10 Best Employment Lawyers in Pasadena, CA

This guide covers 10 employment lawyers and firms that represent workers in Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley, including firms headquartered in Pasadena and Los Angeles-area firms that regularly take Pasadena cases. We evaluated each firm on whether it represents employees rather than employers, the depth of its experience with California-specific claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the Labor Code, and the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), relevant prior experience (defense-side employment work, government agencies, class action litigation), its documented trial and settlement record, and whether employment law is the firm’s core practice or one area among several.

When comparing options, ask three practical questions. First, does the firm handle your specific type of claim? A disability accommodation case, an unpaid overtime class action, and an executive severance negotiation call for different experience. Second, has the attorney worked on the employer’s side, and do they understand how a company’s HR records and defense counsel will build the case against you? Third, will the firm handle the administrative steps that come before a lawsuit, such as a Civil Rights Department complaint, a Labor Commissioner wage claim, or a PAGA notice, and how does it handle cases subject to an arbitration agreement? This list is not ranked and not sponsored.

Firm details come from each firm’s own website, cross-checked against attorney directories including Super Lawyers, Avvo, and Justia.

1. Esperanza Anderson

• Attorney/Key Figure: Esperanza Anderson, Founding Employment Attorney
• Headquarters: 1037 Allen Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103
• Phone: (626) 219-6773
• Website: esperanzaanderson.com
• Practice Areas: Employment Law exclusively: Workplace Discrimination (Race, Age, Pregnancy, National Origin, Gender, Religion, FMLA), Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Wage and Hour Claims, Labor Commissioner Claims, Retaliation and Whistleblower Retaliation, Hostile Work Environment, Employee Misclassification
• Firm Size: Solo practice; 30 years of employment law experience, including years representing Fortune 500 companies at global law firms

About the Firm: Esperanza Anderson is one of the few employment lawyers on this list with her office in Pasadena itself. She spent the early part of her career at global law firms representing Fortune 500 companies in employment matters, then founded her own practice in 2009 to represent workers. With roughly 30 years in employment law, she has seen how large employers and their outside counsel approach discrimination and wage claims from the inside, and she uses that knowledge on behalf of employees.

Anderson has helped recover almost $100 million in settlements and damages for employees, including cases against major regional employers such as Kaiser Permanente. She keeps her caseload intentionally small so that clients work with her directly, she handles Labor Commissioner claims as well as lawsuits, and she speaks Spanish. Initial consultations are free.

2. Kramer Brown Hui LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jennifer Kramer, Sam Brown, and Shoshee Hui, Partners
• Headquarters: 3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1908, Los Angeles, CA 90010
• Phone: (213) 310-8301
• Website: kbhllp.com
• Practice Areas: Sexual Harassment, Workplace Discrimination (Age, Disability and ADA, Gender, Pregnancy and FMLA, Race and National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity), Wrongful Termination, Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Public Entity Employee Claims, Wage and Hour (Overtime, Minimum Wage, Misclassification, Class Actions)
• Firm Size: Boutique employee-only firm (6 attorneys); formerly Hennig Kramer Ruiz & Singh LLP
• Practice Area Page: Pasadena Employment Lawyer

About the Firm: Kramer Brown Hui represents only employees, and every attorney at the firm practices employment law. Partner Shoshee Hui joined the firm in 2016 after clerking there during law school, following earlier positions at the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. That combination of agency and federal court experience is useful in discrimination cases that begin with an administrative charge.

The firm has a notable record against public employers, including a $1.8 million judgment in Kamali v. California Department of Transportation and a judgment of more than $997,000 in Brake v. California Department of Transportation, alongside private-sector results such as a $1.5 million sexual orientation harassment settlement and a $1.15 million whistleblower settlement. Services are available in Spanish and Mandarin, and the firm offers virtual meetings for clients across California.

3. Nosrati Law, APLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Omid Nosrati, Founder
• Headquarters: 1801 Century Park East, Suite 840, Los Angeles, CA 90067
• Phone: (323) 784-0643
• Website: nosratilaw.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful Termination, Sexual Harassment, Discrimination (Age, Disability, Race, Gender, Pregnancy, Religion, National Origin, Sexual Orientation), Retaliation, Whistleblower Protection, Wage and Hour Disputes, FMLA Violations, Hostile Work Environment, Class Actions
• Firm Size: Boutique employment firm (5 attorneys); founder has practiced since 2001

About the Firm: Omid Nosrati has represented employees for more than 25 years and founded Nosrati Law to focus on workers challenging unlawful conduct by their employers. His firm has taken on some of the best-known employers in the region, with matters involving Disney (sexual orientation discrimination), Robinhood (gender discrimination and whistleblower retaliation), and Netflix (gender bias and sexual harassment). He has been selected to Super Lawyers every year from 2018 through 2026 and holds a 10.0 Avvo rating.

The firm’s reported results include $1.65 million, $1.5 million, and $1.1 million recoveries in whistleblower retaliation cases and a $1.45 million wage and hour class action settlement. Nosrati works with partner Rene Maldonado and a team of associates, speaks Farsi, and handles cases on a contingency basis for employees throughout Los Angeles County, including Pasadena.

4. Shirazi Law Firm, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Emanuel Shirazi, Founder
• Headquarters: 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Penthouse, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
• Phone: (310) 400-5891
• Website: shirazilawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Disability Discrimination, Pregnancy Discrimination, Medical and FMLA/CFRA Leave Retaliation, Failure to Accommodate, Wrongful Termination (including Executive-Level), Sexual Harassment, Workplace Discrimination (Age, Gender, Race, Religion, National Origin, Sexual Orientation), Hostile Work Environment, Whistleblower Retaliation, Wage and Hour, Employee Misclassification
• Firm Size: Boutique firm; founder has more than 20 years of employment law experience, including as a partner at national employment defense firms
• Practice Area Page: Pasadena Employment Lawyer

About the Firm: Emanuel Shirazi spent the first part of his career as a partner at major national employment law firms defending employers, and he now represents employees exclusively. That background gives him an inside view of how corporate defense teams evaluate claims, prepare witnesses, and decide when to settle. He has tried almost a dozen cases and has presented on trial practice to the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

The firm reports more than $100 million in verdicts and settlements, with recent results including $2.4 million for an employer’s failure to provide medical leave, $2.1 million in a disability discrimination case, and $1.6 million in a pregnancy discrimination case. Clients work directly with Shirazi, and the firm handles cases on a contingency basis.

5. Law Offices of Reisner & King LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Adam Reisner and Tessa King, Founding Attorneys
• Headquarters: 15303 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1260, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
• Phone: (818) 981-0901
• Website: reisnerking.com
• Practice Areas: Workplace Discrimination (Age, Disability, Gender, Pregnancy, Race, Sexual Orientation, Veteran and Military Status), Wrongful Termination, Sexual Harassment, Workplace Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, FMLA and CFRA Violations, Wage and Hour, Employee Misclassification, Severance Agreements, Personal Injury
• Firm Size: Boutique employee-side firm (4 attorneys); senior partner has more than 25 years of civil litigation experience

About the Firm: Adam Reisner has more than 25 years of civil litigation experience, beginning at an AV-rated Westwood firm handling class action lawsuits and continuing as a partner at an employment and civil rights firm before co-founding Reisner & King with Tessa King. He has been admitted in California since 1999 and practices in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit. He is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and is listed in Super Lawyers.

The firm represents employees only and covers the full range of FEHA and Labor Code claims, from discrimination and retaliation to leave violations under the California Family Rights Act and severance agreement review. It offers free initial consultations and serves clients across Los Angeles County.

6. Park APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Sang (James) Park, Principal
• Headquarters: 8383 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
• Phone: (310) 627-2964
• Website: park-lawyers.com
• Practice Areas: Wage and Hour (Overtime, Meal and Rest Breaks, Minimum Wage, Improper Deductions, Tip Splitting, Commissions, Piece Rate), Employee Misclassification, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination (Pregnancy, Age, Gender, Race, Disability), Family and Medical Leave Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower Claims, Hostile Work Environment
• Firm Size: Boutique employment firm; founder has class action settlements of up to $10 million

About the Firm: Sang Park worked at both defense and plaintiff firms, practicing insurance litigation, consumer protection, and class actions, before founding Park APC to represent employees. He has tried employment cases to verdict and argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the California Court of Appeal. He is a graduate of the California Employment Lawyers Association’s Trial College and serves on CELA’s Arbitration Committee, which matters given how many California employment cases are now routed to arbitration.

Park’s class and representative action results include a $10 million settlement for employees of a nationwide retailer, $3.4 million for drivers of a national transportation company, and $2.2 million against an airline services company, and he has won class certification in cases involving more than a thousand employees. The firm offers free case evaluations and represents employees throughout Los Angeles and California with no upfront costs.

7. MM Law, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Maralle Messrelian, Founder and Managing Attorney
• Headquarters: 500 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 2000, Glendale, CA 91203
• Phone: (747) 302-6922
• Website: mmlawapc.com
• Practice Areas: Employment Law (Wage and Hour, Overtime and Meal/Rest Breaks, Workplace Discrimination and Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Sexual Harassment, Retaliation, Whistleblower Retaliation, Pregnancy and Disability Discrimination, Racial Discrimination, Family and Medical Leave, Hostile Work Environment), Personal Injury, Property Damage, Tenants’ Rights
• Firm Size: Boutique plaintiff-side firm; founder brings a 10-year accounting career to wage and hour work
• Practice Area Page: Pasadena Employment Lawyer

About the Firm: Maralle Messrelian founded MM Law after a decade-long career in accounting, a background that translates directly to wage and hour cases, where recovering unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest break premiums, and waiting-time penalties depends on reconstructing payroll records line by line. She completed Southwestern Law School’s accelerated two-year J.D. program, where she earned the Guerin L. Butterworth Prize for the highest first-year GPA, and she is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association and the Consumer Attorneys of California.

The firm’s Brand Boulevard office in Glendale sits a short drive from Pasadena, and it represents employees throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. MM Law deliberately limits its caseload so that Messrelian personally handles each matter, and it works on a contingency basis, so clients pay no fee unless there is a recovery.

8. Guzmán & Tokar LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Marcia Guzmán, Managing Partner; Victoria Tokar, General Partner
• Headquarters: 440 N. Barranca Ave., Suite 1354, Covina, CA 91723
• Phone: (626) 427-7128
• Website: guzmanandtokar.com
• Practice Areas: Employment Law exclusively for employees: FEHA Claims, Wrongful Termination, Workplace Discrimination (Age, Disability, Gender, Pregnancy, Race, Sexual Orientation), Sexual Harassment, Workplace Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Wage and Hour Violations, Meal and Rest Break Rights, PAGA Claims, FMLA, Workplace Safety
• Firm Size: Two-partner employee-side firm based in the San Gabriel Valley

About the Firm: Guzmán & Tokar is a plaintiff-side employment firm based in Covina, in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, focused on unlawful terminations, discrimination, and wage and hour claims. Partner Victoria Tokar is a Loyola Law School graduate and Phi Beta Kappa member who served as chief research editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review, and she also holds a master’s degree in law librarianship, which supports the research-heavy side of FEHA and PAGA litigation.

The firm represents workers across industries, from office staff and executives to healthcare workers, engineers, retail employees, and construction workers, and it handles PAGA representative claims alongside individual cases. It offers bilingual English and Spanish service, free consultations, and serves clients from Northern to Southern California.

9. Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Dan Stormer and Barbara Hadsell, Founding Partners
• Headquarters: 128 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite 204, Pasadena, CA 91103 (additional office at 250 E. 1st St., Suite 1201, Los Angeles, CA 90012)
• Phone: (626) 775-7870
• Website: hadsellstormer.com
• Practice Areas: Employee and Workers’ Rights (Discrimination, Harassment, FMLA Violations, Wrongful Termination, Whistleblower Retaliation, Breach of Employment Contract), Civil Rights, and related public interest litigation
• Firm Size: Mid-size firm founded in 1991 with 10+ attorneys; recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Chambers & Partners

About the Firm: Hadsell Stormer has been based in Pasadena since its founding in 1991, and its founders made their names immediately: Dan Stormer won a $20.3 million verdict in Martin v. Texaco within the firm’s first month, and Barbara Hadsell won a sexual harassment verdict against the Long Beach Police Department in Allison v. City of Long Beach. The firm represents only employees in its employment practice, across every industry.

Its more recent results include a $4.6 million verdict in Steffens v. Regus and a $3.07 million confidential arbitration award, along with more than 20 settlements in the $500,000 to $1.3 million range. Several partners have been named to the Lawdragon 500. Because the firm also runs a substantial civil rights practice, it tends to take on cases with significant liability or public interest stakes, and a smaller individual wage claim may be a better fit for a wage-focused boutique.

10. Domb & Rauchwerger LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Zack Domb and Devin Rauchwerger, Founding Partners
• Headquarters: 1055 E. Colorado Blvd., Fifth Floor, Pasadena, CA 91106
• Phone: (213) 772-5882
• Website: dombrauchwerger.com
• Practice Areas: Wrongful Termination, Discrimination (Disability, Pregnancy, Transgender), Sexual and Workplace Harassment, Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Equal Pay, Wage and Hour (Unpaid Wages, Overtime, Meal and Rest Breaks), Employee Misclassification, PAGA and Class Actions
• Firm Size: Boutique firm (4 attorneys); both founders are former partners at a national employment defense firm

About the Firm: Zack Domb and Devin Rauchwerger were both partners at one of the largest employment defense firms in the country before opening their Pasadena firm to represent workers. That defense-side background is the firm’s calling card: the founders know how employers document terminations, how defense counsel values claims, and where corporate cases tend to be weakest.

The firm’s reported results include a $9.9 million arbitration award for a physician in a wrongful termination case, a $5.7 million jury verdict for intentional infliction of emotional distress, a $3 million wage and hour class settlement, and a $1.34 million PAGA settlement against Il Fornaio covering more than 2,000 employees. It works on contingency, has Spanish-speaking staff, and its founders have been recognized by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers. As a four-attorney firm, it has less bench depth than larger practices for handling several major trials at once.

Understanding Pasadena, CA Employment Claim Procedures

• Administrative Complaint with the Civil Rights Department (CRD): Most discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) must first be filed with the CRD. Employees generally have three years from the last unlawful act to file, and after obtaining a Right-to-Sue notice they have one year to file a lawsuit.
• Federal EEOC Charge (Optional Dual Filing): Claims under federal laws such as Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA require an EEOC charge, which in California must generally be filed within 300 days. Complaints are typically dual-filed with the CRD and the EEOC so both state and federal rights are preserved.
• Labor Commissioner Wage Claims: Unpaid wages, overtime, and meal and rest break premiums can be pursued through a wage claim with the California Labor Commissioner, usually within three years for most Labor Code wage violations. Claims proceed to a settlement conference and, if unresolved, a Berman hearing before a hearing officer.
• PAGA Notice: Before filing a Private Attorneys General Act claim on behalf of the state and other employees, a worker must send written notice to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency and the employer and wait for the agency’s response period before proceeding in court.
• Filing a Lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court: Civil matters from Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre are handled at the Northeast District’s Pasadena Courthouse at 300 E. Walnut St., while many unlimited civil employment cases are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Federal claims can be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
• Arbitration Agreements: Many California employers require employees to sign arbitration agreements, which can move a case out of court and into private arbitration. Under the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, employees can choose to keep sexual harassment and sexual assault claims in court regardless of such an agreement.
• Discovery, Mediation, and Trial: Once a case is filed, both sides exchange documents, written discovery, and deposition testimony. Most California employment cases are resolved through private mediation, and unresolved cases proceed to a jury trial or arbitration hearing, where prevailing FEHA plaintiffs can recover attorney’s fees in addition to damages.

Pasadena, CA Employment Resources

• California Civil Rights Department (CRD): The state agency that accepts and investigates employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation complaints under FEHA and issues Right-to-Sue notices.
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Los Angeles District Office: Located at 255 E. Temple St. in downtown Los Angeles, handling federal discrimination charges for Los Angeles County employees.
• California Labor Commissioner’s Office (Los Angeles District Office): Located at 320 W. Fourth St., Suite 450, Los Angeles, the nearest district office for Pasadena workers filing wage claims. General information line: (833) 526-4636.
• Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Courthouse: 300 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, the Northeast District courthouse serving Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre. Civil and small claims line: (626) 356-5415.
• Legal Aid at Work, Los Angeles Workers’ Rights Clinic: Provides free, confidential information about California workplace rights for eligible low-income workers, with services in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and other languages. Appointments: (323) 752-7287.
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA): A legal aid organization serving Los Angeles County, including the San Gabriel Valley, that helps eligible residents with issues including unemployment benefits. General assistance: (800) 433-6251.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is California an at-will employment state?

Yes. Under California Labor Code § 2922, most employment is at will, meaning an employer can end the relationship without cause. But a termination is still unlawful if it is based on a protected characteristic such as race, age, disability, pregnancy, or sexual orientation, if it is retaliation for a protected activity such as reporting harassment, taking protected medical leave, or complaining about unpaid wages, or if it breaches an employment contract. Firms such as Shirazi Law Firm and Domb & Rauchwerger focus heavily on wrongful termination claims of this kind.

How long do I have to file an employment claim in California?

Deadlines depend on the claim. FEHA discrimination, harassment, and retaliation complaints generally must be filed with the Civil Rights Department within three years, followed by a lawsuit within one year of receiving a Right-to-Sue notice. Most Labor Code wage claims have a three-year limit, and federal EEOC charges generally must be filed within 300 days in California. Because different claims in the same case can carry different deadlines, it is worth speaking with an employment lawyer soon after a termination or other adverse action.

How much does an employment lawyer in Pasadena cost?

Most employee-side employment lawyers work on contingency, meaning they are paid a percentage of any settlement or judgment and nothing if there is no recovery. Every firm on this list that describes its fee structure uses a contingency or “no recovery, no fee” model, including MM Law, Nosrati Law, and Guzmán & Tokar. Under FEHA, a prevailing employee can also recover reasonable attorney’s fees from the employer, which is one reason attorneys are willing to take strong cases without upfront payment.

I signed an arbitration agreement. Can I still bring a claim?

Usually yes, but the claim may be heard by a private arbitrator instead of a jury. California courts will not enforce arbitration agreements that are unconscionable, for example agreements that force employees to pay arbitration costs or limit their remedies, and sexual harassment and sexual assault claims can be kept in court under federal law. Representative PAGA claims also have special rules. Attorneys with significant arbitration experience, such as Sang Park of Park APC, who sits on CELA’s Arbitration Committee, can evaluate whether an agreement is enforceable.

Should I file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner or hire a lawyer?

A Labor Commissioner wage claim is free and can work well for a straightforward unpaid wage or final paycheck dispute. A lawyer adds value when the claim involves misclassification, many employees (a class or PAGA action), retaliation for complaining about pay, or damages beyond wages, such as emotional distress in a combined discrimination case. Esperanza Anderson handles both Labor Commissioner claims and lawsuits, and Kramer Brown Hui handles individual and class wage and hour cases.

Should I choose a Pasadena-based firm or a larger Los Angeles firm?

Employment cases are handled largely through documents, depositions, and mediation, so a firm does not need to be in Pasadena to represent you well. That said, local firms such as Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai and Esperanza Anderson make in-person meetings easy, and Pasadena cases may be heard at the Pasadena Courthouse. Los Angeles and Beverly Hills firms often bring class action depth or larger teams, while solo and small firms offer direct access to the attorney who will try your case.

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