Joseph R. Sanchez

Partner

Joseph Sanchez is a partner in the Labor and Employment practice group of Best Best & Krieger LLP. Mr. Sanchez has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to labor negotiations and collective bargaining. He also advises clients on a variety of labor and employment issues including employee discipline and termination, family medical leave laws, wage and hour issues, disability leaves, equal employment opportunity laws, and issues related to the collective bargaining process.

Mr. Sanchez currently serves as lead labor counsel and lead labor negotiator for several public agencies including San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District (SMCFD), Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD), Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID), Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD), El Centro Elementary School District, and the City of San Jacinto. He also serves as lead labor counsel for the Beverly Hills Unified School District and for several other public agencies. In 2010-11, Mr. Sanchez successfully negotiated labor contracts for FPUD, SFID, and San Jacinto. In 2011-12, he successfully negotiated labor contracts for SMCFD, El Centro School District, RMWD, and SFID. These were difficult negotiations involving significant employee concessions including creating new retirement and retiree health tiers. Mr. Sanchez served as lead labor counsel (including labor negotiations) for the North County Transit District (NCTD) on all matters related to a major reorganization of operations including the successful outsourcing/privatization of all bus operations (over 300 employees). In addition, he represents public agencies against unfair labor practice charge proceedings before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) and in grievance arbitration proceedings.

Prior to joining BB&K in 2006, Mr. Sanchez was a deputy city attorney for the City of San Diego. He represented and advised city departments and the city council on a wide range of labor and employment issues. He represented the city before the Civil Service Commission and the Public Employment Relations Board, and served as legal advisor to the city during the collective bargaining process with the city’s five labor organizations. Mr. Sanchez also served as lead legal advisor to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and San Diego Medical Services LLC. Earlier in his career, he worked as a criminal prosecutor and conducted numerous bench and jury trials.

Education

• University of San Diego (USD), J.D. (1996)
• Southwestern University, B.A.

Bar Admissions

• California (1996)