ZLF's expertise includes handling of over 50 employment and labor law appeals in state and federal appeals courts on behalf of both public and private employers over the past 25 years, including numerous published California and federal Court of Appeal decisions:
- Ellis v Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport (2025): Our officed secured a significant victory for our client when the employment termination of a Police Officer for excessive absenteeism, inability to reasonably accommodate, and dishonesty was affirmed by an independent judge, the superior court, and on appeal. (Office of Administrative Hearings Case No. 2021-09-0550; Los Angeles County Superior Court Case no. 23STCP00241; CA Ct.App. 2nd Dist. Div. 8, Appeal no. B341736)
- Ingham v. Club One, Inc. (2016): ZLF preserved our client’s rights and claims by obtaining an immediate emergency stay of all lower court proceedings to allow the California Court of Appeal to hear our Petition for Writ of Mandate to reverse the Superior Court’s grant of summary adjudication against our client’s whistleblower retaliatory termination claim. Courts of Appeal grant emergency stays in 1 out of 1,000 requests. The case then settled confidentially, earning our client one of the single highest Plaintiff employment retaliation case settlements in 2017. (San Francisco Superior Court Case No. CGC12-520205; CA Ct. App. 1st Dist. 2nd Div. Appeal No. A138866)
- County of Riverside v. CA Public Relations Board (SEIU) (2016): Our office petitioned the United States Supreme Court to protect the County Board of Supervisors’ compelling First Amendment right to political speech when responding to public comments made during public session about whether the County’s temporary workers program would remain economically feasible if unionized. (PERB Case Nos. LA-CE-443-M, LA-CE-447-M, LA-CE-482-M; CA Ct. App. Dist. 4, Div. 3 Appeal No. E051351; CA S.C. No. S195567; U.S. Supreme Court Petition No. 11-737)
- Michelle Rodgers and Riverside Sheriffs Association v. County of Riverside (2015): ZLF obtained an appellate reversal in our client’s favor when the Court of Appeal reversed a trial court order to preclude statements/admissions of a peace officer which would have resulted in her reinstatement to duty after having been terminated for dishonesty. After years of litigation, the Court of Appeals adopted ZLF's interpretation of the Public Safety Bill of Rights Act, found the statements admissible, and thus reversed both the arbitrator's and the trial court's rulings. The employee’s termination for dishonesty was then affirmed, securing an important victory for ZLF's client. (CA S.C. No. S224729; CA Ct.App. Dist. 4, Div. 3 Appeal G050403; Riverside County Superior Court Case No. RIC10018372))
- Riverside Sheriffs Association (Topping) v. County of Riverside (2015): ZLF obtained a victory for our county client against a union grievance concerning (expensive) take home use of County vehicles. The Court of Appeal agreed with ZLF and ruled that our client had the management right to require employees to obtain permission before taking County vehicles for personal use. (Riverside County Superior Court Case No. RIC1119658; CA Ct. App. Dist. 4, Div. 3, Appeal No. G049825; CA S.C. Case no. S225954)
- Riverside Sheriffs Association (Fauth) v. County of Riverside (2015) 173 Cal.App.4th 1410: Securing an employment victory for our client, the Court of Appeal affirmed an arbitrator's award finding that the County had good cause to terminate a peace officer for mental unfitness for duty. (CA Ct. App., 4th Dist., Div. 2, Appeal No. E057647; Riverside County Superior Court Case. No. RIC1116174)
- Shirley Rivera and Laborers International Union of North America ("LIUNA") v. County of Riverside (2014): ZLF obtained a reversal of an attorney’s fees award against our client, successfully arguing that plaintiff did not confer any significant benefit to the general public or any large group of people and thus, did not warrant an award of attorney's fees. (RCSC Case no. RIC494960; CA Ct. App. 4th Dist. 3rd Div. Appeal No. E055956)
- Dan Carvin v. City of Los Angeles (2006): Mr. Zappia successfully obtained Court of Appeal intervention to reverse the superior court's order allowing Plaintiff to take the deposition of high level city official City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo before showing he had any knowledge of or involvement in Plaintiff termination from employment from the Controller's office. Emergency reversal of a superior discovery order is exceedingly rare. (Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. BC290533)
- SEIU v City of Santa Barbara (1997) 57 Cal.App.4th 656: Ed Zappia won a significant victory for our client when in a published opinion, the Appellate Court affirmed its employees’ right to call a second election to rescind a recent vote in favor of agency shop mandatory dues even for non-union members. (PUBLISHED OPINION)