Attorneys

Mr. Slyngstad's practice involves the relationships between employers and employees, businesses and contracting parties, and lawyers and clients.  He has experience as lead trial counsel in cases that included allegations of fraud, employee whistle blowing, race discrimination, the False Claims Act, conflicts of interest, employee pension and welfare benefits, wrongful termination, legal malpractice, malicious prosecution, alter ego, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.  He also has handled many appeals, for both public and private clients.

Mr. Slyngstad has acted as outside general counsel for clients, providing daily advice regarding employment, litigation, and business issues. 

Labor and Employment Law

Mr. Slyngstad has represented private and public employers in employment matters, providing preventative counseling and litigation defense against various legal theories.  His representation has involved different industries, including health care, transportation, travel, entertainment, employee benefits, apparel, real estate, and housing.  He has advised the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles since 2006, for which he has successfully prosecuted former employees and others who misused federal funds provided to the Agency. 

In 2008 and 2009, he tried several long cause employment cases to jury verdicts in Los Angeles Superior Court, involving causes of action for whistle blower retaliation.  He served as the primary attorney for a national employee benefits firm in a Department of Labor lead enforcement case in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  His class action experience has included serving as appointed class counsel on behalf of Plaintiff and Defendant classes.

Litigation

Mr. Slyngstad is certified as a specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California, a subject area that includes the prosecution and defense of lawyers in professional liability disputes, conflicts of interest, ethics, malicious prosecution, and anti-SLAPP motions.  In addition to matters involving lawyers and clients, he also has handled many complex business litigation cases for private companies, lawsuits for and against persons under the federal and state False Claims Acts, and cases including a wide variety of other torts, including accounting malpractice, securities fraud and fraudulent Ponzi schemes, prosecuting and defending claims of violations of Business & Professions Code section 17200, false advertising, real estate transactions, bank fraud,
and trademarks and trade names.  He has taken to trial more than 25 such cases in California courts, including federal courts.

Real Estate and Business Law

Mr. Slyngstad, in association with bankruptcy counsel, most recently has advised Victor Valley Community Hospital as special corporate and litigation counsel in connection with its Chapter 11 case.  He has acted as outside counsel and provided advice to a number of businesses, including other health care enterprises, closely held companies, and sole proprietorships.  In addition, Mr. Slyngstad has assisted court appointed receivers in workouts and liquidations of businesses under court supervision.

Representative Matters

Currently representing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission in the civil prosecution of former employees, promoters of events and others for violations of the False Claims Act, conflicts of interest under Government Code section 1090, and other claims.

Currently assisting the City of Glendale and the Housing Authority of the City of Glendale in the resolution of issues raised by the misapplication of affordable housing funds by a developer, general contractor, and subcontractors on developments in the City.

Currently representing a large Orange County law firm in defense of a malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit arising out of an underlying employment harassment case.

In 2010, obtained judgment for $1.9 million against former consultant to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles for fraud, and, in a separate case, a judgment for $605,000 against a former employee of the Authority and his brothers for violations of the False Claims Act and fraud.

Successfully obtained the dismissal of a complex legal malpractice case as a sanction for spoliation of evidence.  On appeal, the Court of Appeal affirmed the dismissal and adopted Mr. Slyngstad’s burden-shifting approach that required the accused spoliator to disprove any prejudice caused by his destruction of evidence after Mr. Slyngstad showed that his clients were harmed in their ability to establish their case because of the spoliation.

Settled whistle blower lawsuit for $19,000 where plaintiff had secured an award of more than $400,000 and achieved reinstatement in arbitration proceeding against public agency handled by prior counsel for client.

Obtained a judgment for individual client for $9.6 million for libel, including special damages of $6.176 million and general damages for loss of reputation of $3 million.

Assisted client in recovering against fidelity bond for all losses suffered as a result of an invoice scheme by an accounting department employee, who was arrested at her desk and walked out of the business premises.

Settled multiple lawsuits against a professional firm that was alleged to have committed negligence and breach of fiduciary duty in failing to oversee employee and prevent his sales of investment contracts in Ponzi scheme to clients of the firm.