JASON MILLS is a seasoned jury trial lawyer with 25 years of experience and a history of defending employers against high-profile employment claims and complex Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) violations.
In his capacity as an employment trial lawyer, Jason has faced juries in state and federal courts throughout the country, defending Fortune 500 employers against wrongful termination, discrimination, and disability claims. Jason litigates every aspect of employment-related claims at every employee level, from front-line workers to company executive. But whether the plaintiff is C-suite or otherwise, Jason takes on the most complicated cases that appear impossible to resolve and with trial imminent. Jason has tried and won cases against some of the most highly-regarded plaintiffs’ firms in the country, and he is frequently retained for the specific purpose of defending cases headed to trial against these firms. In his representation and where appropriate, Jason works closely with the executives and managers named as individual defendants, helping them (and all other impacted employees) through the arduous process of litigation and trial. Jason has built his reputation on a willingness to take cases to trial when a palatable settlement is off the table.
Jason’s trial and litigation practices extends to all matters before the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA). Jason is one of the few lawyers to be ranked as Band 1 for Nationwide Occupational Safety and Health by Chambers USA (2022–2024). As with his employment trial practice, Jason litigates on behalf of employers the most challenging and industry impacting OSHA violations. He takes these matters to trial where necessary, and he has a proven track record of success when doing so. Jason served as the management-side chair of the ABA Workplace Occupational Safety & Health Committee (WOSH) from 2022–2024, where he coordinated with the government and employee sides in planning the OSHA community’s largest annual event. Jason has strong relationships with OSHA officials at the federal and state levels, and he is well positioned to engage in amicable and productive negotiations where resolution is the preferred outcome.
Jason’s civil litigation and OSHA practices also frequently overlap, with Jason litigating civil matters that address purported workplace safety issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jason successfully fought off a union-driven effort to shut down a warehouse based on purported COVID-19 protocol violations. He also led the fight against Cal OSHA’s “Emergency Temporary Standards” that created onerous requirements on employers during the pandemic. Jason also litigates in federal and state court where necessary to oppose improper OSHA search warrants and to appeal matters outside of the federal and state OSHA Review Commissions where necessary.
Jason also defends employers against wage and hour putative class actions. He has prevailed at summary judgment on novel wage and hour claims and defeated class certification in various matters, including a notable victory in a security line case. Jason is one of the few lawyers in California to have taken a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) representative action to trial, where he convinced the court that PAGA penalties should not be awarded.
In addition to his robust practice of trial court litigation, Jason has argued before the Ninth Circuit and California Court of Appeal.
Jason also was named a “Rising Star” by Southern California Super Lawyers (2009–2014).
Before joining Sidley, Jason was a partner at an internationally recognized law firm. Prior to that, Jason was a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a judge advocate at Camp Pendleton, California. Jason tried a multitude of cases to juries as a Marine Corps prosecutor and defense counsel. He is also a veteran of the Iraq War, having concluded his Marine Corps career prosecuting on behalf of First Marine Division during its deployment to the Al Anbar province, where Jason prosecuted courts-martial in a hostile combat environment. He completed his five-year service at the rank of captain in 2005 and received two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals for superior service while serving as a Judge Advocate in Camp Pendleton and Iraq.