Wayne Smith - a Woodland Hills, California (CA) Civil Rights Lawyer

Woodland Hills Civil Rights Lawyer

Updated: 02/28/2026

Areas of Practice

Civil Rights
Employment Law

Attorney Information

Overview

Wayne Smith grew up in West Los Angeles and received a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from U.C.L.A. in 1981. Mr. Smith then received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, in 1985. While at McGeorge, Mr. Smith was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award for Constitutional Law and was also awarded the Verne Adrian and Annabel McGeorge Academic Scholarship in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements.

Mr. Smith spent the first half of his legal career on the defense bar and was an associate at Charlston, Revich &Williams and later, a partner at Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois, and Bisgaard, defending claims against employers sued for wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment in violation of California Government Code §12940, as well as defending professional liability matters, including legal malpractice, accountant, real estate brokers and financial advisors.

Since 1990 Mr. Smith has represented numerous employees in wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment and discrimination matters in arbitrations and trials, as well as negotiating multiple seven-figure settlements of employment matters.

Mr. Smith also has extensive appellate experience from numerous writs and appeals, which have resulted in three published opinions, Hope v. California Youth Authority, 134 Cal. App. 4th 577 (2006); Claudio v. Regents of the University of California, 134 Cal.App.4th 224 (2005) and Curtis v. Kellog & Andelson, 73 Cal.App.4th 492 (1999).

Some of Mr. Smith's trial and arbitration results include:

Mosely v. Pacifica of Bakersfield, KCSC Case No. BCV-19-103078 - $21 Million verdict in an elder abuse/wrongful death of 81 year old resident of a memory care facility

Mackey v. Helinet, LASC Case No. BC528671 - $5.2 judgment in a discrimination, harassment and retaliation case.

Leontaritis v. Koursaris, LASC Case No. BC309027 - $5.4 judgment in sex harassment/sexual assault case.

Baez v. Burbank Unified School District, Case No. BC372092 - $3.4 judgment in sex harassment case.

Hope v. California Youth Authority, 134 Cal.App.4th 577 (2006) - $3 million for sexual harassment of gay, HIV positive California Youth Authority chef.

Sellecchia v. Sunrise of Studio City, Case No. ARC 78M5439A - $2.7 million arbitration award against an assisted care facility for the negligent care of an 87 year old resident.

Gee v. Cornerstone-on-Demand Inc. Case No.JW#A163851-07 - $2.3 million Arbitration award in pregnancy discrimination case

Education

Legal Education
- McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California, 1985
  Juris Doctor
  Honors: American Jurisprudence Award for Constitutional Law
  Honors: Verne Adrian and Annabel McGeorge Academic Scholarship
Non Legal Education
- University of California, Los Angeles, 1981
  Bachelors of Arts
  Major: Political Science

Representative Cases

Mosely v. Pacifica of Bakersfield, KCSC Case No. BCV-19-103078 - $21 Million verdict in an elder abuse/wrongful death of 81 year old resident of a memory care facility
Mackey v. Helinet, LASC Case No. BC528671 - $5.2 judgment in a discrimination, harassment and retaliation case.
Leontaritis v. Koursaris, LASC Case No. BC309027 - $5.4 judgment in sex harassment/sexual assault case.
Baez v. Burbank Unified School District, Case No. BC372092 - $3.4 judgment in sex harassment case.
Hope v. California Youth Authority, 134 Cal.App.4th 577 (2006) - $3 million for sexual harassment of gay, HIV positive California Youth Authority chef.
Sellecchia v. Sunrise of Studio City, Case No. ARC 78M5439A - $2.7 million arbitration award against an assisted care facility for the negligent care of an 87 year old resident.
Gee v. Cornerstone-on-Demand Inc. Case No.JW#A163851-07 - $2.3 million Arbitration award in pregnancy discrimination case

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Contact

Woodland Hills, CA

23002 Victory Boulevard
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

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Phone: 818-462-8588

Fax: 818-340-9088

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Wayne Smith - Woodland Hills, CA