Brief

The City Attorney brought a settlement agreement to Council for the case Brian Pratt v. City of Los Angeles (LASC Case No. 21STCV27248). Council voted 12-0-3 on April 22, 2026 to adopt the settlement, with Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield moving the item. The file has been completed as of May 4, 2026, when the Mayor's deadline to act on the Council action passed.

Full summary

This file authorizes a settlement in Brian Pratt v. City of Los Angeles, a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit brought under California Labor Code Section 1102.5. The case, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, involves the Los Angeles Police Department — the cc list on the City Attorney's report includes multiple LAPD command staff and the Board of Police Commissioners, indicating the underlying dispute arose within that department. The total settlement value is up to $400,000, structured in two parts. The City Attorney is authorized to pay $380,000 in Fiscal Year 2026-27 to plaintiff's counsel, the Law Offices of Gregory W. Smith, LLP, drawn from the Police Liability Payouts fund. An additional $20,000 is to be paid directly to Brian W. Pratt through the LAPD's Sworn Salaries account as payroll, subject to taxes and withholdings — a structure suggesting Pratt is or was an LAPD employee. The Controller's Office is directed to transfer $380,000 from the Miscellaneous Liability Payouts account into the Police Liability Payouts account to fund the attorney payment. The City Attorney's office submitted the settlement recommendation on March 5, 2026, and the file was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee. The committee reviewed the matter in closed session on April 13, 2026, and approved it unanimously (4-0, with one member absent). Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield brought the motion to the full Council on April 22, 2026, where it passed 12-0-3. The file was transmitted to the Mayor on April 24, 2026, and became final on May 4, 2026, closing the matter.

Activity (9)

• 2026-05-04 Council action final.
• 2026-04-24 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is May 4, 2026.
• 2026-04-22 Council adopted Motion (Yaroslavsky - Blumenfield) in Open Session, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-04-17 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 22, 2026.
• 2026-04-17 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-04-13 Budget and Finance Committee approved the item in Open Session.
• 2026-04-10 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 13, 2026.
• 2026-03-17 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-03-17 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated March 5, 2026.

Documents (4)

• 2026-05-04 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2026-04-22 Motion (Yaroslavsky - Blumenfield) · motion
• 2026-04-22 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-03-05 Report from City Attorney · report