This guide compares ten San Diego employment law firms, from solo practices to a national plaintiff-side firm, that represent employees in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour disputes. Each firm was evaluated on the attorneys’ credentials and bar involvement, how much of the practice is devoted to employment law rather than treated as one of many areas, the types of claims handled (individual cases, class and PAGA actions, or both), and whether the firm has a working presence in San Diego.
When comparing options, three practical questions matter most. Does the lawyer handle your type of claim regularly, whether that is a single-plaintiff firing case or a group wage claim? Has the attorney worked on the employer side and understands how a defense is built? And will the person you meet at the consultation be the person who handles your file? The list is not ranked and not sponsored. Firm details come from each firm’s own website, State Bar of California records, and attorney directories such as Avvo and Justia, with Super Lawyers recognition cited only where a specific designation is mentioned.
1. The Law Office of Frank S. Clowney, III
- Attorney/Key Figure: Frank S. Clowney III, Founder and Senior Attorney
- Headquarters: 101 West Broadway, Suite 1460, San Diego, CA 92101
- Phone: (619) 557-0458
- Website: clowneylaw.com
- Practice Areas: Workplace discrimination (age, disability, gender, race, LGBTQ, pregnancy, sexual orientation), sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, wage and hour, unpaid overtime, meal and rest breaks, FMLA, qui tam whistleblower claims, employee misclassification, then personal injury and maritime law
- Firm Size: Boutique firm led by its founder, with more than 40 years in practice
- Practice Area Page: San Diego Employment Lawyer
- Social Profiles: Facebook, X
Frank Clowney was admitted to the California bar in 1978 and has handled employment matters in San Diego for more than four decades. Employment law makes up about 60 percent of his practice according to his firm bio. He belongs to the Litigation and Labor and Employment sections of the State Bar, has been a member of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment section since 1985, and has been a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association since 2000. He is admitted in the Southern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California, the District of Arizona, and the Ninth Circuit.
What sets the firm apart is the combination of long courtroom experience and deliberate caseload control. Clowney limits the number of cases he accepts so clients keep direct access to him, and he tailors strategy to the client, pursuing negotiation or mediation when a fast resolution fits and trial when it does not. His time as a San Diego Superior Court settlement-conference judge pro tem (1990 to 2000), a Superior Court arbitration panelist, and a State Bar fee arbitrator gives him a view of how disputes are evaluated from the bench side as well. The firm also publishes location pages for Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside, and Chula Vista and offers free consultations.
2. Jimenez Loayza, APC
- Attorney/Key Figure: Francisco Loayza and Marisol Jimenez, Lead Attorneys
- Headquarters: 1901 First Avenue, Suite 424, San Diego, CA 92101
- Phone: (619) 320-5901
- Website: jimenezloayza.com
- Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, employee misclassification, whistleblower protections, disability accommodation, pregnancy rights, class actions, PAGA claims
- Firm Size: Boutique, employee-side only, with a deliberately limited caseload
Jimenez Loayza represents workers exclusively. Francisco Loayza began his career on the defense side of employment law, which gives him first-hand knowledge of how employers and their counsel respond to claims, and he was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in employment litigation in 2023. Marisol Jimenez has focused solely on employment law since 2015, handling matters from single-plaintiff lawsuits to class actions and PAGA claims, and has been recognized as a Rising Star since 2021. Jimenez is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and the Lawyers Club of San Diego, and both attorneys belong to the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association.
The firm describes its approach as trial-focused, with claims fully developed before they are filed and caseloads kept low so clients deal directly with their attorneys. That pairing of defense-side perspective and employee-side focus is useful in cases where the employer’s story is likely to be tested at deposition or trial, such as retaliation claims built on timing and misclassification disputes.
3. Cohelan Khoury & Singer
- Attorney/Key Figure: Michael D. Singer, Managing Partner
- Headquarters: 605 C Street, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92101
- Phone: (844) 403-3569
- Website: ckslaw.com
- Practice Areas: Wage and hour, class and representative actions, whistleblower and qui tam claims, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, overtime exemption disputes, consumer protection
- Firm Size: Established firm with seven attorneys listed, in practice since 1981
- Practice Area Page: Employment Law for Individual Workers
Cohelan Khoury & Singer is one of the longer-standing plaintiff-side employment firms in San Diego. Michael Singer has practiced for nearly four decades, has served as managing partner for over 20 years, was co-lead counsel in the Brinker wage and hour litigation, and is one of a small group of employment lawyers to have taken a wage and hour class action through trial (Dilts v. Penske Logistics). Super Lawyers selected him for the Southern California and San Diego lists every year from 2012 through 2024. Partner Timothy Cohelan wrote the first practice guide on California class action litigation, and Singer is a contributing author to the CEB practice guide on California wage and hour litigation.
The firm’s depth in meal and rest break, overtime exemption, and PAGA law is the main draw. The trade-off is orientation: its center of gravity is class and representative litigation, which suits group wage claims better than a one-off dispute that needs a lawyer’s day-to-day attention. It also handles consumer protection cases, so employment is one of three practice areas.
4. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP
- Attorney/Key Figure: Norm Blumenthal, Name Partner
- Headquarters: 2255 Calle Clara, San Diego, CA 92037 (additional offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and Las Vegas)
- Phone: (858) 367-9913
- Website: bamlawca.com
- Practice Areas: Wage and hour, overtime, unpaid wages, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, class actions, ERISA and employee benefits, Fair Credit Reporting Act claims
- Firm Size: Large plaintiff-side firm with 17 attorneys listed and multiple offices
- Practice Area Page: San Diego Employment Lawyers
- Social Profiles: Facebook
Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw is a plaintiff-side employment and class action firm based in the La Jolla area of San Diego. The firm represents employees exclusively and states that it has obtained more than $1.3 billion in total awards for clients in individual wage claims and class actions. Its practice pages cover job-title-specific wage issues such as field case managers, claims examiners, and assistant managers, which reflects a catalog of misclassification and overtime cases.
Representation is offered on a no-win, no-fee basis for eligible cases, and initial consultations are free. With 17 attorneys and offices across California and Las Vegas, the firm has the resources to take on large employers. The trade-off is scale: a workforce-wide case is a stronger fit than a single-plaintiff dispute that depends on close contact with one partner.
5. ShortLegal, APC
- Attorney/Key Figure: Brian R. Short, Managing Shareholder
- Headquarters: 350 10th Avenue, Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92101
- Phone: (619) 272-0720
- Website: shortlegal.com
- Practice Areas: Employment and labor law on behalf of employees
- Firm Size: Boutique firm
Brian Short was admitted to the California bar in 2005 and runs ShortLegal as managing shareholder. Earlier in his career he worked as a senior associate at GrahamHollis APC and as an attorney at Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, a firm known for complex plaintiff-side litigation. He is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association and Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and LegalMatch lists him among its top-rated San Diego employee rights lawyers.
The firm’s value is a focused employment practice led by an attorney with complex-litigation training. As a small firm, the lead attorney’s calendar is the main limit on how many matters it can carry, and it has less bench depth than the larger class action firms on this list.
6. Zakay Law Group, APLC
- Attorney/Key Figure: Shani O. Zakay, Owner
- Headquarters: 3990 Old Town Avenue, Suite C204, San Diego, CA 92110 (additional office at 5850 Oberlin Drive, Suite 230A, San Diego, CA 92121)
- Phone: (619) 255-9047
- Practice Areas: Wage and hour litigation, class and representative actions, wrongful termination, harassment, then corporate and homeowners association advice
- Firm Size: Boutique firm
Shani Zakay was admitted to the California bar in 2011, and the Avvo profile for Zakay Law Group puts roughly 75 percent of the practice to employment and labor matters, centered on wage and hour litigation, class and representative actions, wrongful termination, and harassment. Zakay previously practiced at Silldorf Law, LLP before opening the firm.
The firm suits workers with wage claims and representative-action potential who want a small, hands-on practice. The trade-off is breadth: about a quarter of the practice is business and homeowners association law, so it is not a purely employment-only shop.
7. Richard Law, P.C.
- Attorney/Key Figure: Diane E. Richard, Owner
- Headquarters: 5060 N. Harbor Drive, Suite 265, San Diego, CA 92106
- Phone: (619) 880-5517
- Practice Areas: Employment and labor law
- Firm Size: Solo practice
Diane Richard was admitted to the California bar in 1999 and has practiced employment law in San Diego for more than 25 years. She is a member of the State Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section, the San Diego County Bar Association’s workers’ compensation and labor and employment sections, and the California Employment Lawyers Association. LegalMatch lists her among its top-rated San Diego employee rights lawyers.
A solo practice means the person who takes the consultation is the person handling the case, which many individual employees prefer. The trade-off is bench depth: a single attorney has less capacity than a firm with a team for a class action or a document-heavy case with several defendants.
8. Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight (San Diego Office)
- Attorney/Key Figure: Charles Field, San Diego Managing Partner
- Headquarters: 2550 Fifth Avenue, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92103 (national offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Nashville)
- Website: sanfordheisler.com
- Practice Areas: Employment discrimination and harassment (class and individual), wage and hour, retaliation, wrongful termination, equal pay, whistleblower and qui tam, executive employment disputes, ERISA, Title IX
- Firm Size: Large national plaintiff-side firm with more than 50 attorneys across six U.S. offices
- Practice Area Page: San Diego Discrimination Lawyers
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight was founded in 2004 by David Sanford and Jeremy Heisler and is known for high-stakes employment litigation. The firm obtained what it reports as the largest jury verdict in a U.S. employment discrimination case, negotiated a $99 million wage and hour settlement for more than 7,000 pharmaceutical sales representatives, and represented a San Diego State University basketball coach in a Title IX retaliation case. In California it has represented employees, executives, and classes in discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage and hour matters, including a $4.9 million settlement for about 1,400 delivery drivers.
The San Diego office gives local workers access to a national bench with class action, whistleblower, and executive-representation experience. The trade-off is fit: the firm concentrates on large-impact and high-value matters, so a modest single-plaintiff dispute may be a less natural match than it would be at a local boutique.
9. Bohm Law Group
- Attorney/Key Figure: Lawrance Bohm, Principal and Lead Trial Attorney
- Website: bohmlaw.com
- Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, retaliation, and other employee-side labor and employment disputes
- Firm Size: Boutique trial firm with a team of associate attorneys
Lawrance Bohm began his career litigating personal injury, civil rights, and employment claims, then joined Jackson Lewis, a national employment defense firm, where he handled claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act and Title VII. He founded Bohm Law Group in 2005 to focus on trial litigation of employment disputes, and he belongs to the California Employment Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, and the San Diego County Bar Association.
His defense-side background is the firm’s main differentiator. The firm’s client roster ranges from corporate executives and medical directors to nurses, drivers, retail workers, and domestic employees. The trade-off is geography: the firm serves San Diego County from a downtown San Diego office, but its lead attorney’s earlier career and bar involvement are rooted in Sacramento, so it is not a San Diego-only practice.
10. Bodell Law Group
- Attorney/Key Figure: Daniel D. Bodell, Attorney
- Headquarters: 11455 El Camino Real, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92130
- Phone: (858) 461-4699
- Practice Areas: Wrongful termination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, overtime and unpaid wages, whistleblower claims, employment contracts, employee benefits and ERISA
- Firm Size: Boutique firm
Daniel Bodell is a San Diego employment attorney and a University of San Diego School of Law graduate whose practice is listed under employment law, covering the full range from termination and discrimination claims to overtime, whistleblower retaliation, and ERISA benefit disputes. The firm maintains a dedicated San Diego employment page and blog on workplace harassment.
The firm’s strength is breadth within employment law: workers with a termination dispute that also involves an employment contract or benefits plan can address both with one attorney. As a boutique, it has less capacity than the larger firms on this list for multi-plaintiff class litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a workplace discrimination or harassment claim in California?
For claims under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, an administrative complaint with the California Civil Rights Department generally must be filed within three years of the unlawful act. After the department issues a right-to-sue notice, a lawsuit generally must be filed within one year. Wage claims and wrongful termination in violation of public policy follow different deadlines, so an attorney at a firm such as Jimenez Loayza or ShortLegal can sort out which clock applies to your situation.
Can my employer fire me for any reason in California?
California is an at-will employment state, but the rule has major exceptions. An employer cannot fire someone because of a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender, race, or pregnancy, in retaliation for complaining about harassment or unpaid wages, or for reasons that violate public policy. Firms like the Law Office of Frank S. Clowney, III handle these wrongful termination claims alongside discrimination and retaliation cases.
Do employment lawyers in San Diego charge upfront fees?
Many plaintiff-side employment lawyers work on contingency, meaning the fee is a percentage of any recovery, and offer free initial consultations. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw, for example, states that it represents eligible employees on a no-win, no-fee basis. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, a prevailing employee can also seek to have the employer pay attorney’s fees.
What is the difference between a wage claim and a class action?
A wage claim is brought by one worker for unpaid overtime, missed meal and rest break premiums, or other unpaid compensation. A class or representative action, including a claim under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), covers a group of employees with the same issue. Cohelan Khoury & Singer focuses on that group-based work, while Zakay Law Group handles both individual and representative wage and hour cases.
What do I get if my employer denied my meal or rest breaks?
California generally requires a 30-minute meal break for shifts longer than five hours and a paid 10-minute rest break for each four hours worked or major fraction. When an employer fails to provide a compliant meal or rest period, the employee is generally owed one additional hour of pay at their regular rate for each workday the violation occurs, separately for meal and rest breaks.
Should I choose a solo attorney, a boutique, or a larger firm?
It depends on the case. A solo or boutique practice, such as Richard Law, P.C. or Clowney’s firm, tends to offer direct attorney contact and works well for individual termination, discrimination, and harassment claims. A larger or class-oriented firm, such as Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw, Cohelan Khoury & Singer, or Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight, has more resources for multi-plaintiff wage cases against large employers. Employment cases in San Diego are typically filed in San Diego Superior Court or the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and any arbitration clause in your employment agreement can change where and how a dispute is heard.
Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. This is not legal advice or a sponsored directory. Inclusion of any San Diego employment law firm does not constitute an endorsement. Always verify credentials and consult directly with a licensed professional regarding your workplace rights before hiring counsel.
