California Employment Counseling & Litigation

Overview

O’Hagan Meyer advises and defends California employers in wage and hour matters, PAGA actions, and individual employment disputes. Combining this extensive litigation experience with practical day-to-day employment advice, we help employers manage risk, maintain compliance, and respond effectively to workplace challenges.

California employers face an increasingly complex and fast-changing legal and regulatory landscape, particularly in areas involving wage and hour compliance, employee classification, leave obligations, workplace policies, accommodations, and termination decisions. O’Hagan Meyer’s employment counseling team provides practical, business-focused counsel designed to reduce risk while supporting day-to-day operations. We advise employers throughout the employment lifecycle, including hiring, compensation, performance issues, employee discipline, reductions in force, and separation. Our counseling lawyers also conduct workplace audits, review policies and procedures, assist with advising on internal investigations, and provide management training tailored to California-specific legal requirements. We help employers craft and implement defensible workplace policies, practices, and documentation procedures designed to reduce future claims exposure.

For matters where litigation becomes unavoidable, our litigation attorneys represent employers in wage and hour class actions, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) representative actions, and individual employment disputes involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage-related claims. Our team appears in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and mediations, and before administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, California Civil Rights Department, and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. We develop practical defense strategies based on the legal, procedural, and operational risks each matter presents, particularly in high-exposure cases.

From pre-litigation demands through trial and appeal, we conduct early case assessments, evaluate exposure, identify key factual and legal issues, and develop defense strategies based on each client’s business objectives and risk tolerance. Where appropriate, we pursue efficient resolution through negotiation, motion practice, mediation, or arbitration. When litigation proves to be the best course of action, we prepare matters thoroughly and position cases for effective defense throughout every phase.

Our lawyers advise businesses ranging from emerging companies to national and international employers across wide-ranging industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, staffing, construction, transportation, professional services, agriculture, technology, and other workforce-intensive sectors. Clients value our responsiveness, practical guidance, and clear communication, as well as our ability to deliver sophisticated employment counsel efficiently in high-stakes matters. We help employers address workforce challenges, manage litigation exposure, and navigate California employment laws with practical, straightforward advice that supports their operational and business goals.

Experience

Representative Counseling projects include:

• Employee Handbook Review
• Employment Policy and Procedures Audit
• Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
• Workplace Investigations
• Interactive Process and Reasonable Accommodations Advisement
• Wage and Hour Audits and Policy Implementation

News

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If you have a question or would like to learn more about our services, please fill out the form below. Someone from our team will review your inquiry and follow up as needed.

Please note that no attorney-client relationship is formed unless and until we agree upon and execute a written retention agreement. Until that time, we are unable to act on your behalf or protect your legal interests.