Featured DBA Member
Each month a 2013 Section or Committee Chair is selected as a featured member. This month we are pleased to feature:
Ryan Griffitts
Shareholder, Littler Mendelson, P.C.
Chair, Labor & Employment Law Section
Undergraduate/Law School:
Baylor University, B.S., 1993
Oklahoma City University School of Law, J.D., 1996
Years Practicing: 16 years
How Have You Been Involved in the DBA?
I wanted to get more involved in the Labor and Employment Section, so I began volunteering where I could. I worked on the speaker’s committee and helped out on the evening CLE programs. I was asked to serve on the Labor & Employment Section Council, and have served as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice-Chair, and currently, Chair of the Council.
What Do You Like Most About the DBA?
I think we often take for granted how fortunate we are to have a facility and staff that are second-to-none. From a practitioner’s perspective, what I like most about the DBA is that I believe that the relationships that are built with other lawyers through participation make us more effective lawyers for our clients.
What Drew You to Your Area of Practice?
My first job after law school was at a small general practice firm. We did a little bit of everything, including employment discrimination cases. I found that the employment cases were always the most interesting and often had the most bizarre facts. After a couple of big employment cases, I was hooked, so I moved to a firm where I could focus on labor and employment matters exclusively.
Most Rewarding Moment in Your Practice?
We had obtained a verdict on behalf of a plaintiff in a non-compete and tortious interference case. The jury verdict entitled our client to punitive damages, and the Federal Judge told the lawyers to return the next day to give a five minute argument to the jury on the amount of punitive damages that should be awarded. It was the most fun five minutes I will ever have in a courtroom.
What Makes You Most Proud of Being a Lawyer?
I counsel companies and represent them in litigation regarding employment matters. Sometimes the monetary stakes are low, sometimes they are high; regardless of the dollars at stake, there is usually something at issue that is of far more importance—a company’s most valuable information, the successful operation of a business, or an employee’s career. I am most proud of being a lawyer when a client entrusts me to handle its important legal work.
