Partner
Michael T. Travis
Michael T. Travis is a partner at Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), where he works closely with public agencies to help them navigate the day-to-day challenges of labor, employment, and governance. His clients include cities, counties, school districts, community colleges, and universities.
Known for his practical, thoughtful approach, Michael supports clients on a range of workplace and administrative matters, including personnel decisions, internal investigations, employee relations, and administrative hearings. His work often involves guiding leadership teams through sensitive issues like discrimination claims, workplace culture concerns, and complex policy questions.
Michael also has significant experience advising public employers regarding the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act (POBR) and Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights Act (FBOR). He has led large-scale harassment and discrimination investigations and handled administrative hearings for multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Before joining BBK, Michael served as general and special counsel to a variety of public entities, offering legal advice on topics such as the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and Title IX. His experience includes leading independent investigations and facilitating training on workplace standards and best practices.
Michael was selected as a Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star for several years and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Central and Eastern Districts of California.
- In re RG (2022) Tenured Faculty Dismissal. The Office of Administrative Hearings upheld the termination of a long-time tenured community college faculty soccer coach after 11 days of trial for permitting a sexually harassing and intimidating environment on the women's soccer team, and for failing to stop retaliation for protected activity.
- In re AF (2021) Permanent Classified Dismissal. Successfully obtained arbitration award sustaining the termination of a permanent classified employee for theft, dishonesty and failure to cooperate with an investigation. The case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence.
- Somin v. Porter (2018) 2nd District Court of Appeal, Division 7, No. B271775. Court upheld the issuance of a restraining order against community college student who threatened an instructor on Facebook. Review was denied by the California Supreme Court.
- Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Schools and Education, 2013 – 2020
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of California
- The Literacy Project, Board of Directors
Presentations
- “Honing your Superhero Tool Kit: Skelly Officer Training,” Association of Chief Human Resource Officers/Equal Employment Opportunity Officers Fall Training Institute, Sept. 26, 2025
- “Due Process Meets Due Diligence: Evaluations That Stick,” Association of Chief Human Resource Officers/Equal Employment Opportunity Officers Fall Training Institute, Sept. 25, 2025
- “The 2024 Title IX Regulations Were Just Vacated – What Now?,” BBK Webinar, February 2025
- “Title IX and Mandatory Compliance Issues You Might Be Missing,” Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA), February 2024
- “Title IX – But Wait, There’s (Even) More!, The New Regulations and Mandatory Compliance Issues You Might be Missing,” Association of Chief Human Resource Officers (ACHRO) Fall Training Institute, October 2023
- “EEO Best Practices in Hiring,” California State University, Northridge, Oct. 2023
- “EEO Best Practices in Hiring,” California State University, Northridge, Feb. 2023
- “Preparing for and Dealing with Violence Issues in the Workplace,” Orange County Labor and Employment Relations Association (OC LERA), July 2016
