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John Polson photo

John M. Polson

Chairman & Managing Partner


Irvine/Los Angeles

t:949.798.2130

f:949.851.0152

Email

Service Focus

  • AI, Data, and Analytics
  • Counseling and Advice
  • Litigation and Trials

Industry Focus

  • Energy
  • PEO Advocacy and Protection
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Overview
Recent Experience
Credentials
Recognitions
Affiliations
Insights

Overview

John Polson is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Fisher Phillips and leads the firm’s Management Committee which serves as the firm’s board of directors. He is Co-Chair of the firm’s PEO Advocacy and Protection Industry Team.

John has a diverse practice that includes compliance, litigation, contracts, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and startup representation. He is a trusted advisor to Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) as well as clients in the staffing and human resources outsourcing industries. He also represents gig economy and related businesses with respect to independent contractor status and issues unique to freelancing platforms.  

John has represented PEO and staffing clients in a broad range of litigation and appellate matters. In addition to a wide array of labor and employment related litigation, he has handled cases involving unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, contractual disputes, and third-party claims related to employment. He has extensive experience providing advice and counsel on joint employer, co-employer, and other employer status issues.

John is a member and past Chair of the Legal Advisory Council of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO). He has served as a Professional Advisory Director for the Employer Services Assurance Corporation and as an Instructor in the University of California Irvine Human Resources Certificate Program. 

John is "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. The Best Lawyers in America publication has included John since 2008 and named him “Lawyer of the Year” in Employment Law – Management for Orange County, CA in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Recent Experience

Experience

  • Conducted due diligence for private equity client in the acquisition of national PEO.
  • PEO startup representation for client in the northeastern United States.
  • Advised national PEO client on an expansion project that involved entering new verticals.
  • Advised established international EOR client on its U.S. launch.
  • Represented national PEO client on an appellate matter involving workers’ compensation preemption.
  • Consulted with various clients on litigation matters throughout the United States involving joint employer and other employer status issues.
  • Restructured gig economy business model for entertainment industry client.
  • Conducted contingent staffing practices compliance review for national technology client.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1991, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Law School
  • B.S., 1987, University of South Florida

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Recognitions

  • Recommended as a leading practitioner for Workplace and Employment Counseling by The Legal 500 United States (2023-2024)
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2008 – 2025)
  • Named, Best Lawyers "Lawyer of the Year", Employment Law - Management (2021, 2022, and 2024)
  • "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Affiliations

Professional Activities

  • Member, Board of Directors, National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO)
  • Member, Legal Advisory Committee NAPEO
  • Member, American Staffing Association
  • Former Director, Employer Services Assurance Corporation
  • Founding Sponsor, Alliance for PEO Electronic Compliance
  • Member, Society of Human Resources Management
  • Member, Orange County Bar Association

Insights

  • Event

    Wednesday, July 23 – Friday, July 25, 2025

    AI Advantage: An FP Conference for Business Leaders

    John M. Polson, Benjamin M. Ebbink, Richard R. Meneghello, Evan Shenkman, David J. Walton

    Read more 

  • Publication

    05/13/25

    Fisher Phillips Attorneys Provide PEO Leaders with Best Practices for RIFs

    John M. Polson, Richard R. Meneghello

    Read more 

  • News

    05/13/25

    Fisher Phillips Launches in Birmingham, Alabama

    John M. Polson, Catherine “Ree” Harper, Raymond W. Perez, Morgan Chappell, Christopher W. Deering, Marion F. Walker, Kimberly Ward

    Read more 

  • News

    05/13/25

    International Media Outlets Cover the Firm’s Launch in Tokyo

    John M. Polson, William D. Wright, Nan Sato, Shikun Gao, Takanori Hirai, Wataru Miyajima, Ryosuke Ogino, Noriyuki Takase, Toyokazu Yamaguchi

    Read more 

  • News

    05/08/25

    Fisher Phillips Continues International Expansion with Office in Tokyo

    John M. Polson, William D. Wright, Nan Sato, Shikun Gao, Takanori Hirai, Wataru Miyajima, Ryosuke Ogino, Noriyuki Takase, Toyokazu Yamaguchi

    Read more 

  • News

    05/06/25

    The American Lawyer Spotlights Fisher Phillips’ Use of Emerging Technologies

    John M. Polson

    Read more 

  • Insights

    05/05/25

    DOL Easing Up on Independent Contractor Misclassification Enforcement: 3 Key Points on This Big Win for Businesses

    Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Patrick M. Dalin, John M. Polson, J. Hagood Tighe

    Read more 

  • News

    04/23/25

    Law360 Covers Launch of Firm’s Crisis Communications and Strategy Group

    John M. Polson, Rick Grimaldi, Jeannie Muzinic, Melanie L. Webber

    Read more 

  • News

    04/22/25

    Fisher Phillips Launches Crisis Communications Practice, Merging Legal Strategy with Public Relations Experience

    Rick Grimaldi, Jeannie Muzinic, John M. Polson, Melanie L. Webber

    Read more 

  • News

    04/15/25

    Daily Report Profiles Firm’s New Director of AI and Firmwide Initiatives

    John M. Polson

    Read more 

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