Brett Markson is a shareholder in Ogletree’s Los Angeles office, where he represents employers in complex employment litigation and provides strategic advice and counsel on a broad range of workplace issues. With more than 30 years of litigation experience, Brett brings a distinctive perspective to his practice, having represented both employers and employees, practiced at major national law firms, founded and led an employment litigation firm, and served as in-house employment counsel for a large, multi-state organization.
Brett’s litigation practice encompasses a broad range of employment disputes, including wage-and-hour class and representative actions, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower claims, wrongful termination, and disability accommodation matters. He has extensive experience handling complex employment litigation in state and federal courts, including high-stakes individual and class-based matters. In addition to defending employers in litigation, Brett advises businesses on employment-related risk management, workplace practices, and compliance with California and multi-state employment laws. He works with clients to identify potential exposure, develop practical strategies to mitigate risk, and use lessons learned from litigation to improve workplace policies, practices, and business processes.
Brett has a particular focus on representing employers in the hospitality, restaurant, and retail industries. He understands the unique employment challenges facing businesses with large, geographically dispersed workforces, including the operational demands, workforce management issues, and regulatory complexities that accompany these industries. His approach combines rigorous litigation defense with practical, business-oriented advice, recognizing that effective employment counsel requires an understanding of both the law and the realities of operating a business.
Before joining Ogletree, Brett served as Senior Workplace Counsel at Panda Restaurant Group, where he managed employment litigation and partnered with business leaders on litigation strategy, risk management, and workplace matters across a multi-state organization. Before transitioning in-house, Brett spent about a decade practicing at large law firms before founding and leading a boutique litigation firm, where he primarily represented employees in complex individual and class-based employment disputes.
In addition to his employment litigation experience, Brett has achieved notable success in appellate litigation. In Beckwith v. Dahl (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 1039, he successfully persuaded the California Court of Appeal to recognize a new tort under California law: intentional interference with expected inheritance. The decision represents a significant contribution to California tort law and reflects Brett’s broader experience handling complex and novel legal issues.
Brett earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California San Diego, and his Juris Doctor from the University of California San Francisco College of Law (formerly UC Hastings College of the Law). He is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California.
Brett is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel. He is also a former member of the California Employment Lawyers Association.
