Crystal Miller-O’Brien
Crystal Miller-O’Brien is Of Counsel in the firm’s Employment practice. An employment law attorney with a career spanning more than two decades, Crystal handles workplace matters that require in-depth investigations and skillful negotiations. In addition to litigating, she has extensive experience providing advice and counsel to clients on a broad range of issues, including managing public responses to workplace crises; resolving pre-litigation discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims; and coordinating strategies for resolving wage-and-hour challenges.
Crystal is sought after by HR professionals for her advice on a variety of employee life cycle concerns. These typically involve structuring hiring practices, creating effective systems for managing performances, acquiring talent, designing best practices for leaves of absence, customizing written workplace policies for employee handbooks and ethics guidelines, developing compensation and bonus programs, and designing offboarding options for employees separating from an organization. She has also spearheaded corporate initiatives to address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) objectives and the return to work following Covid-19, in addition to initiatives aimed at improving employee safety and retention.
A fan of continuous learning, Crystal enjoys leading interactive trainings that equip professionals from diverse backgrounds with the executive coaching they need to remain current and compliant in their respective career fields.
Crystal currently serves as one of five panel attorneys to California’s Workplace Conduct Unit through a 2019 Supreme Court of California appointment by Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye. The Workplace Conduct Unit, created in response to the #MeToo movement, investigates matters statewide involving workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims alleged by legislative employees.
Crystal serves as a Member of the Access to Justice Commission through her appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom. In 2022, she completed her last term of a decade of service to the Law Revision Commission, to which she was initially appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. The Law Revision Commission reviews proposed changes to California’s legal landscape and works closely with the Legislature to inform lawmakers with its findings and recommendations.
She previously served as General Counsel to a national human resources firm, where she also led the firm’s labor and employment law operations. She has served as an Employee Relations Advisor for Intuit, Inc., and worked at several large and boutique law firms.
While a law student at Willamette University, Crystal served as a Legislative Law Clerk to Governor John Kitzhaber’s Office of General Counsel and clerked for the Oregon Department of Justice and the City of Portland. She also served as a court-annexed mediator and was the Editor-in-Chief of Willamette Law Online. Following law school, Crystal served as a Judicial Clerk to Justice Faith Ireland of the Washington State Supreme Court. Prior to law school, Crystal worked in risk management at Howard University, where she performed policy work that was ultimately adopted into the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Associations
Member, Corporate Counsel Women of Color
Member, National Association of Black Women Lawyers
Member, Black Women Lawyers of LA
Member, Zonta International