Michael S. Little

Michael S. Little, Counsel to Poole & Shaffery, LLP, specializes in employment-related matters.  Mr. Little is a 1992 graduate of University of California, Berkeley, where he received a bachelor’s of arts degree in English.  He earned his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1995.

Mr. Little’s background includes positions in corporate, insurance and law firm settings where he worked with a wide array of clients, including clothing retailers/designers, museums, technology conglomerates, aerospace corporations, national restaurateurs, film/video/music/television companies, and theme parks. 

During more than a decade in practice, Mr. Little has handled wrongful termination, workplace discrimination and harassment matters, along with labor arbitration and collective bargaining agreements, and developed employment manuals and policies.  He also is well-versed in the protections afforded by directors and officers insurance and employment practices liability policies.  As well, he has experience with construction defect, mass-action environmental toxic tort, professional malpractice, demands for independent counsel, equitable contribution obligations, bad faith claims, exhaustion issues, and extra-contractual litigation.

Mr. Little is a seasoned litigator who has managed all aspects of litigation, including discovery, motion practice, arbitration proceedings, witness depositions, and trial preparation.  He has successfully defended dozens of cases involving wage/hour disputes, allegations of age, race and sex discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Prior to joining Poole & Shaffery, Mr. Little served as a senior attorney in the environmental and litigation practice group at Selman Breitman, LLP, and was the Western U.S. Corporate/Employment Liability Officer for Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. He maintains membership in the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel.

Representative matters

• Supervised successful defense of more than 50 cases filed in more than 40 state and federal court actions involving allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment by employers, as well as breach of fiduciary duties by directors and officers.
• Resolved an explicit sexual harassment/molestation claim facing a nationwide restaurant chain and entertainment property catering to children while negating the possibility of embarrassing media exposure.  
• Advised and directed in-house counsel for one of Los Angeles’ most prominent museums regarding the termination of a high-level director employed pursuant to an intricate, multi-year agreement.
• Negotiated settlements in more than 40 employment cases by means of mediation, court-ordered settlement conferences, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
• Negotiated a nominal settlement in a seven-figure employment discrimination case on behalf of one of the largest entertainment and theatre centers in California.
• Oversaw defense of Fortune 500 corporations in age, race, and sex discrimination cases, administrative charges of discrimination, sexual harassment litigation, and breach of contract actions in the Western United States. 
• Successfully opposed a motion for summary judgment resulting in the release of claims in a $5 million construction development action.
• Effectively defended an insurer in arbitration before a retired California Supreme Court Justice concerning a demand for Cumis counsel reimbursement costs under a lawyers professional liability policy. 

Bar and Court Admissions

State Bar of California