Walter M. Kiff Crandall, Principal

Practice Areas

• Civil Rights
• Labor/Employment
• Tort Liability

Practice Description

Walter M. “Kiff” Crandall is a trial attorney in Woodruff & Smart’s litigation department, where he represents public agencies and other employers in complex employment, civil rights, and tort liability litigation. He has practiced in California since 2007 and has extensive experience handling matters at all stages of litigation, from pre-litigation counseling through trial and resolution.

Mr. Crandall focuses his practice on defending employment-related claims, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour disputes, and matters involving medical leaves of absence. He routinely advises clients under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), California sick leave laws, whistleblower statutes, and related wage and hour laws. He is particularly experienced in using strategic discovery, law-and-motion practice, and early case evaluation to narrow issues and position cases for efficient resolution.

Mr. Crandall also defends public entities in civil rights matters, including constitutional and excessive force claims, and regularly assists clients with internal investigations, witness preparation, deposition strategy, and exposure analysis. He works closely with agency leadership and human resources professionals to provide practical, risk-focused guidance tailored to public-sector operations.

Prior to joining Woodruff & Smart, Mr. Crandall practiced employment and business litigation at boutique firms and served as General Counsel to Vantage Vehicle International, Inc., advising on employment issues, litigation strategy, and business risk management. This experience informs his practical, business-minded approach to litigation.

Professional Activities

Mr. Crandall is a member of the State Bar of California and the Labor and Employment and Tort and Trial Sections of the Orange County Bar Association.

Representative Matters

• Served as second chair in a jury trial resulting in a complete defense verdict on a failure-to-accommodate claim against a public entity, contributing through witness preparation and examination, motions in limine, in-trial evidentiary and nonsuit briefing, jury instruction and verdict form negotiation, and development of trial themes and demonstratives for opening and closing arguments.
• Secured the negotiated resignation and global settlement of a 30-year public employee who had filed an employment lawsuit, multiple workers’ compensation claims, and more than one dozen collective-bargaining grievances, after preparing the case for trial, handling key depositions, and coordinating the review, redaction, and production of 30,000+ pages of records.
• Negotiated resolutions ranging from $5,000 to under $50,000 in multiple whistleblower, retaliation, and harassment matters involving public-sector employers, including dismissals with prejudice and waivers of fees and costs, after conducting plaintiff and employee depositions and targeted discovery.
• Achieved resolution of a workplace harassment lawsuit through mediation for $70,000, despite sensitive allegations involving supervisory misconduct in a small law-enforcement agency after taking and defending depositions.
• Obtained early dismissal of a failure-to-accommodate action through a successful demurrer, eliminating liability exposure at the pleading stage.
• Negotiated a $90,000 settlement in a disability-accommodation and retaliation matter arising from a termination shortly after a workers’ compensation claim was denied, after taking the plaintiff’s deposition, deposing the plaintiff’s treating physician, preparing and defending five employee depositions, and assisting with summary-judgment briefing.
• Resolved a personal-injury action involving a public-transit fall for $10,000 after initiating plaintiff depositions, significantly limiting exposure in a multi-plaintiff case.
• Obtained dismissal of a municipal defendant through successive demurrers and motion practice, including oppositions to motions to compel, transfer venue, and reconsideration, while managing discovery against multiple pro per plaintiffs.
• Achieved summary judgment in favor of a public agency by taking the plaintiff’s deposition, assisting with dispositive-motion briefing, and arguing the motion in court, resulting in complete defense judgment.
• Negotiated approval of a low six-figure settlement at a mandatory settlement conference in a racial discrimination and harassment case after substituting into the matter and managing late-stage trial preparation, where a public employee alleged constructive discharge following an internal retaliation complaint.
• Obtained terminating sanctions dismissing a municipal client from litigation by successfully drafting and arguing a sanctions motion based on discovery misconduct.
• Steered a complex construction and mechanics’ lien dispute to early mediation, securing a $300,000 settlement for the client.

Education

• University of Southern California, Gould School of Law (J.D., 2006)
• University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 2003)