Jeff Winikow was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Gov. Jerry Brown. During his tenure, Judge Winikow developed a strong reputation for settling substantial civil cases in the Central District (Mosk Courthouse) and Northeast District (Pasadena). While Judge Winikow's judicial settlement experience extended across a wide variety of civil cases, his private mediation practice focusses on employment cases.
EDUCATION:
Judge Winikow graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1989, where he was a member of the University of Chicago Law Review and Order of the Coif.
Judge Winikow graduated from Cornell University's School of Industrial & Labor Relations in 1986, where he was a "Presidential Scholar."
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Judge Winikow started his professional career as an Associate at Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, where he defended and advised employers on workplace disputes and issues.
In 1992, Judge Winikow opened his own solo law practice, representing employees. Judge Winikow worked as a sole practitioner until his appointment to the bench in 2012. Judge Winikow's practice mixed trial court work with appellate advocacy.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
As a lawyer, Judge Winikow received substantial recognition for his work in the labor and employment field. He served as Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Labor & Employment Section, and served on the Board of the California Employment Lawyers Association. Judge Winikow was not only named a "Super Lawyer" for his work in employment litigation, but was named as one of the "Top 100 Super Lawyers" in all of Los Angeles, across all fields of law. Judge Winikow regularly appeared on lists of Top Employment Lawyers in California, and was AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Judge Winikow received the California Employment Lawyers Association's Joe Posner Award for his leadership in the field, and is frequently invited to lecture to lawyers and law students on emerging issues in employment law.