Gary Ganchrow

Shareholder

515 South Figueroa Street
8th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90071
Phone: (213) 683-6535


vCard

Education

Yeshiva University
B.S. and top honors in Psychology, Cum Laude, 1989

Fordham University
J.D., Cum Laude, 1992

Practice Areas

Mr. Ganchrow honed his litigation and trial skills as a young lawyer by defending large insurance companies in high-stakes “bad faith” lawsuits. He joined Parker, Milliken, Clark, O'Hara & Samuelian in 1996, became a shareholder soon after, and now chairs the firm’s Litigation Department. He has litigated a wide array of employment, business, real estate and contract matters, while also dispensing the common-sense and practical advice needed to help corporate clients steer clear of the courtroom. He also regularly assists California businesses, both start-up and established, on statutory and regulatory compliance issues, and represents corporate fiduciaries with respect to issues relating to compensation and corporate duties.

Professional Experience:
Mr. Ganchrow has more than 25 years of litigation, trial and regulatory experience in State and Federal courts. A brief sampling of Mr. Ganchrow’s broad litigation and regulatory experience has included:
  • Defending and prosecuting individual and class action wage and hour lawsuits
  • Defending wrongful termination, discrimination, non-compete and ADA lawsuits
  • Helping a client navigate an investigation by the Office of Civil Rights and avoid penalties for HIPAA violations
  • Obtaining defense verdicts and judgments in punitive damages “bad faith” lawsuits
  • Obtaining summary judgment in favor of a mezzanine lender in a multi-million dollar lawsuit brought against it by an investment banking firm
  • Negotiating a pennies-on-the-dollar “coupon” settlement in class action consumer unfair business practices lawsuit
  • Successfully representing a public entity at the trial and appellate court levels in complex pension litigation
  • Successfully compelling a non-profit corporation to reinstate a deposed corporate officer and director
  • Successfully defending and prosecuting of trade secret misappropriation claims
  • Prosecuting a federal Administrative Procedures Act against the FDIC
  • Successfully defending DLSE misclassification claims
Academic Experience:
Adjunct Professor at USC Gould School of Law: Legal Writing and Advocacy Program (2017 - 2019)
Sample Publications:
  • “Manual Transmission” – The Effect of Employment Manuals, Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 22, 2008
  • “Take It or Leave It” – The California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”) and the Notice Requirements, Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 5, 2008
  • “Embracing Give and Take” – The Interactive Process Under the FEHA, Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 26, 2008
  • “At-Will Power” – How Employers Can Protect Themselves From Wrongful Termination Lawsuits, Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 7, 2008
  • “The Ins and Outs of Employee Medical Leave Under the California Family Rights Act and Family Medical Leave Act”– Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 18, 2008
  • “Can You Be Sued for Your Tenant’s Actions,”Apartment Owners Association News – November, 2011
  • “Minimizing Legal Exposure When Hiring Resident Managers,”Apartment Owners Association News – December, 2011
  • “Scope of Bank Info Privacy is Uncertain”- Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 19, 2017
  • “The Do’s and Dont’s of Dealing with Injured Employees,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – March 2017
  • “Strategies for Contracting With and Paying Resident Managers,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – April 2017
  • “License for Hire? Make Sure Your Contractors Are Covered,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May 2017
  • “Employee Manager v. Resident Manager – Know What the Difference is and What It Means to You,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – August 2017
  • “Harassment Prevention – More to think about for property managers,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – March 2018
  • “How the Supreme Court's Decision Regarding Who is An Employee Affects Property Management,”Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – February, 2019
  • “A Square Peg In a Round Hole - Paying Resident Managers with a Salary,”Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May, 2019
  • “Making a Molehill Into a Legal Mountain – How Small Resident Manager Payment Problems Can Turn Into Big Ones,”Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – June, 2019
  • “The Unforeseen Pitfalls of Hiring a Resident Manager Under AB 1482,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – January, 2020
  • “Am I My – Or My Management Company’s – Resident Manager’s Keeper?” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – April, 2020
  • “Covid-19: Emergency Ordinance And Executive Orders - A Crash Course,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – May, 2020
  • “Understanding the contract clause of the US” - Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 15, 2020
  • “Avoiding Employee Harassment Claims: What Every Property Owner and Manager Needs to Know,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – August, 2020
  • “Do Rent and Eviction Moratoriums Violate Landlords’ Constitutional Rights Under the Contract Clause?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – August, 2020
  • “Strategies for Avoiding Liability As a Joint Employer,” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – November, 2020
  • “Pitfalls of Paying Resident Managers a Generous Salary ("No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"),” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – December, 2020
  • “Employing a Resident Manager Couple – A Savings, or Double Trouble?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – March, 2021
  • “The Uphill Legal Climb for Property Owners and How to Avoid It,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – August, 2021
  • “This Couldn’t Happen to Me – Could It?” Apartment Age (Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles) – December, 2021
  • “My Resident Manager is Not Working Out – Now What?” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) News – March, 2022
Speaking Engagements:
  • Instructor, “The Ins and Outs of Employee Medical Leave Under the California Family Rights Act and Family Medical Leave Act,” Employment/Labor and Family Law sections of the Orange County Paralegal Association (OCPA) – 2009
  • MCLE Ethics Instructor, “The Move to Disqualify” – January 25, 2011
  • Labor and Employment Law Conference Panelist, “Mandatory Arbitration Agreements and the Erosion of Public Access to the Judicial System,” Orange County Labor and Employment Relations Association (OC LERA) – July 19, 2017
  • Guest Lecturer, “Strategies for Paying Resident Managers and Other Employment Topics,” North American Real Property Management (NARPM) – November 15, 2017
  • Guest Lecturer, “Helping Clients Navigate Relationships with Resident Managers – From the ‘Marriage’ Through ‘Divorce’ – and How to Avoid Legal Fallout When the Relationship Sours,” San Fernando Valley Bar Association (SFVBA) – September 11, 2019
  • Presenter, “How to Avoid Falling Prey to Attorneys Looking to File Resident Manager Lawsuits: Common Pitfalls, Misconceptions, and Solutions When Paying and Terminating Resident Managers,” Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) Conference and Expo – October 2, 2019
  • Guest Host, “Legal Pandemic Q&A Session Webinar” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”)– July 9, 2020
  • Webinar Panelist, “Resident Manager Lawsuits - The Inside Scoop from the Lawyers,” Apartment Owners Association (“AOA”) – March 24, 2022
Pro bono:
Mr. Ganchrow has served on the Board of and performed pro bono legal work for various non-profit organizations. Mr. Ganchrow also runs the interest-free loan fund for Anshe Emes Synagogue.