Overview
John H. Bakhit is Of Counsel in our Riverside and Cerritos offices where he serves as a member of the firm’s Public Entity Labor and Employment Law Practice Group. Mr. Bakhit represents and counsels public entities in collective bargaining, disciplinary investigations, and various labor and employment matters. Mr. Bakhit has devoted his legal career to labor and employment law where he has represented hundreds of clients in matters arising out of the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), the Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights (FOBR), the California Labor Code, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), and the Higher Education Employer/Employee Relations Act (HEERA). In addition to representing individual peace officers, firefighters, and attorneys in critical incidents, administrative cases, and criminal cases, Mr. Bakhit has also served as general counsel and chief negotiator for public sector bargaining units, where he regularly represented clients in meet & confers, unfair labor practice charges in front of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), and contract negotiations with city, county, and state entities.
Mr. Bakhit’s extensive experience from the labor side is a unique asset that allows him to effectively and efficiently deal with issues at the lowest levels, since he is able to anticipate and address the different concerns and angles that will likely be brought up.
Mr. Bakhit is also a POST-Certified instructor who is often called upon by organizations to give lectures and provide training on POBR, FOBR, disciplinary investigations, critical incident investigations, labor relations, unfair labor practices, and other labor and employment related matters.
Prior to entering law school, Mr. Bakhit served as an Oakland Police Officer working in Patrol and the Crime Prevention Unit where he regularly wrote and served search warrants, worked undercover, and testified as an expert witness in court.
During law school, Mr. Bakhit was awarded the Law Faculty Scholarship and the Certificate for Excellence in Oral Advocacy. He also completed an internship with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office where he was assigned to the Gang Unit.
Honors & Recognitions
Mr. Bakhit was recognized by Martindale Hubbell® with the highest Peer Review Rating of “AV Preeminent.”
Mr. Bakhit was also recognized by Martindale Hubbell® with the highest client review rating of “Platinum Client Champion.”