Best Lawyers in California, United States for Employment Law - Management
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Ken focuses his practice on class actions involving wage and hour, FLSA, California Labor Code and EEO matters. He is widely recognized as one of the top lawyers in his field, frequently quoted by national media and called upon to serve as an expert witness or consultant in major wage & hour class action matters. Sulzer specializes in complex class-action litigation and has represented and advised clients on a wide variety of matters, including labor-management relations, trade secrets an...
Maria Stearns is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Maria, who practices law in Irvine, 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.
Lyne Richardson is the managing partner of the Los Angeles office. She focuses her practice on employment law, litigation and client counseling. Lyne also oversees the employment litigation of the Los Angeles office and has litigated all forms of employment law cases in both state and federal courts in California and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the DLSE and the EEOC. She is a frequent lecturer on labor and employment issues and has published a variety of articles...
Tim L. Johnson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Tim L., who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tim L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
In his practice, HFM Partner James “Jim” Peterson focuses on business and employment litigation. Mr. Peterson advises and litigates disputes for a number of business clients on various aspects of the employment relationship, including misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, protection of customer lists and employees, discrimination, sexual harassment, breach of contract, wage and hour laws, and wrongful termination. Mr. Peterson is an expert on employment-re...
Yesenia M. Gallegos focuses her labor and employment practice on a wide range of matters, including restrictive covenants, wage and hour law, discrimination and harassment claims, executive employment agreements, leaves of absence, employee terminations and reductions in force. Yesenia represents employers in employment litigation—including class actions—pending in both state and federal court. She also represents employers in actions against former employees in trade-secret and e...
Stephen Harris is a partner in the Tax Department of Paul Hastings, and co-chair of the firm’s Global Compensation, Benefits, and ERISA practice. Steve is a recognized leader in compensation, benefits, and ERISA law. He has been ranked by Chambers USA as one of the top employee benefits and executive compensation lawyers in California and Chambers has noted that he “maintains an impressively broad practice that includes IRS, HIPAA and COBRA compliance.” He is also recognized...
Tim Murphy is a partner in the firm's San Francisco office. He has been a jury trial lawyer for more than 40 years, trying cases involving a wide variety of subjects. Since 1985, his practice has focused upon jury trial cases concerning sexual harassment, race discrimination, whistleblower allegations, retaliation, wrongful discharge, trade secret protection, and disability discrimination. His clients have included banks, public utilities, universities, manufacturers, public entities, law fir...
Scott J. Witlin is a partner and the administrator of the Labor & Employment Department in the firm's Los Angeles office. He is Co-Chair of the firm's Wage and Hour Practice Group and a member of the firm's Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group. Scott assists companies in dealing with the challenges of employing workers in California and throughout the U.S. Scott's practice includes both traditional labor and employment law matters, including wage and hour class actions, arbitrat...
Gregory Iskander is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Gregory, who practices law in Walnut Creek, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregory is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Vince M. Verde is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Vince M., who practices law in Costa Mesa, California, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Vince M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nicole A. Legrottaglie is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nicole A., who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicole A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James C. Fessenden is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. James C., 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 James C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Camilo Echavarria is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Camilo, 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 Camilo is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michelle Barrett Falconer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Michelle, who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michelle is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Regina Petty is a partner in the San Diego and Los Angeles offices. She practices in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels and is experienced in multi-district and class action litigation. Regina advises employers and public agency boards and handles litigation for private and public employers. She successfully argued Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158 before the California Supreme Court, a case noted on Bender's California Labor & E...
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.