Keith Dobyns successfully represented the Orange County Fire Authority in a two-day hearing before a hearing officer who heard the appeal of a denial of the application for disability retirement benefits by the Orange County Employees Retirement System for an employee who was disabled and had not been able to work for eight years. OCFA has an obligation to apply for a disability retirement on behalf of an employee who is disabled and unable to perform the essential functions of his or her position, and, cannot separate that employee until the application is granted. The employee must either receive employment or retirement. Thus, if OCFA had not prevailed and been successful in having OCERS’ decision reversed, OCFA would have had to find employment for this employee, who had been deemed disabled by several physicians.
Keith Dobyns also successfully represented the Regional Center of Orange County in a two-day hearing, continuing his streak of victories on behalf of this client. He was successful in opposing an individual’s request for public funding to remain at home in lieu of returning to in-person classroom instruction at her local high school.