Joseph (“Joe”) Beachboard is a nationally recognized expert on labor and employment law issues who joined Ogletree Deakins in 2001. He helps employers avoid work-related legal exposure, including providing training to a variety of high-profile organizations. He regularly speaks at large employment law conferences around the country and has been quoted in a number of prestigious publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, National Law Journal and HR Magazine.
Since 2001, Joe has served as the chair of Ogletree Deakins’ Client Services Committee – which oversees the marketing, business development, publications, events and other strategic initiatives of the firm. In this capacity, he works directly with the firm’s 40 offices and more than 600 attorneys. Joe and the Client Services Committee also are responsible for ensuring the firm’s clients receive premier service.
Joe brings a strong business perspective to his practice, formed in part by the 10 years he served as President of The Labor Letters Inc. prior to joining the firm. The Labor Letters, Inc. provided information services, resources and practical advice to 10,000 employers on labor and employment law developments in 26 states. Before his decade in the business world, Joe practiced law at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in Los Angeles.
Experience
While Joe has engaged in active litigation on behalf of management in the past, today his practice focuses on advising employers to help them avoid or limit employment-related liability. In addition, he has developed an expertise in providing informative and engaging training programs – and has worked with dozens of companies around the country, including a number of high-profile organizations with unique needs. Among others, he has trained:
- The cast and crew of dozens of NBC television shows, including The Office, Law & Order, The Tonight Show, Access Hollywood, House, Parks & Recreation, Heroes, and The Event;
- The NASCAR teams of Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jimmie Johnson (#48) and Jeff Gordon (#24);
- The leadership of one the largest locals of the Service Employees International Union (Local 1000); and
- All supervisors and managers of Larry Flynt Publishing in Los Angeles.
Joe and the firm produced a popular video, entitled “Are You Smarter Than An HR Professional,” that has been used by hundreds of employers and HR organizations to demonstrate the common disconnect between management and employees.
State of California
Education and Honors
- SHRM, Preferred Speaker List
Professional Activities
- Executive Director, Management Labor and Employment Roundtable
- Executive Editor, HR Specialist: California Employment Law
- American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- California State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Los Angeles County Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- Chair & Moderator, Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices Symposium (LEAP)
- Former Adjunct Professor of Labor Management Relations, Woodbury University
- Employment Round Table of Southern California - "The Latest on Social Media Issues in the Workplace" - Los Angeles - November 3, 2011
- National Institute of Business Management - "Personnel Records: What to Keep, What to Toss" - Webinar - November 2, 2011
- 2011 SHRM Annual Conference - "Associational Discrimination: The New Risk in Employment Litigation" - Las Vegas - June 28, 2011
- 2011 SHRM Annual Conference - "From the Files of the Bizarre: The Most Unusual Employment Law Cases" - Las Vegas - June 27, 2011
- NIBM Webinar - "Personnel Records: What to Keep, What to Toss" - June 2, 2011
- 2011 Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices (LEAP) Symposium - "Eye on Employment Law - The Latest Developments" - Las Vegas - March 31, 2011
- IAML Certificate in Employee Relations Law Seminar - "Special Issues in Employee Relations" - Irvine - March 11, 2011
- SDEA Managing a Workforce 2011 - "Headline News for Employers" - San Diego - January 13, 2011
- NIBM Webinar - "Personnel Records: What to Keep, What to Toss" - December 16, 2010
- PIHRA District 7 Meeting - "Google Me! (Unless I Don't Like What You Find)" - Long Beach - August 19, 2010
- IAML Certificate in Employee Relations Law Seminar - "Special Issues in Employee Relations" - Newport Beach - July 30, 2010
- Thompson Interactive Webinar - "Employer Dress Codes - Can You Be Sued for Appearance Discrimination?" - July 8, 2010
- 2010 SHRM Annual Conference - "What Makes California Special" - San Diego - June 28, 2010
- NIBM Webinar - "Electronic HR Records: Compliance/Best Practices Workshop" - June 24, 2010
- 2010 SHRM Employment Law & Legislative Conference - "The Supreme Court Speaks... Are You Listening?" - Washington - March 18, 2010
In The News
- March 12, 2012 - Risk Management 365 - "Retaliation Claims Are Greatest Legal Risk"
- February 1, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal - "To Colleagues: I'm Outta Here"
- October 18, 2011 - HR Daily Advisor - "Should You Strive to Know Less About Your Employees?"
- October 17, 2011 - HR Daily Advisor - "The #1 Most-Easily-Prevented Lawsuit"
- September 2011 - The Leave & Disability Coordination Handbook Newsletter - "FMLA Overlap, Conduct Problems are Concerns for HR Professionals at SHRM National Conference"
- July 21, 2011 - HR Daily Advisor - "FRD - Not Law, but Courts and EEOC Think It Is"
- July 20, 2011 - HR Daily Advisor - "Association Discrimination - Part Law, Part Courts, Part EEOC"
- March 15, 2011 - Human Resource Executive Online - "Password Required?"
- February 1, 2011 - Practical Law Company - "Romance in the Workplace"
- October 5, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal - "Employer Retaliation Claims Rise"
- September 7, 2010 - Human Resource Executive Online - "Emphasis on the Disabled"
- June 11, 2010 - Daily Journal - "Businesses Should Establish Social Media Policies"
- April 13, 2010 - HR Executive - "Careful What You Ask For"
- December 16, 2009 - HR Executive - "Independent Contractors Permitted to Sue"
- October 23, 2009 - HRtools.com - "Ten Recommendations for Safe Use of Social Media"