Jonathan Fraser Light

Professional Experience

With over 40 years of experience, Jon offers employment counsel and training programs to companies of all sizes to reduce liability and protect against lawsuits. Jon has shared his expertise with clients through:

• Periodic employment law updates, free roundtable discussions for small groups, and in-person and online webinars on a variety of employment law topics and compliance
• Sex harassment avoidance training for managers and staff
• Management strategies for hiring, layoffs, reviews, discipline and terminations
• Leaves of absence laws and procedures
• Investigation protocols
• Strategies for protection of proprietary information and trade secrets

Jon enjoys a stellar and long-standing reputation as a skilled trial attorney. His employment case notes as sole or lead trial attorney include a variety of successful matters:

• Two-week jury trial in Santa Barbara on behalf of a large national title company accused of discrimination and wrongful termination. 11-1 verdict in favor of client.
• Three-week jury trial in Ventura on behalf of an international aerospace manufacturer and its management employee who were sued for sex harassment. 10-2 verdict in favor of client.
• Prevailed in a wrongful termination and slander jury trial on behalf of a Ventura County physician. 12-0 verdict in favor of client.
• Used effective motion practice to demolish a $4M lawsuit against a publicly-traded employer by an employee claiming breach of contract in Orange County.
• A San Diego County trial resulted in a complete defense verdict in a race and sex discrimination action filed against a Los Angeles-based national corporation.
• Two successful jury trials in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties on behalf of a large international retailer, in which plaintiffs sought damages for wrongful termination and sex harassment.

Jon has proven successful in a variety of litigation matters outside the employment arena as well:

• A successful will contest on behalf of the sister of the decedent, who purportedly executed a deathbed will in favor of his estranged wife. Despite an attorney and a doctor claiming that the decedent was competent, Jon prevailed in invalidating the deathbed will and recovering over $350,000 in real and personal property for the sister.
• Successful verdict on a seven-week jury trial on real estate fraud and misrepresentation claims against a large national real estate broker and its agents.
• Four months in trial as lead counsel culminating in a successful settlement for a farming family that was a focal point of the Oxnard Dunes Toxic Waste Litigation, the largest civil case in Ventura County history.
• Trial court judgment in favor of a publicly-traded real estate investment trust in a shopping center breach of contract claim filed in Los Angeles.

With the highest "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and recognition in 2025 by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Greater Los Angeles Area, Jon and his team serve more than 6,000 national, regional and local employers in the private and public sector on day-to-day and litigation-related employment matters involving:

• Wrongful termination
• Wage and hour issues
• Class action and PAGA litigation defense
• Reviews, discipline, probation and termination
• Exempt v. non-exempt status
• Reductions in force/layoffs
• Harassment and discrimination investigations
• Personnel handbooks and related documents
• Substance abuse issues
• Temporary and leased employee matters
• Management and non-exempt employee training
• Protection of proprietary information and trade secrets
• Arbitration agreements and severance agreements

Community

Beyond frequently lecturing to business groups and civic organizations on employment issues, Jon has served the community where he lives and works as a former member of the Ventura County Campaign Finance Ethics Commission, and a current or former board member of the Oxnard College Foundation, the California State University Channel Islands Business School Advisory Board, the Camarillo Academic Olympics, Ventura County Bar Association (Past President), Volunteer Legal Services Association, Ventura County Taxpayers Association, the Ventura County Boy Scout Council (Past President), the Footworks Youth Ballet (Production Manager), and the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation (Past Chair). He has coached girls' softball in Camarillo, leads the Camarillo Academic Olympics SuperQuiz, and coached the Newbury Park High School mock trial team for many years. He is also a member of the National Eagle Scout Association.

Education

Jon is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in history from UCLA. He also graduated from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Personal

Jon lives in Camarillo with his wife of over 40 years, Angela, a retired public school teacher and former college admissions consultant. Their identical twins live and work outside of California.

Jon is the author of two editions of the nationally acclaimed and award-winning book, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball. The first edition was named a Booklist Editor's Choice for Reference and was The Sporting News Baseball Research Book of the Year. He is a frequent and sought-after speaker on the history of baseball.