Richard M. Ceccia | Attorney

Richard M. Ceccia obtained a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1978. He obtained his J.D. from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1985. In 1985 he clerked for Commissioner Abraham Gorenfeld, Law & Motion Department for the Los Angeles Superior Court, Torrance Branch.

From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Ceccia worked as a Law Clerk and then from 1986 to 1989 as an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Girardi, Keese and Crane in Los Angeles, California. He participated in all phases of major plaintiff's personal injury law firm practice with emphasis on medical malpractice and products liability. He was involved in all pretrial phases of litigation, including law and motion and discovery practices. He also conducted all phases of arbitration work.

From 1989 to 1992, Mr. Ceccia worked in the corporate regional headquarters of J.C. Penney Company in Buena Park, California and handled all areas of corporate work for a major retailer in thirteen (13) western states. His specific areas of experience included litigation and supervision of litigation. He was also responsible for contract negotiations including contaminated soils clean-up and worked extensively on credit, advertising and OSHA issues from various states including representing the client at administrative hearings.

From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Ceccia was a litigation attorney for the Trustees of the California State University system with primary responsibility for litigation in State and Federal courts on behalf of the nation's largest public higher education system, including liability matters with substantial institutional and individual exposure. From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Ceccia handled various litigation matters to successful conclusion including non-jury and jury trials.  His work emphasized employment, construction-related matters, sexual harassment and discrimination, and bond-related issues. Finally, Mr. Ceccia was solely responsible for litigating all unlawful detainer matters statewide and wrote the system's unlawful detainer manual.

Presently Mr. Ceccia is a partner in the law firm of Carlin & Ceccia, representing employees in employment matters, including wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual orientation harassment and discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and wage and hour matters. He is involved in all phases of litigation, including discovery, law and motion, expert witness work, and mediation.  Mr. Ceccia also reviews and negotiates severance agreements on behalf of employees.  He is currently a member of the Long Beach Bar Association and was a member of the employment panel of the Lawyer Referral Service of the Long Beach Bar Association from 1995 to 2004.

In addition, Mr. Ceccia served for seventeen (17) years as a member of the Signal Hill City Council from 1984 through March, 2001. He also served three one-year terms as Mayor of Signal Hill in 1987, 1992, and 1997. Mr. Ceccia also served seventeen (17) years as a member of the Signal Hill Redevelopment Agency including four one-year terms as Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency in 1984, 1990, 1995 and 2000. From 1984 to March, 2001, Mr. Ceccia was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sanitation District Board of Directors.