By Dimetria A. Jackson, The Honorable Daphne S. Sykes, and Isabelle Gregg
We are excited and honored to introduce you to Michael A. Gregg, who will be installed as President of the Orange County Bar Association on January 19, 2023, by the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.
Michael was born in London and raised in Jamaica. At the age of nine, he relocated to Orange County, California, with his mother, Dorothy Scott, who was pursuing new opportunities in the United States as a registered nurse. Michael’s mother and grandmother have been great influences in his life. His mother instilled in him the principles of hard work and resiliency. She immigrated to the United States as a single mother and worked long, odd hours as a nurse to make ends meet, saved enough money to make a down payment to purchase her own home, and later assisted in sending Michael to the University of Southern California. Michael’s grandmother, Muriel Scott, was a churchgoing Jamaican woman who would sing gospel songs as she carried out her daily activities and had a magical way of bringing everyone together.
In high school, Michael largely thought of himself as a C student and did not see the value of excelling in school. When one of his high school instructors expressed satisfaction when he earned a C on a test, Michael felt belittled by the teacher’s low expectations because he knew that he had not given his best effort. While attending Cerritos College, a paradigm shift occurred when Michael’s college professor, Suzanne Ashe, pulled Michael aside after class and told him that he was smart and that she expected him to get an A in her class. Professor Ashe’s words and expectations for Michael were the opposite of his high school experience. At that moment, Michael made a decision to commit to his studies and earned A grades in all but one of his classes that semester. It changed the way he saw himself and getting good grades became his new normal. Michael transferred to the University of Southern California where he obtained his BA in Creative Writing with a minor in Cinema. Following college, Michael worked in the entertainment industry. He worked for film producers reading screenplays and as a production assistant on the film, Get on the Bus, directed by Spike Lee. Although his focus was on film, Michael ultimately attended USC Gould School of Law. As a lawyer, Michael has worked for law firms and as in-house counsel. In 2005, Michael accepted a position with Littler Mendelson’s Orange County office. He is currently a shareholder, representing private and public employers in employment and labor law matters.
After moving back to Orange County in 2006, Michael married his beautiful wife, Angela. Both Michael, born in London, and Angela, who was born in Hungary, immigrated to the United States as children and shared common experiences acclimating to life in the United States. Michael and Angela have built a happy, loving home together for their children. Michael has three intelligent and talented daughters: Angelica, Isabelle, and Audrey, along with a Goldendoodle named Cody.
In his spare time, Michael roots for his favorite sports teams: the USC Trojans football team and the Los Angeles Lakers. As a sports enthusiast and proud father, Michael has coached his daughter’s basketball team. With a degree in creative writing and cinema, it is no surprise that Michael is also passionate about the power of stories. One of his greatest dreams is to have one of his stories made into a movie.
Michael has authored articles for a host of publications, including the Orange County Lawyer magazine, and regularly participates in speaking engagements. At Littler, Michael has served as co-chair of the firm’s Bollo affinity group, working to create strategies that promote the success of Black and African American attorneys at the firm by providing skill enhancement programming, business development coaching, and mentoring opportunities. Michael is also a member of the USC Trojan Network, which connects alumni to one another and to USC students to provide career advice.
Michael has a quiet demeanor that belies a razor-sharp legal mind and a very strong character. While his overall manner is reserved, Michael is outgoing and is always eager to serve and give back to the community. According to OCBA Past President Dean Zipser, “the OCBA is in very good hands. Michael is smart, thoughtful, and patient. He will solicit and consider all ideas and viewpoints and will always aim to do what is best for the OCBA and its members.”
When Michael moved to Orange County, he sought a local bar association for Black and/or African American attorneys to network and socialize with, only to learn that the Bernard Jefferson Law Society (former Orange County Black bar association) was no longer in existence. Michael, three other Orange County lawyers, and Judge Daphne Sykes met and founded the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association (TMBA). Michael took a leadership role in the incorporation process of TMBA, including the highly deliberative process with the founders of creating the vision, selecting the name, and obtaining permission from Justice Thurgood Marshall’s family to use his name. He has served as President, Secretary, and Treasurer of TMBA. Michael’s goal for TMBA was to create a support mechanism for Black attorneys practicing law in Orange County. The founders envisioned that TMBA would be a resource for Black attorneys, increase the number of Black attorneys practicing in Orange County, and provide an opportunity to build connections. TMBA is open to any lawyer interested in increasing diversity in Orange County and is committed to connecting, supporting, and increasing the Black legal community in Orange County. Since its founding, TMBA has awarded scholarships to a diverse group of law students, provided funds to lawyers taking the bar exam, provided numerous other resources, and, as a result, has increased visibility and diversity in the Orange County legal community. The founders are immensely proud of where TMBA is today and trust that Justice Marshall would have been pleased with its progress.
In 2016, as a member of the OCBA Nominating Committee, OCBA Past President Dimetria Jackson recommended Michael Gregg’s name be added to the slate as a potential OCBA Board member. Having served as a TMBA Board member, Dimetria witnessed Michael’s leadership skills firsthand and envisioned that he would be a dedicated, committed member of the OCBA Board of Directors. Michael was elected by OCBA members to serve on the OCBA Board. Dimetria was thrilled when Michael ultimately decided to run for OCBA Secretary. Past President Scott Garner, who spent a number of years serving on the OCBA Board with Michael, echoed her sentiments: “Michael was always a voice of reason and thoughtfulness. I was so happy when he decided to run for Secretary, and now I am excited to see him take the reins as president.”
Michael has been a member of the OCBA Board for six years. He chaired the Orange County Lawyer Editorial Advisory Committee for two years, and served on several other OCBA committees, including the Lawyer Referral & Information Service Committee, Administration of Justice Committee, Legislative Resolutions Committee, OCBA Judiciary Committee, Strategic Plan Task Force, Insurance Task Force, Covid Task Force, DEI Committee, the Racial Justice Task Force, and as a member of the OCBA’s Charitable Fund.
As president, Michael will work with both the bench and bar. In conjunction with the Orange County Superior Court, Michael intends to develop a series of video tutorials to educate and prepare litigants about the process and courtroom particulars for each court panel and litigating before individual bench officers. He endeavors to increase access and education for all litigants. Additionally, Michael wishes to start a new committee, the OC Legal History Committee, to begin the process of recording and highlighting the history of Orange County’s legal community, including individuals, cases, and historical events that make up this rich history. The dissemination of legal historical information will enable others to learn about and analyze past issues and cases, inspire future leaders, foster unity among lawyers who share a common history, and provide the needed perspective to address current and future issues. Perhaps Michael will be inclined to draft a screenplay about Orange County’s legal history. In addition to other goals and plans for his presidency, Michael intends to launch an updated and improved mobile app with features to enhance the OCBA member experience.
According to OCBA President Dan Robinson, “I have been able to see firsthand that Michael Gregg is an incredibly talented lawyer as well as a personable, thoughtful, and caring human being. Michael has a strong moral compass, a passion for the truth, and a deep appreciation for our special legal community.”
We all look forward to Michael’s presidency and what he will accomplish in 2023. With the lessons learned from his mother and grandmother of hard work, resiliency, and unity, we are confident that he will leave an indelible mark on the OCBA for years to come.
Please join us in welcoming your 2023 OCBA President, Michael A. Gregg.
Dimetria A. Jackson is a past president of the OCBA, corporate and entertainment attorney, and a real estate broker. The Honorable Daphne S. Sykes currently sits on Orange County Superior Court’s Dependency Panel. Isabelle Gregg is a high school freshman who plans to attend USC like her father, Michael.