Mr. Gridley received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1970 and his juris doctor from the University of Southern California in 1973. He has represented many public entities, including Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority, City of Alhambra, City of Culver City, City of Downey, City of Goleta, City of Huntington Beach, City of Inglewood, City of La Mesa, City of Palmdale, City of Pasadena, City of Rancho Mirage, City of Santa Clarita, and many corporate clients, including ABB, Guardian Global Technologies, Pfizer, and Rockwell.
With regard to an eminent domain taking under the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979, Mr. Gridley represented a public entity in an action based on the act. He prevailed in the trial court and the appellate court (Case No. S169498, not published), and the writ was denied in the California Supreme Court. In the area of affordable housing, Mr. Gridley has had two appellate opinions in the field (Case No. C076809, unpublished, and Case No. C083811, unpublished.)
Mr. Gridley has tried over 100 cases to verdict in fields such as eminent domain, land use, product liability, intellectual property, construction defect, employment law, and premises liability. He has represented public entitles in constitutional challenges to ordinances, defended election officials in contested elections, defended contractual challenges involving the Los Angeles Red Line Metro system and defended the County of Los Angeles in a suit brought by homeowners who claimed that the erection of a pumping station in their neighborhood caused property damage and was a public nuisance. He defended the public entity in challenges to the Los Angeles Clippers arena. Mr. Gridley has represented teachers in civil and disciplinary disputes, doctors, dentists, and medical supply companies in medical malpractice cases, insurers in breach of contract and bad faith claims, and represented real estate brokers and attorneys in professional negligence claims. He also represented product manufacturers and premises owners in toxic tort cases.
Mr. Gridley has appeared in state courts from San Diego to Humboldt counties, federal courts in Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Francisco, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, and in the California Court of Appeal. In the court of appeal, his cases produced seminal published opinions concerning evaluation of settlements between parties in the chain of commerce and concerning the subrogation rights of an insurer against additional insureds under a general contractor’s liability insurance policy.
As an entrepreneur, Mr. Gridley has been president of several companies serving the entertainment industry, has produced theatrical productions in Los Angeles and New York, and owned a restaurant. For the legal community, he has been a speaker at professional seminars in California, Nevada, and Florida.
Mr. Gridley is an active alumnus and member of support organizations for the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, and Grove City College. For eight years he was president of the Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church where he now serves as an elder of the church and as a member of the Committee on Ministry for the San Fernando Presbytery.