10 Best Employment Lawyers in Long Beach, CA

This guide covers 10 employment law firms that represent workers in Long Beach, California, in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour disputes. Firms were evaluated on four points: the attorney’s professional background in employee-side litigation, how much of the practice is devoted to employment law rather than general practice, documented case results or trial and class action experience, and a real presence in Long Beach through a local office or a stated service area that covers the city.

When comparing firms, three practical questions matter most. First, does the lawyer handle both individual claims and class or representative wage cases, since many pay violations affect an entire workforce. Second, has the attorney litigated in the courts where your case would likely be heard, including Los Angeles County Superior Court and federal court in the Central District of California. Third, does the firm cover the full set of California claims that tend to overlap, such as FEHA discrimination, CFRA and FMLA leave, whistleblower retaliation, and Labor Code violations.

1. Kristy & Kananen

• Attorney/Key Figure: James R. Kristy and Kurt E. Kananen, Co-Founders and Principal Trial Attorneys
• Headquarters: 3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA 90806
• Phone: (866) 981-1498
• Website: kristylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Employment law (wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, equal pay, wage and hour and unpaid overtime), insurance bad faith, construction defect litigation
• Firm Size: Boutique trial firm with three attorneys, representing plaintiffs only
• Practice Area Page: Long Beach Employment Lawyer

About the Firm: Kristy & Kananen is headquartered in Long Beach and represents employees against large employers. James Kristy spent more than 20 years in corporate financial management at large U.S. corporations before earning his J.D. at Whittier Law School in 2000, and he has litigated on behalf of plaintiffs ever since, founding the firm in 2003. His corporate background gives him a working understanding of how large employers evaluate and defend claims.

Employment work makes up the majority of Mr. Kristy’s practice, and the firm handles both individual cases and class actions for employees. He is admitted before the Central District of California, the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court, and is a member emeritus of the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. The firm takes cases with no attorney’s fees unless it recovers compensation. Nosrati Law reports a 10.0 Avvo rating for its founder and a 4.9 Martindale-Hubbell peer rating, and handles cases on a no recovery, no fee basis. Omid Nosrati also speaks Farsi.

2. Briana Kim, PC (The Law Office of Briana Kim)

• Attorney/Key Figure: Briana M. Kim, Founder and Principal
• Headquarters: 249 E. Ocean Blvd., Suite 814, Long Beach, CA 90802 (second office at 6 Centerpointe Dr., Suite 700, La Palma, CA 90623)
• Phone: (714) 482-6301
• Website: wagerecoveryqueen.com
• Practice Areas: Wage and hour, unpaid wages and overtime, wrongful termination, FMLA and leave of absence, employee misclassification, retaliation, sexual harassment, workplace, disability, pregnancy and gender discrimination, severance, whistleblower, equal pay and pay transparency, prevailing wage, PAGA claims
• Firm Size: Founder-led boutique devoted entirely to employment litigation
• Practice Area Page: Long Beach Employment Lawyer

About the Firm: Briana Kim earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 2007 and has been licensed in California since 2008. Before opening her own firm she worked at Jose Garay, APLC, a boutique class action firm in Irvine, where she handled wage and hour class cases, including matters involving misclassification and inadequate severance. She also spent time at the Law Offices of Joseph M. Lovretovich in Woodland Hills litigating employment cases for employees in state and federal court, and she clerked in the EEOC’s hearings unit during law school.

That mix of class action and individual practice shows in the firm’s published results: a $2.425 million wage and hour class settlement against a large educational services company, $1.6 million against a telecommunications employer, $1.4 million against a staffing agency and automotive employer, and seven-figure and high six-figure disability, harassment and pregnancy discrimination outcomes. Ms. Kim is fluent in English and Korean, is admitted in California state and federal courts and in Illinois, and the firm offers free consultations from its office in the Long Beach downtown core.

3. Nosrati Law

• Attorney/Key Figure: Omid Nosrati, Founder
• Headquarters: 1801 Century Park East, Suite 840, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (serves Long Beach and the wider Southern California region)
• Phone: (323) 784-0643
• Website: nosratilaw.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, workplace discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, sexual harassment, wage and hour disputes, whistleblower protection, FMLA and CFRA leave
• Firm Size: Boutique with five attorneys, representing employees only; the firm cites more than 40 years of combined attorney experience

About the Firm: Omid Nosrati started as a plaintiff’s lawyer in 2001 after Loyola Law School and opened his own firm in 2003. His practice has stayed on the employee side throughout, and the firm now describes itself as exclusively dedicated to employment law. Its published results include a $1.5 million whistleblower retaliation recovery, a $1.45 million wage and hour class action, and a $1.1 million whistleblower retaliation recovery. The firm is notable for the breadth of its claim types under one roof, from pregnancy and disability discrimination to misclassification, meal and rest break violations, and prevailing wage. 

4. Buchsbaum Haag

• Attorney/Key Figure: Brent Buchsbaum, Founding Partner (with Laurel Haag)
• Headquarters: 100 Oceangate, Suite 1200, Long Beach, CA 90802
• Phone: (562) 733-2498
• Website: buchsbaumhaag.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, workplace discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, class actions and PAGA, whistleblower retaliation, severance agreements, misclassification
• Firm Size: Two-partner boutique representing employees

About the Firm: Brent Buchsbaum spent 16 years at one of the largest employee rights firms in Southern California before founding this firm, and has practiced almost exclusively in employment law for more than two decades. His profile lists cases against Chevron, Bank of America, Walmart and Boeing, a $1.17 million wrongful termination jury verdict against the City of Pasadena, and career recoveries the firm puts above $75 million.

He has been named a Super Lawyer from 2021 through 2026 and belongs to the Long Beach Bar Association. The firm is built around high-stakes litigation against well-funded employers, including class actions. That focus is a strength for large claims, though workers with a smaller individual dispute may want to ask early how the firm evaluates and staffs that kind of case. Google reviews average 4.8 across 78 ratings.

5. Law Offices of Gary R. Carlin, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Gary R. Carlin, Founding Member
• Headquarters: 301 E. Ocean Blvd., Suite 1550, Long Beach, CA 90802
• Phone: (562) 432-8933
• Website: garycarlinlaw.com
• Practice Areas: FEHA discrimination, failure to accommodate, FMLA and CFRA, hostile work environment, retaliation, whistleblower retaliation, unpaid overtime, wrongful termination, severance agreements, workers’ compensation, class actions
• Firm Size: Established boutique with decades of operating history

About the Firm: Gary Carlin has been licensed in California since 1970 and established his own practice in 1977. His firm bio credits him with verdicts, judgments, awards and settlements with a present value above $100 million, and notes that he previously advised the California Supreme Court on attorney discipline matters. He has served as a judge pro tempore in Long Beach Superior Court and is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association and the Long Beach Bar Association.

Few lawyers on this list can match that tenure in the Long Beach courts, and the firm pairs employment litigation with workers’ compensation and class action work. The practice is broader than pure employment law, and public review scores are lower than those of several peers, at 3.9 on Google across 11 reviews and 3.7 on Yelp across 7, so prospective clients will want to speak with the office directly about who would handle their file.

6. Gateway Pacific Law Group, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Roger Haag, Partner
• Headquarters: 111 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 472, Long Beach, CA 90802
• Phone: (562) 485-6151
• Website: gpaclaw.com
• Practice Areas: Employment law, wage and hour claims, workers’ compensation, personal injury and wrongful death
• Firm Size: Small firm with more than 20 years of combined attorney experience

About the Firm: Gateway Pacific is a Long Beach firm that represents workers in employment disputes and on-the-job injuries. Roger Haag has handled arbitration hearings as well as bench and jury trials, belongs to the California Employment Lawyers Association, and carries a Super Lawyers Rising Stars recognition listed on the firm’s site. The office offers bilingual English and Spanish service, which matters in a city where many wage cases involve Spanish-speaking workers. Because the firm also takes workers’ compensation and personal injury matters, employment law is one of several practice areas rather than its sole focus. That breadth can help when a termination follows a workplace injury, since both claims can be handled together. Google reviews average 5.0 across 30 ratings.

7. Workman Law & Litigation

• Attorney/Key Figure: John Hinman, Managing Attorney
• Headquarters: 5855 E. Naples Plaza, Long Beach, CA 90803
• Website: workmanlaw-litigation.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, wage disputes, sexual harassment, workplace discrimination
• Firm Size: Small firm with two named attorneys

About the Firm: Workman Law & Litigation is a Naples-based Long Beach firm that litigates wrongful termination, unpaid wage, harassment and discrimination cases for employees. John Hinman leads the firm as managing attorney with about 17 years of experience. Seth Workman spent the first six years of his career defending healthcare providers and medical professionals, which gives him a view of how employers build their defense once a claim is filed. The firm’s approach emphasizes gathering documentary proof early so that an employer cannot obscure the record. As a small office with a modest public review base, it offers less published track record to compare than the larger names on this list, though its Google rating is 5.0 across 20 reviews.

8. Petronelli Law Group

• Headquarters: 295 Redondo Ave., Suite 201, Long Beach, CA 90803
• Website: petronellilaborlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Workplace harassment, wage violations, protected-class discrimination, wrongful termination, employment class actions
• Firm Size: Small employment-focused firm

About the Firm: Petronelli Law Group, located in the Belmont Shore and Alamitos Beach area of Long Beach, represents employees who have faced harassment, pay violations, discrimination and wrongful termination. It also brings class action lawsuits against employers that repeatedly or broadly violate employee rights, evaluating each case on its merits before recommending a path, most often a lawsuit seeking monetary recovery. Public ratings sit at 4.5 on Yelp across 17 reviews and 4.3 on Google across 7. The firm’s public profile lists fewer individual case results and attorney credentials than some competitors, so it is worth asking in a first consultation who will lead the case and what comparable matters they have resolved.

9. Murrin Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: J. Owen Murrin, Principal
• Headquarters: 5150 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA 90804
• Website: murrinlawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wage and hour, civil rights violations, FINRA investment loss arbitration
• Firm Size: Small practice led by a veteran principal

About the Firm: Murrin Law Firm is a Long Beach practice that handles civil rights and workplace claims including employment discrimination, sexual harassment and wage and hour disputes. J. Owen Murrin has been licensed for roughly five decades, and he is also a member of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, reflecting a second practice area in FINRA arbitrations for investors with investment losses. Google reviews average 5.0 across 28 ratings. The split between employment work and securities arbitration means the firm is not a pure employment practice, which is worth weighing if your case involves a complex class or representative wage claim.

10. Lyon Legal, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Devon Lyon, Founder
• Headquarters: 2698 Junipero Ave., Signal Hill, CA 90755
• Website: lyon-legal.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful termination and demotion, harassment, retaliation, termination and severance agreements, confidentiality agreements, employer advisory work
• Firm Size: Founder-led firm

About the Firm: Lyon Legal operates from Signal Hill, the small city surrounded entirely by Long Beach, and serves the metro area. Devon Lyon has about 20 years of employment law experience and represents clients in wrongful termination, demotion, harassment and retaliation matters, in addition to negotiating severance and drafting confidentiality agreements. The firm represents both employees and employers, which gives its lawyers a view from each side of a dispute but means some workers will prefer a firm that handles only employee cases. Avvo reviews average 5.0 across 8 ratings and Google averages 4.9 across 10.

Long Beach, CA Employment Law Resources

• California Civil Rights Department (CRD) – Provides information about workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other employment rights in California.
• California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) – Offers resources covering wage and hour laws, workplace standards, workers’ rights, and employer obligations.
• California Labor Commissioner’s Office – Provides information about unpaid wages, meal and rest breaks, retaliation, and other labor law claims.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – Provides federal resources concerning workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and disability-related employment rights.
• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) – Offers federal employment resources covering wages, leave, workplace protections, and other labor standards.

Understanding Long Beach, CA Employment Law Court Procedures

• Filing a Complaint: Depending on the dispute, an employee may file a claim with an appropriate agency or pursue a lawsuit in court.
• Administrative Review: Agencies such as the California Civil Rights Department or Labor Commissioner’s Office may investigate eligible employment claims.
• Filing a Lawsuit: If litigation is appropriate, the employee may file a complaint outlining the alleged employment violations.
• Employer Response: The employer typically responds by filing an answer or other appropriate response to the allegations.
• Discovery: Both sides may exchange documents, send written questions, and conduct depositions to gather evidence.
• Motions & Settlement: Parties may file motions addressing legal issues and may negotiate a settlement before trial.
• Trial: If the dispute is not resolved, both sides present evidence and arguments before a judge or jury.
• Judgment & Appeals: The court issues a decision, and eligible parties may have the right to appeal under California law.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be fired in California if I am an at-will employee?

At-will employment lets an employer end the relationship without a stated reason, but not for an unlawful one. Terminations tied to race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion or sexual orientation violate the Fair Employment and Housing Act, and firing someone for taking protected medical or family leave, reporting fraud, complaining about harassment, or asking to be paid owed wages can support a wrongful termination claim. Firms such as Nosrati Law list dedicated pages for each of these situations, including being fired after reporting harassment or after taking sick leave.

How long do I have to file a discrimination or harassment claim in California?

For FEHA claims, a complaint generally goes to the California Civil Rights Department first, and the filing window is three years from the unlawful act. Other claims run on different clocks, and a union contract can shorten the time to act to as little as six months for certain grievances. Because wrongful termination, retaliation and wage claims can each have a different deadline, boutique employment firms like Kristy & Kananen and Briana Kim, PC typically map out every available claim at the first meeting.

What is the difference between a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner and a lawsuit?

The Labor Commissioner’s wage claim process is an administrative route for recovering unpaid wages, which can suit a straightforward individual claim. A lawsuit opens the door to broader remedies, including class or representative actions when the same violation hit many workers, such as off-the-clock work or missed meal and rest breaks. Firms with class action experience, including Briana Kim, PC and Buchsbaum Haag, often evaluate whether a pay problem is large enough to proceed on behalf of a group.

How much does an employment lawyer in Long Beach cost?

Most employee-side firms in Long Beach take cases on contingency, meaning attorney’s fees come out of a recovery and nothing is owed if there is none. Nosrati Law uses a no recovery, no fee model, Kristy & Kananen charges no attorney’s fees unless it recovers compensation, and Briana Kim, PC offers a free consultation. Fee percentages and cost handling vary by firm and by whether a case settles or goes to trial, so it helps to ask for the fee agreement terms in writing before signing.

Should I choose a boutique employment firm or a broader practice?

A boutique devoted to employment law, like Nosrati Law or Kristy & Kananen, tends to see a high volume of the same claim types and knows the local defense bar. A broader practice such as Gateway Pacific Law Group can be a good fit when an employment dispute overlaps with a workplace injury or a workers’ compensation claim. Veteran practitioners like Gary Carlin bring long familiarity with Long Beach courts, so the best match depends on whether your case is a single claim or several that intersect.

What evidence should I gather before meeting with an employment attorney?

Useful records include your offer letter or contract, pay stubs and timecards, performance reviews, emails or texts about the issue, any written complaints you made, and the termination notice. For wage cases, a record of the hours you actually worked can matter as much as the employer’s records. Bringing a clear timeline of dates, who said or did what, and who witnessed it lets an attorney at firms like Buchsbaum Haag or Workman Law & Litigation judge the strength of a claim quickly in a first consultation.

Disclaimer: For informational use only-this content is not legal advice or an endorsement. Attorney qualifications change over time; always independently verify credentials and consult qualified counsel before retaining representation.