Best Lawyers in California, United States for Employment Law - Management
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Brandon Kahoush is an associate in the firm's San Francisco office. He represents clients in both single plaintiff, class action, and California Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) matters, where he has experience handling all phases of litigation. Brandon has represented clients of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. He has worked with employers in numerous industries including in the construction, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and tec...
Maria Arakelian is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management. Maria, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Maria is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Arcelia N. Magaña is a Partner in the San Diego, California, office of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP. An experienced litigator, she provides insight into best practices to develop a stable, high-functioning workforce to avoid the disruption and expense of litigation. Arcelia has defended dozens of wage and hour class and representative actions over the last seven years, including actions brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Arcelia also handles discrim...
Bret Martin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Bret, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Bret is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sam Sadeghi represents employers in complex employment litigation and strategically advises employers in navigating California’s employment laws. Sam’s litigation and trial experience includes handling wage and hour class actions, representative actions under California’s Private Attorneys General Act, single-plaintiff lawsuits, private arbitration, government agency actions, and pre-litigation disputes. Sam focuses his practice on issues related to wage and hour laws, discr...
Alice Kwak has experience representing clients in a broad range of employment litigation matters and counsels employers on various labor law issues. My focus My practice focuses on advising and defending employers in all aspects of employment and labor litigation, including single-plaintiff and class and collective actions involving claims of wage and hour violations, harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge, and retaliation, in federal and state courts and before administrative agencie...
Kelly T. Chu is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management. Kelly T., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kelly T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nare Avagyan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Labor and Employment Law - Management. Nare, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nare is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nathaniel Hsieh is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nathaniel, who practices law in Santa Monica, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nathaniel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jannine E. Kranz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management. Jannine E., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jannine E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Elizabeth Holland is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management. Elizabeth, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elizabeth is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James Payer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management. James, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ali M. Hmoud is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Ali M., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ali M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jamie L. Hagerott represents and advises employers in all areas of employment law in both state and federal courts, private arbitration, and before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Civil Rights Department (CRD). She has handled a wide array of employment cases including discrimination, wrongful termination, accommodation, sexual harassment, wage and hour, whistleblower, and class action and PAGA matters. Jamie has also advised her clients on the ever-changing Califo...
John D. Drdek is an associate in the Firm’s San Diego office and a member of both the Litigation and Labor & Employment Groups. His practice focuses on representing employers in complex litigation, including wage-and-hour class and representative actions, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, and multi-million dollar employment disputes. John has successfully defended clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies across a range of industries. John is experienced in a...
Michael Minguet is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michael, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.