Partner
Newport Beach Office
Tel: (949) 752-2911 ext. 223
Fax: (949) 752-0953
Email: lew@rjlaw.com

Lewis P. Janowsky has focused his practice in employment and agricultural law since forming the firm with Patricia Rynn in 1986. He has represented both domestic and foreign employers in the defense of sexual harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination lawsuits, as well as wage and hour class actions. Mr. Janowsky has assisted numerous employers in developing employee handbooks, drafting employment and independent contractor agreements, classifying workers as employees or independent contractors under state and federal law as well as conducting seminars on employment-related issues. In addition, he has been counsel for California and foreign enterprises in commercial litigation disputes both in federal and state courts. Mr. Janowsky has argued before the California Supreme Court on several occasions and in the California Court of Appeal and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Before starting R&J, Mr. Janowsky gained extensive courtroom experience as a criminal prosecutor in the Cook County, Illinois State's Attorneys Office. In 1980, Mr. Janowsky relocated to California and began his employment as an attorney for Western Growers Association. Mr. Janowsky is a Member of the Lawyers Council and Governmental Affairs Council of the Direct Selling Association, a national trade association based in Washington, D.C. whose members are comprised of the leading direct selling companies in the world.  He has served as Chair of the Employment Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association and has been a member of the Employment Law Section of the California State Bar since its inception.

Education:
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., 1977) 
State University of New York at Buffalo (B.A., Magna Cum Laude, 1974, Phi Beta Kappa)

Admitted to Practice:
All California state courts
U.S. District Court, Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
California Supreme and Appellate Courts
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Practice Areas:
Employment Law (Management), Agricultural Law, PACA

Professional Memberships:
Orange County Bar Association (Chairperson, Labor Law Section, 1986) (Employment Law Mentor Program)
State Bar of California (Employment Law Section)
Agricultural Law Association
Direct Selling Association's Lawyers Council and Government Affairs Committee

Reported Cases:
In re Milton Poulos, Inc., 947 F.2d 1351 (9th Cir. 1991); United Farm Workers v. Agricultural Labor Relations Bd., 16 Cal.App.4th 1629 (1993); George Arakelian Farms, Inc. v. Agricultural Labor Relations Bd., 49 Cal.3d 1279 (1989); Bertuccio v. Agricultural Labor Relations Bd., 202 Cal.App.3d 1369 (1989); George Arakelian Farms, Inc. v. Agricultural Labor Relations Bd., 40 Cal.3d 654 (1985); United Farm Workers, Inc. v. Admiral Packing Co., 37 Cal.3d 912 (1985); Agricultural Labor Relations Bd. v. California Coastal Farms, Inc., 31 Cal.3d 469 (1982); Morillon etal. v. Royal Packing Company, 22 Cal.4th 575 (2000); ); Koam Produce, Inc. v. DiMare Homestead, Inc., 329 F.3d 123 (2nd Cir. 2003).