Mr. Helmer has extensive background and experience in mediation and other alternative dispute mechanisms designed to facilitate settlement and dispute resolution outside of court. He has successfully utilized these procedures to settle countless disputes and issues in a wide spectrum of cases, on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. He also prepares employee handbooks, drafts and negotiates contracts, conducts independent workplace investigations, and provides preventative advice and counseling to employers.
Mr. Helmer received his J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law in 1990. At UCLA, Mr. Helmer was on the editorial board of UCLA Law Review. Prior to founding Helmer Friedman, LLP, he worked in the Labor and Employment Law Department of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, where he represented some of the nation's largest employers. He has also served as a legal intern for the Office of Appeals of the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C.
Some noteworthy examples of Mr. Helmer's legal accomplishments include:
- Mr. Helmer represented a celebrity sports figure in a high-profile case alleging breach of an endorsement contract.
- Needles v. 1928 Jewelry, Ltd., Mel Bernie & Co., et al. Mr. Helmer obtained a $1,643,000.00 arbitration award on behalf of an employee who had been discriminated against and harassed because of his age. The landmark arbitration award was, at the time, reputed to be one of the largest ever received by an individual in a discrimination case.
- Mr. Helmer successfully represented a corporation in a federal trademark and trade name infringement action under the Lanham Act.
- Baires, et al. v. MJL Roofing Company, et al. Mr. Helmer obtained a $555,000.00 jury verdict on behalf of several tenants of an apartment complex, who suffered adverse health consequences and whose property was destroyed by rain due to the landlord's failure to take adequate precautions while replacing the roof of their building.
- Mr. Helmer has been on the Editorial Advisory Boards of a number of leading treatises on employment law, including "Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases" and "Litigation Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Cases," both published by James Publishing. He is a frequent speaker at legal forums and presentations.
- Mr. Helmer's professional memberships include, among others, the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (Executive Committee Member, 2002-2003), the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the State Bar of California. He is also active in the music industry and has been a member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists for many years.
- Law & Politics Magazine and the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine selected Mr. Helmer as a 2005 and a 2006 Southern California "Super Lawyer" in the category of Employment Litigation and a 2008 and a 2009 Southern California "Super Lawyer" in the category of Labor and Employment Law.
- Gregory D. Helmer and Andrew H. Friedman are named 2010 “Super Lawyers" February 1, 2010 Law & Politics Magazine and the publishers of Los Angeles Magazine select Andrew H. Friedman and Gregory D. Helmer as a 2010 Southern California "Super Lawyers" in the category of Labor and Employment Law. This is the fourth year that both Mr. Friedman and Mr. Helmer have been selected as "Super Lawyers."
- Gregory D. Helmer serves on the Board of Directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles that provides important legal services and advocacy to those who cannot afford to retain an attorney and would otherwise not have access to our legal system and the protections it affords. Bet Tzedek provides important services to the homeless community and has programs for employment advocacy, tenant protection, conservatorship and others. Bet Tzedek also has a world-recognized program to assist holocaust survivors in obtaining monetary reparations from the German government.