Top 10 Employment Lawyers in Los Angeles, CA (2026 Guide)

Jurisdiction: Los Angeles County, California

Losing a job unfairly, being passed over because of a pregnancy or disability, or going months without proper overtime pay can upend a worker's life. In Los Angeles, employees have powerful tools to push back: California's Fair Employment and Housing Act prohibits workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and the California Labor Code sets pay, overtime, and break rules that are stricter than federal standards. The employee-side firms profiled below handle these cases for workers across the county, from the Westside and Koreatown to the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, and Long Beach.

Our List of Top Employment Lawyers in Los Angeles:

1. Shirazi Law Firm, P.C.

Key Details

• Lead Attorney: Emanuel Shirazi, Founder
• Established: 2011
• Office: 9454 Wilshire Blvd, Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
• Phone: (310) 400-5891
• Website: Shirazi Law Firm
• Focus Areas: Disability Discrimination, Failure to Accommodate, Pregnancy Discrimination, Medical Leave (FMLA and CFRA), Leave Retaliation, Wrongful Termination, Executive Terminations, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower Retaliation, Wage & Hour
• Team: Founder-led boutique; the firm reports more than $100 million in verdicts and settlements
• Google Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★ (44 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Emanuel Shirazi learned employment law from the other side. He began his career defending companies at large national employment firms and later made partner at a major California firm before switching to represent workers. That background helps him spot how employers use performance plans and after-the-fact paperwork to justify a firing.

The firm's core work involves employees who lost their jobs after a medical diagnosis, an accommodation request, a pregnancy, or a leave of absence. Published results include recoveries of more than $2.4 million for a denial of medical leave and more than $2.1 million for disability discrimination.

Shirazi personally handles each client's case rather than passing it to support staff, and he is willing to speak with employees who are still working for the employer in question. Cases are accepted on contingency.

2. Law Offices of Reisner & King LLP

Key Details

• Lead Attorneys: Adam Reisner and Tessa King, Founding Partners
• Established: 1999
• Office: 15303 Ventura Blvd, Suite 1260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
• Phone: (818) 981-0901
• Website: Reisner & King
• Focus Areas: Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Wrongful Termination, Unpaid Overtime, Meal and Rest Breaks, Commission and Bonus Disputes, CFRA and FMLA Leave, Severance Agreements, Personal Injury
• Team: Five attorneys
• Google Rating: 3.0 ★★★ (18 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Reisner & King has represented San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles employees since Adam Reisner and Tessa King opened the firm in 1999. Its caseload spans FEHA discrimination and harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, unpaid wages, break violations, and family and medical leave.

Reisner has more than 25 years of civil litigation experience, much of it in discrimination and retaliation cases. King's work centers on pregnancy discrimination and leave law, two areas where California's protections go well beyond federal law.

The firm deliberately limits the number of cases it accepts and builds each one as if it will go to trial. It also represents clients in personal injury matters.

3. Nosrati Law, APLC

Key Details

• Lead Attorney: Omid Nosrati, Founder
• Established: 2003
• Office: 1801 Century Park East, Suite 840, Los Angeles, CA 90067
• Phone: (323) 784-0643
• Website: Nosrati Law
• Focus Areas: Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, Retaliation, Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, Whistleblower Cases, FMLA and CFRA Leave, Wage & Hour Disputes, Employment Class Actions
• Team: Boutique employee rights firm; more than 40 years of combined attorney experience, per the firm
• Google Rating: 4.8 ★★★★★ (117 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Omid Nosrati has spent his entire legal career on the employee side of the table. After graduating from Loyola Law School in 2001, he worked as a plaintiff's attorney and opened his own Century City practice in 2003.

His work has drawn national attention through suits filed on behalf of employees at The Walt Disney Company in 2021, Robinhood in 2022, and Netflix in 2025. Super Lawyers has selected him every year since 2018, and the American Society of Legal Advocates named him a Top 100 Labor and Employment Lawyer in California from 2016 to 2018.

The firm's reported outcomes include a $1.65 million recovery in a whistleblower retaliation case, alongside several wage and hour class action settlements. Farsi-speaking clients can work with Nosrati directly.

4. MM Law, APC

Key Details

• Lead Attorney: Maralle Messrelian, Founder and Managing Attorney
• Office: 500 N Brand Blvd, Suite 2000, Glendale, CA 91203
• Phone: (747) 302-6922
• Website: MM Law
• Focus Areas: Wage & Hour Claims, Overtime, Meal and Rest Breaks, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Pregnancy Discrimination, Family and Medical Leave, Personal Injury
• Team: Founder-led boutique
• Google Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★ (66 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Maralle Messrelian runs MM Law from downtown Glendale, taking employment cases from across Los Angeles County and statewide. Her practice covers the full spectrum of worker claims, from unpaid wages and Labor Code violations to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination.

She trained as an associate at a trial firm before launching her own practice, and lawyers who have faced her as opposing counsel note her depth in California wage and hour law. Beyond employment matters, the firm also takes personal injury and property damage cases.

Messrelian speaks Armenian fluently and Spanish conversationally, and initial consultations are free and confidential.

5. Briana Kim, PC

Key Details

• Lead Attorney: Briana M. Kim, Principal
• Office: 249 E Ocean Blvd, Suite 814, Long Beach, CA 90802
• Phone: (714) 482-6301
• Website: Briana Kim, PC
• Focus Areas: Unpaid Wages, Overtime, Prevailing Wage, PAGA Claims, Severance Review, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Leaves of Absence, Misclassification, Equal Pay
• Team: Boutique led by its principal attorney
• Google Rating: 4.9 ★★★★★ (32 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Known online as the "Wage Recovery Queen," Briana Kim built her practice around getting workers the pay they are owed. Before going out on her own, she litigated wage and hour class actions at Jose Garay, APLC, an Irvine class action firm, where she also counseled tech workers facing layoffs and thin severance offers.

Today her Long Beach firm represents employees in individual and class cases involving discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage violations. It also brings claims under California's Private Attorneys General Act and helps employees review and negotiate severance agreements before they sign away their rights.

The firm offers its website in both English and Korean and actively serves Korean-speaking workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

6. Kramer Brown Hui LLP

Key Details

• Lead Attorneys: Jennifer Kramer, Sam Brown, and Shoshee Hui, Partners
• Office: 3600 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1908, Los Angeles, CA 90010
• Phone: (213) 310-8301
• Website: Kramer Brown Hui LLP
• Focus Areas: Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Retaliation, Wage & Hour, Misclassification, Whistleblower and Qui Tam Cases, Public Employee Claims, Class Actions
• Team: Three partners plus associate attorneys; formerly known as Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh LLP
• Google Rating: 4.0 ★★★★ (33 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Kramer Brown Hui works only for employees, handling everything from single-plaintiff discrimination cases to class and representative wage actions. Every attorney at the firm reviews each new case, an approach the partners credit for sharper case strategy.

Jennifer Kramer has led class actions on behalf of hotel, restaurant, retail, security, agricultural, and garment workers, and she serves on the Executive Board of the California Employment Lawyers Association. Sam Brown clerked for a federal judge in the Central District of California and now heads the firm's False Claims Act whistleblower practice. Shoshee Hui concentrates on discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases.

The firm has particular experience suing government employers, which comes with its own procedural rules, and it obtained a $1.8 million judgment against the California Department of Transportation. Clients can work in English, Spanish, or Mandarin.

7. Park APC

Key Details

• Lead Attorneys: Sang (James) Park and Sook Won
• Office: 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
• Phone: (310) 627-2964
• Website: Park APC
• Focus Areas: Discrimination (Pregnancy, Age, Gender, Race, Disability), Leave Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour (Overtime, Tip Splitting, Commissions, Piece Rate), Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower Claims, Misclassification
• Team: Two-attorney boutique that represents employees only
• Google Rating: View on Google

Firm Overview

Park APC pairs two UCLA School of Law graduates with deep litigation backgrounds. Sang (James) Park worked at both defense and plaintiff firms before focusing on workers, and he has taken employment cases to verdict and argued in both the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeal.

Park's class action experience is a strength for wage cases that affect entire workforces. His results include a $10 million settlement on behalf of a nationwide retailer's employees, and he is a graduate of the California Employment Lawyers Association Trial College.

Sook Won adds nearly two decades of complex litigation, including leading recoveries of more than $100 million for victims of the Madoff Ponzi scheme. The firm charges nothing upfront and offers free case evaluations.

8. Law Office of Esperanza Cervantes Anderson

Key Details

• Lead Attorney: Esperanza Cervantes Anderson
• Office: 1037 Allen Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103
• Phone: (626) 219-6773
• Website: Esperanza Anderson
• Focus Areas: Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Unpaid Overtime, Wage & Hour, Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Misclassification, Employment Contracts, Truck Driver Claims, Kaiser Permanente Employee Claims
• Team: Solo practice; more than $15 million recovered for employees, per the firm
• Google Rating: 4.0 ★★★★ (4 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Esperanza Anderson spent the first part of her career at global law firms defending Fortune 500 employers. In 2009 she changed sides, opening a Pasadena practice dedicated to representing workers, and she brings a clear understanding of how corporate defense teams approach these cases.

Anderson, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, has built niche experience with two groups of workers: commercial truck drivers dealing with wage theft and misclassification, and Kaiser Permanente employees with workplace claims.

As a solo attorney, she handles each case personally, and she offers consultations in both English and Spanish.

9. Guzmán & Tokar LLP

Key Details

• Lead Attorneys: Marcia Guzmán and Victoria Tokar, Partners
• Established: 2023
• Office: 440 N Barranca Ave, Suite 1354, Covina, CA 91723
• Phone: (626) 427-7128
• Website: Guzmán & Tokar LLP
• Focus Areas: Wrongful Termination, Wage & Hour, Discrimination, Disability Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower Retaliation, Workplace Safety
• Team: Two partners practicing employment law exclusively

Firm Overview

Before forming Guzmán & Tokar LLP, partners Marcia Guzmán and Victoria Tokar represented fired and underpaid workers under the name Attorneys for Workers' Rights. In 2023 they launched the current firm and combined the two practices.

Guzmán, a Loyola Law School graduate and member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, focuses solely on employment law. Tokar was chief research editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review during law school.

From its Covina office, the firm represents San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County workers in jobs ranging from construction and retail to engineering and healthcare. It offers a free 30-minute consultation, with Spanish-language service available.

10. Kristy & Kananen

Key Details

• Lead Attorneys: James R. Kristy and Kurt Kananen
• Office: 3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA 90806
• Phone: (866) 981-1498
• Website: Kristy & Kananen
• Focus Areas: Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation, Unpaid Overtime, Misclassification, Construction Defect, Insurance Bad Faith
• Team: Two attorneys who represent plaintiffs only
• Google Rating: 2.7 ★★⯪ (3 reviews) | View on Google

Firm Overview

Kristy & Kananen takes cases only on behalf of individuals, never companies, and litigates through trial and appeal when a fair settlement is not offered. Employment law is one of the firm's main practice areas, together with construction defect and insurance bad faith claims.

James Kristy has handled wrongful termination cases for Southern California employees since 2003, three years after joining the California bar, and Super Lawyers has selected him every year from 2020 through 2026.

On the wage side, the firm pursues unpaid daily and weekly overtime and challenges job titles that label workers as managers to avoid paying them overtime. Consultations are free, and translation into Spanish is available.

How Employment Claims Work in Los Angeles

Most workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims in California run through the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Before suing, an employee must file with the California Civil Rights Department and receive a right-to-sue notice. The filing window is generally three years from the unlawful act, and a lawsuit must follow within one year of the notice.

Pay disputes follow a different route. Workers can file a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner's Office or sue in court, and most Labor Code wage claims carry a three-year deadline. California pays overtime at time and a half after eight hours in a day or 40 in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day. Separately, the California Family Rights Act gives eligible employees of businesses with five or more workers up to 12 weeks of job-protected family and medical leave.

Cases that go to court are usually filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Claims under federal law, such as Title VII or the Americans with Disabilities Act, may instead be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Where to Get More Information

These public agencies and courts offer free information for Los Angeles workers:

• California Civil Rights Department: Employment discrimination information, covering discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and leave rights.
• California Labor Commissioner's Office: Wage claims and workers' rights, including how to file a wage or retaliation claim.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: EEOC, the federal agency for discrimination charges under laws like Title VII and the ADA.
• Los Angeles Superior Court: Civil Division, civil case filing and courthouse information.
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California: Central District of California, the federal trial court for Los Angeles County.
• City of Los Angeles: Official city website, city services and local government resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I talk to an employment lawyer while I still work for the company?

Yes. Many workers consult a lawyer while still employed, especially when they are facing harassment, a denied accommodation, or unpaid wages and want to understand their options before things escalate. California law prohibits employers from retaliating against employees for asserting their workplace rights.

2. What is the deadline to file a discrimination or harassment claim in California?

Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, employees generally have three years from the unlawful act to file with the California Civil Rights Department. After the department issues a right-to-sue notice, the employee has one year to file a lawsuit. Waiting can weaken a case even when time remains, because evidence and witness memories fade.

3. What can I recover in a California employment case?

Depending on the claim, employees may recover lost wages and benefits (back pay), future lost earnings (front pay), damages for emotional distress, and unpaid wages with statutory penalties. In FEHA cases, a court can also award punitive damages when an employer acted with malice, oppression, or fraud, and a successful employee may recover attorney fees.

4. How do employment lawyers in Los Angeles charge for their services?

Most lawyers who represent employees in Los Angeles work on contingency. They are paid a percentage of any settlement or judgment, and if there is no recovery, there is no attorney fee. Percentages and the treatment of case costs differ from firm to firm, so read the fee agreement before you sign.

5. How much job-protected leave do California employees get?

The California Family Rights Act gives eligible employees of businesses with five or more employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to care for their own serious health condition, care for a family member, or bond with a new child. Pregnant employees may also take up to four months of pregnancy disability leave, which is separate from CFRA bonding leave.

6. My employer made me sign an arbitration agreement. Can I still sue?

It depends on the agreement and the claim. Many California employers require arbitration, and courts often enforce those agreements. However, a federal law passed in 2022, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, lets employees with sexual harassment or sexual assault claims choose to go to court instead of arbitration. An employment lawyer can review whether your agreement is enforceable.

7. How do I know if I was wrongfully terminated?

California is an at-will state, so a firing is not automatically illegal just because it seems unfair. A termination may be unlawful if it was motivated by a protected characteristic such as race, age, disability, or pregnancy, if it was retaliation for a complaint, leave request, or whistleblowing, or if it broke an employment contract or violated public policy.

8. Should I sign a severance agreement?

Not before you understand it. Severance agreements usually require you to release legal claims against the employer in exchange for payment. If you may have a discrimination, retaliation, or wage claim, the severance offer may be worth far less than the claim you would be giving up. Having an employment lawyer review the agreement before signing is common.

9. How long does an employment lawsuit take in Los Angeles?

Timelines vary widely. Some cases settle within months through negotiation or mediation, while cases that go through full discovery and trial can take two years or longer. Arbitration can sometimes move faster than court. Your lawyer can estimate a timeline once the facts and the employer's response are clear.

10. What should I look for when choosing an employment lawyer?

Choose a lawyer who represents employees rather than employers and who has handled cases like yours. Ask who will work on your case day to day, how the fee and costs are structured, and how often you can expect updates. It is normal to meet with more than one attorney before deciding.

Disclaimer: This guide to Los Angeles employment law attorneys is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an attorney referral. This is not a ranked or sponsored list, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement by, or affiliation with, any named employment law firm beyond what is stated. Attorney credentials, case results, and contact details change over time; please confirm current information directly with each firm before making a hiring decision. Past results described here do not guarantee similar outcomes in any other workplace or employment case.