Best Lawyers in California, United States for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
Kurt A. Kappes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Kurt A., who practices law in Sacramento, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kurt A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Steven B. Katz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Steven B., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Steven B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Douglas “Doug” Clifford is a Partner in the firm’s Class Action and Employment Law Practice groups. Doug has spent approximately twenty years practicing employment law in a variety of legal roles: litigator, in-house counsel, adjunct professor, mediator and a business owner. At Wilson Turner Kosmo, Doug represents employers for all their employment law needs. He advises clients on the full spectrum of employment law issues, including wage and hour issues, wrongful terminatio...
Linda Claxton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Linda, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Linda is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Charles O. Thompson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Charles O., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Lonnie Giamela is a partner in both the Los Angeles and Irvine offices. He represents a broad range of clients, from small businesses to national companies, in all sectors of manufacturing, retail, wholesale distribution, hospitality, education and the automotive industries. Lonnie has handled a full range of labor and employment matters, from single-plaintiff to multi-plaintiff, in both federal and state courts in California, the California Court of Appeals, the California Supreme Court and ...
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...
Demery Ryan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Demery, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Demery is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
For over twenty years, Mr. Lipinsky has successfully represented workers in all areas of employment litigation, including cases involving sexual harassment, disability and pregnancy discrimination, race, age, sexual orientation and gender discrimination, California Family Rights Act violations, Wage and Hour violations, retaliation, breach of contract, and wrongful termination in violation of public policy against some of the nation's largest employers. Mr. Lipinsky has been recognized as one...
Senior Lawyer Douglas Winter practices in all areas of civil litigation, including employment, personal injury, civil rights, business torts and disputes, consumer litigation, intellectual property and real estate. He has nearly 30 years of trial and appellate experience in both state and federal courts, and has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict.In the last five years alone, Mr. Winter has obtained, along with Partner Matthew McNicholas, one eight-figure and multiple seven-figure ...
Elizabeth Stallard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Elizabeth, who practices law in Sacramento, California, has been recognized since 2025. 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.
Eric C. Schwettmann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Eric C., who practices law in Encino, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael G. Balmages, Esq. is a mediator and discovery referee with decades of experience in civil litigation, corporate counsel matters, and transactional law. Based in Irvine, California, and serving through ADR Services, Inc. , Mr. Balmages works with parties and counsel to resolve complex disputes across a broad range of matters, including Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Real Estate. He has participated in the resolution of more than 1,500 cases and is known for his practical approa...
Walter M. Stella is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Walter M., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Walter M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nancy Lubrano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nancy, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nancy is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Gregory C. Cheng is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Gregory C., who practices law in San Francisco, California, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregory C. 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.