Richard M. Kreisler

Richard Kreisler has devoted much of his 35 year legal career to the representation of California law enforcement and fire professionals.  After having spent the first fourteen of those years representing police and fire associations exclusively, Richard joined the Firm in 1989, confining his practice to the employment relations representation of public agencies through his work with police chiefs, sheriffs, fire chiefs and other public sector managers.  Having developed invaluable insights into police and fire administration and the inner workings of the public safety/labor management relationship as a result of the first phase of his career, Richard brings an unprecedented insider's perspective to the representation of management, which maximizes the ability of his police and fire administration clients to anticipate and counter issues developed by associations and their members.

Richard provides ongoing counsel to a significant number of police and fire chiefs, to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and to other police and fire administrators state-wide. He has particular expertise in conducting internal affairs investigations, prosecuting administrative disciplinary proceedings and defending law enforcement civil litigation in both state and federal courts.  Richard also represents many other public sector agencies, specializing in all aspects of the negotiating process and in grievances and impasse proceedings arising in connection with the meet and confer process.  Richard has participated in interest based fact-finding and arbitration periodically since 1975.

Richard's commitment to representation of management in the bargaining field is exemplified by his representation and provision of bargaining counsel to municipalities having up to approximately 4,000 public safety employees.  A savvy negotiator, Richard has participated in the negotiation of several hundred contracts regarding police, fire and general municipal units.

Finally, Richard is a perennial selection of his peers and opposing counsel as a Los Angeles Magazine "Southern California Super Lawyer".

A member of the United States Supreme Court Bar, Richard is a frequent instructor at professional organizations throughout California. He is the author of Administrative and Legal Challenges to Law Enforcement Management, The Police Chief and Sheriff's Bill of Rights Act, Minimizing Whistleblower Liability and numerous other workbooks and periodicals comprising Liebert Cassidy Whitmore guides to police and fire management. He is also co-author of a manual on the Public Safety Officer's Procedural Bill of Rights Act, legislation which is applicable to arson investigators.