Education
Law School/Year: University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, with great distinction, Order of the Coif
College/Year: University of California, Davis
Major Cases
Skeen has successfully defended numerous employment lawsuits, including wage and hour class actions and cases with exposure in excess of $100 million. Recent successes include a three week jury trial victory in Frances Peters v. Catalina Restaurant Group, which involved allegations that restaurant general managers were misclassified as exempt from overtime, meal and rest period laws. Skeen also prevailed in a bench trial involving an outside sales representative seeking sales commissions. He prevailed at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Oliver v. Ralphs Grocery, 654 F.3d 903 (2011).
Professional Background
Skeen is the managing shareholder of the San Diego office of Ogletree Deakins. He devotes his practice exclusively to the representation of management in labor and employment disputes, including class actions, wage and hour, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, unfair competition and trade secret disputes. Skeen represents employers in state and federal court as well as before state and federal agencies. He was selected as a Top Attorney by The Daily Transcript in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He has been selected for inclusion in San Diego Super Lawyers every year since 2008.
Professional Affiliations
Skeen is the former co-chair of the San Diego County Bar Association, labor and employment section, a member of the Labor and Employment Section of the California State Bar, a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Bar Association Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee.
Personal Affiliations
Skeen is outside general counsel to the Neighborhood Market Association. The NMA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to empowering independent retailers throughout California, Arizona and the West Coast. It is the largest independent grocers association in California. It has approximately 2,000 retail business members who employee approximately 21,000 employees.