Complex Employment Litigation (Class, PAGA and Collective Actions)

Class actions, representative actions under California’s Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) present some of the most significant legal and financial risks facing California employers. These cases often involve claims affecting hundreds or thousands of current and former employees, substantial potential exposure, extensive discovery, and complex procedural issues. Successfully defending these matters requires experienced counsel with the ability to develop innovative legal strategies while managing litigation efficiently and cost-effectively.

Our litigators have extensive experience and success in defending employers in a wide range of complex litigation throughout California in both federal and state courts. Our attorneys represent employers across a broad range of industries in high-exposure matters, including:

• Wage and hour class actions
• PAGA representative actions
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective claims
• Hybrid class action and PAGA lawsuits
• Discrimination class actions
• Unfair competition claims arising from alleged Labor Code violations

There has been a significant increase in complex litigation filed against employers in California in recent years and the trend is expected to continue. Given California’s detailed labor laws, even minor wage and hour errors can result in damages and attorneys’ fees awards in the six or seven figures. Class and PAGA representative actions pose significant financial, business and productivity risks that can be devastating to employers.

Our complex litigation practice is devoted exclusively to representing employers in class actions, PAGA representative actions, and collective actions against businesses of all sizes and industries. Our team has the expertise and skills necessary to help our clients navigate complex litigation to achieve productive resolution while minimizing or eliminating the associated risks.

Complex employment litigation demands experienced counsel who understand both the procedural challenges of high-stakes litigation and the operational realities facing California employers. LightGabler LLP combines decades of employment law experience with sophisticated litigation strategies to help employers successfully navigate class, PAGA and collective actions while protecting their businesses for the future.

Our litigators focus on early assessment of the claims and potential exposure to determine the best strategic and cost-effective approach to defend against litigation, whether through alternative dispute resolution (such as mediation), opposing class certification or defeating the plaintiffs’ claims. We collaborate with our clients to tailor our litigation strategy to each individual client’s business needs, taking into consideration the cost of ongoing complex litigation and its adverse impact on business operations. We aim to extract our clients from litigation in an aggressive and cost-effective manner, while protecting our clients’ ability to remain focused on business goals. When needed, our team of skilled trial attorneys is ready to aggressively litigate your case through conclusion, including summary judgment and trial.

We have defended cases assigned by a variety of Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) carriers as panel or approved counsel. Our attorneys and staff are experienced in managing insurers’ litigation guidelines as well as their reporting and billing requirements. Our firm has provided legal services to clients insured by numerous carriers, including the following: