Daniel Thompson

Daniel Thompson

Partner

Dan began his legal career in 2000, when he founded his own paralegal services company providing legal support to solo practitioners on a contract basis in a wide variety of cases.

He joined the Goyette, Ruano & Thompson team in 2007, and since, Dan’s primary focus has been to understand each individual client’s personal and legal situation and then customizing a compassionate and successful solution.

As the Managing Partner for the Labor and Employment Division of Goyette, Ruano & Thompson, Daniel Thompson oversees the attorneys and labor representatives who daily serve the firm’s valued clients. His philosophy is simple – provide the highest level of customer service to each client. He believes that the relationship with the client (win or lose) is paramount and you can only do that if you put the client (and their case) first. Dan works closely with his team to make sure that each client’s needs are met, any concerns are promptly addressed, and that each client has the best possible experience. Let’s face it – no one wants to have an attorney, but when you need one – we want to be the best.

He has always believed in the concept of “big picture” representation understanding that each client comes to him with an immediate problem but many other factors in their life must also be considered. Employing this approach, Dan has been successfully representing employees across the State of California for more than a decade.

Dan was born in Portland Oregon and grew up just outside of the city in the town of Tigard, where he lived until the age of 25 when he relocated to Sacramento, California.

He and his wife Angela (also an attorney) live in the east Sacramento neighborhood of River Park where they are raising their three children, Liam (15) Luke (12) and Elliana (9). When they aren’t running between football and cheer practice, homework and other after-school activities, they enjoy spending time together and taking walks along their tree-covered streets.

When he can, Dan also enjoys a round of golf, fishing, cooking, wine tasting, travel and attempting to maintain his self-proclaimed amateur foodie status. Above all Dan feels that no matter where you are at in life – appreciate it to the fullest.

LEGAL EXPERTISE

Dan primarily represents public sector employees and their associations at the city, county and state level. On behalf of the individual employees, he handles everything from individual disciplinary investigations to full evidentiary hearings and trials. This includes local grievances, mediations and arbitrations as well as administrative trial work before the California State Personnel Board and the Office of Administrative Hearings. He also represents employee associations serving as general counsel to the executive board of directors for all association related business, collective bargaining, Duty of Fair Representation Hearings and matters before the Public Employee Relations Board. He has also done numerous cases before the National Labor Relations Board regarding unfair labor practice charges and disputes pertaining to union organization.

Additionally, Dan advises individual employees regarding retirement issues often closely tied to their employment.

Daniel Thompson also handles all levels of defense on behalf of licensed professionals around the state to include Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, Registered Nurses, Attorneys, Psychologists and other high-level professionals. In short, if you have an employment related problem – Dan and Goyette, Ruano & Thompson can help you find an answer.

Often prevention is part of the solution – to that end Dan also serves as General Counsel to union executive boards and their membership to help them avoid potential pitfalls. This includes training to executive boards and union shop stewards, comprehensive courses on the Peace Officer Procedural Bill of Rights Act, Fire Fighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act, Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, Critical Incident Response as well as duty of fair representation responsibilities.

Dan says when asked about his favorite part of the job, “Building relationships that last for years and using that trust to think outside of the box or looking at a solution from a way the client may not be able to do on their own.”

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Panel-counsel for the Legal Defense Fund providing representation to thousands of public safety employees across the state of California.
  • Former State-wide General Counsel Counsel for supervisory union representing over 5,000 correctional supervisors.
  • Current General Counsel for the San Francisco Fire Union IAFF Local 798, Local 38 Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, Sacramento County Criminal Justice Employees Union, Santa Barbara Probation Peace Officers Association and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Association.
  • Admitted to practice law before the Maryland state bar since December of 2014.
  • Juris Doctorate, Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, 2005.