Professional Experience:  Bernadette M. O’Brien is managing attorney of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly LLP’s employment law department. She provides advice, counsel, and defense to employers in employment related matters such as claims for discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, leave of absence policies and procedures, privacy issues, and employee handbook development and implementation. In order to help employers understand and comply with the law, Ms. O’Brien conducts employment law related seminars and training sessions throughout California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Davis before attending law school at Lincoln Law School of Sacramento, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate degree, graduating as class valedictorian.  Prior to Ms. O’Brien’s association with Floyd, Skeren & Kelly LLP, she practiced civil litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants in numerous areas of law including personal injury, business and employment.

   Publications :  Author of LexisNexis publication Labor and Employment in California: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations and Practices, which has been in publication since 1992. The treatise is an easy-to-understand overview of the key topics in labor and employment law as governed by both federal and California law, including hiring, termination, wage and hour, the Family and Medical Leave Act, employee privacy, drug testing, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Co-author of online edition of California Unemployment Insurance and Disability Compensation Programs, a treatise on California unemployment insurance laws.  Editor of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP’s employment related website (employmentlawacademy.com), which provides daily employment law updates and the latest news related to employment law.

    Affiliations: Member of the State Bar of California since 1987; Member of the State Bar of California, Labor and Employment Section; Member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association; Member of the Sacramento County Bar Association; Member of the Employer Fraud Task Force.

   David W. O'Brien, a member of the California and New Hampshire bars, received his Bachelor of Education from Plymouth State University in 1950 and the degree of Doctor of Law from the University of San Francisco in 1960. He is admitted to the U.S. District Courts, Districts of New Hampshire and California. He is also a member of the American Bar Association.
   Retired Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge (WCALJ) O'Brien served as a Workers' Compensation Judge with the California Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, as an Administrative Law Judge with the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, as a Deputy Commissioner of Corporations for the State of California, and as a Senior Counsel for the State Compensation Insurance Fund. He has also devoted many years to the private practice of law as both a defense and plaintiff attorney, serves as an expert witness in civil cases and is a Certified Administrator for Self-Insurance Plans.
   During the Korean War, Judge O'Brien served as a special agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps.

   John W. Miller is affiliated with the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP in an of counsel position working closely with the firm’s Thousand Oaks office location.  Mr. Miller obtained his Undergraduate Bachelor’s Degree from the University of San Fernando Valley before going on to obtain his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of San Fernando College of Law.
    Following receipt of his Juris Doctorate Degree, Mr. Miller quickly founded one of Southern California’s most reputable law offices, Miller & Folse, in 1974 where he focused on the litigation of all aspects of workers’ compensation matters including standard litigation, 132a discrimination claims and serious and willful misconduct allegations.  Mr. Miller has also had substantial experience in litigating insurance coverage issues.
   In addition to a welcome affiliation with the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly which began in 2007, Mr. Miller has also served as a Judge Pro Tem with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB), has been an Arbitrator for the WCAB and an Instructor teaching workers’ compensation for employers at the University of California in Los Angeles.  Mr. Miller is a highly sought after lecturer by many business and insurance industry groups.

   Nick A. Sanford works with the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP out of multiple office locations in an of counsel capacity. Mr. Sanford has some 33 years of experience in litigating California Workers’ Compensation matters. Mr. Sanford first earned his Doctor of Optometry from the Los Angeles College of Optometry. After pursuing his career in the field of optometry, Mr. Sanford earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from San Fernando College of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1972.
   Currently, Mr. Sanford works closely with Floyd, Skeren & Kelly in all matters relating to the aggressive defense of third party administrators, insurance companies, self-insured entities and employers before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
   With his vast experience, Mr. Sanford also works closely with the firm in consulting on strategy for cross-examinations of physicians and complex litigation.

   Norman F. Boxley is affiliated with the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP in his capacity of managing attorney of our firm’s liability defense/subrogation office in Pasadena.  Mr. Boxley earned his Undergraduate Degree from California State University, San Francisco, before going on to earn his Juris Doctorate Degree from Hastings College of Law.
   Prior to founding the Law Offices of Norman F. Boxley, Mr. Boxley obtained many years of litigation experience in numerous bodies of law.  Most recently, Mr. Boxley has been admitted to the State Bar of Nevada.  Mr. Boxley is also a member of a vast number of professional organizations including the Defense Research Institute, the Southern and Northern California Fraud Investigator Associations, the Southern California Association of Defense Counsel and the Los Angeles Bar Association.
   Mr. Boxley was previously enlisted in the United States Army where he served honorably as a Commissioned Officer and received numerous promotions to leadership positions.
   Currently, Mr. Boxley coordinates, oversees and advises on liability defense and subrogation issues for the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly.

   Rene Thomas Folse, J.D., Ph.D. is affiliated with the Law Offices of Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, LLP in an of counsel position working closely with many of the firm’s office locations. Mr. Folse earned his Undergraduate Degree from California State University, Long Beach, before going on to earn his Juris Doctorate Degree from the San Fernando College of Law. Mr. Folse also has the distinction of having earned his Masters of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology as well as his Juris Doctorate Degree in clinical psychology.
   Prior to joining Floyd, Skeren & Kelly, Mr. Folse had the distinction of co-founding one of Southern California’s most reputable law firms, Miller & Folse, in 1974.
   Throughout his career, Mr. Folse has focused his attention on all aspects of workers’ compensation litigation. Mr. Folse has acted as a Judge Pro Tem with the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, has been appointed to numerous faculty and teaching positions and has co-authored a leading treaty discussing psychological injury claims.
   In addition to his many other accomplishments, Mr. Folse is a highly sought after speaker.
   Mr. Folse currently works with Floyd, Skeren & Kelly in an of counsel position assisting the firm in matters of complex litigation in all aspects of workers compensation.