R. Craig Scott

Managing Partner

Email: rcraigscott@employerlaw.com

Mr. Scott’s success in the representation of employers led to his being named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2020 by Best Lawyers® for Labor and Management in Orange County.

Mr. Scott is the senior partner of the management-side labor and employment law firm of Scott & Whitehead, which received a Tier 1 ranking in the 2023 and prior editions of the U.S. News - Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.”

Mr. Scott is also CEO and Founder of Executive Law Group, Inc., a law firm that represents senior executives and other professionals in transition. His success in the representation of executives led to his being named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2025 and 2019, by Best Lawyers® for Employment Law-Individuals, Orange County.

Mr. Scott is named in the Best Lawyers in America®, 2025. By vote of his peers, Mr. Scott will be listed in this prestigious publication for 30 consecutive years, 1995-2025.

In addition, Martindale-Hubbel, the most recognized lawyer-rating institution in the nation, has given Mr. Scott its most prestigious, AV® Preeminent™ rating for legal ability and professional ethics.

Mr. Scott is the author or co-author of four books, and over 75 columns and articles on employment law topics. A recognized authority on employment law matters, Mr. Scott is a sought-after speaker for groups of attorneys, employers, executives and employees. His most recent publication is a three volume, 800+ page treatise on California workplace law. (Employment Law 101: Documentation, Discipline & Discharge; Employment Law 102: Wage & Hour and Employee Benefits; and Employment Law 103: Other Real World Challenges.)

Mr. Scott graduated from the University of Utah's College of Law, where he received his J.D. Degree in 1978. He was a Member (1976-1977) and Articles Editor (1977-1978) of the Utah Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Mr. Scott served four terms as Mayor, and 19 years on the City Council, of Laguna Hills, California. He was twice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority, and its Executive Committee.

Mr. Scott has handled some of Southern California's highest profile public sector disputes.

These are just two examples:

• Represented the City of Newport Beach, California in a hotly-litigated sexual harassment and sex discrimination case brought by 14 female police officers and other city employees. The case involved almost daily news coverage and 48 Hours put its spotlight on the litigation. Mr. Scott skirted a death threat from a relative of one of the plaintiffs and brought the case to a very successful settlement.

• Represented the city manager of an Orange County, California city who was first placed on administrative leave and then terminated by the city council. Scott & Whitehead won a court-ordered reversal of the termination and then defended the city manager against the city's lawsuit charging him with self-dealing and mismanagement. Mr. Scott, himself a mayor and long-time city council member in another city, was both attorney and public spokesperson for the city manager. Local newspapers and the County's two dailies gave frequent coverage to the city council meetings and the courtrooms where the disputes played out. Mr. Scott negotiated a substantial settlement payment from the city to the firm's client. This closely-watched case resulted in state-wide reforms in how public administrators receive and account for job-related benefits, administer compensation and benefits for subordinates, and apprise publicly-elected officials of their decisions and conduct.

Admitted to Practice

• California, 1978
• U.S. Supreme Court
• 7th and 9th Circuit Courts of Appeals

Awards

• Lawyer of the Year, 2020 by Best Lawyers® for Labor and Management, Orange County
• Lawyer of the Year, 2025 and 2019 by Best Lawyers® for Employment Law-Individuals, Orange County
• U.S. News - Best Lawyers, 2020
• Best Lawyers in America®, 1995-2025
• AV® Preeminent™

Education

• University of Utah College of Law
• J.D., 1978
• University of Utah
• B.S., magna cum laude

Professional Memberships

• State Bar of California
• Orange County Bar Association
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society