodney S. Diggs

Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs • Los Angeles


With more than a decade of labor and employment law experience, Rodney Diggs' career has been marked by significant achievements, including securing more than $200 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients. 


Mentored by figures like Rickey Ivie, Robert "Bob" McNeill, and Judge Rupert Byrdsong, Diggs has learned to adeptly handle the cases at hand with the resources available.


"The most important lesson I learned was to try the case you have, not the case you want," Diggs said. "Also, watching the hard work Rickey put into his cases on a daily basis taught me the value of hard work, even when you reach partner level. The lessons overall make it known that nothing beats hard work and there are no shortcuts in life."


One of his landmark cases was Erin Davis v. Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which set a precedent for employee rights on tribal lands, resulting in a near seven-figure settlement for his client. This case was pivotal as it was the first of its kind, challenging the lack of legal protections for employees working on tribal land and leading to the establishment of new ordinances.


"The main obstacle I had to overcome in this case was the tribe essentially ruling on itself," Diggs said. "The arbitration took place on the reservation with the leading authority on tribal law serving as the arbitrator who herself is an honorary member of a couple tribes."


In addition to this, Diggs has recently managed to obtain a six-figure settlement for a new mother who was wrongfully terminated for taking state-mandated maternity leave. His commitment to justice is further exemplified by his role in securing confidential six-figure settlements for two women who faced a hostile work environment, microaggressions, and retaliatory actions from their employer.


While the recent PAGA reforms don't impact his work, Diggs highlighted a few other trends.


"The trends that I am noticing are litigation related to AI Employment decision-making and student athletes now being deemed employees within their universities and NCAA," he said.