Practice Areas

We represent employees at every stage of a dispute, from the initial consultation through litigation and trial.

California employment law is among the most protective in the country. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) extends protections beyond federal law in several areas: broader protected classes, lower employer coverage thresholds, unlimited emotional-distress damages, and a three-year statute of limitations. Our attorneys understand how these statutes interact and how to build cases that hold employers accountable.

Employment law cases we handle:

Wage and Hour Claims / Unpaid Wages

Employers in California routinely fail to pay overtime, misclassify employees as exempt or independent contractors, deny required meal and rest breaks, and short-change final paychecks. The California Labor Code provides multiple recovery mechanisms, including PAGA civil penalties, waiting-time penalties, and liquidated damages. We calculate the full value of wage claims, including amounts most employees don’t know to claim.

Wrongful Termination

California is an at-will state, but that does not mean employers can fire workers for any reason. Termination based on a protected characteristic, in retaliation for a protected activity, or in violation of public policy is illegal. We evaluate whether the stated reason for termination holds up and whether what the employer documented aligns with what actually drove the decision.

Workplace Discrimination

FEHA prohibits employment decisions based on race, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, age (40+), religion, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, and military status. We handle all protected categories and build comparative cases that demonstrate how similarly situated employees were treated differently.

Sub-types we handle:

• Pregnancy discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Gender discrimination
• Age discrimination
• Ethnicity and national origin discrimination
• Religious discrimination
• Medical condition discrimination

Workplace Sexual Harassment

California’s FEHA applies to employers with as few as one employee and covers a broader range of conduct than federal Title VII. A single severe incident can be sufficient to support a claim. We handle both quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment cases, including situations where the harasser is a co-worker, supervisor, vendor, or client.

Workplace Retaliation

Retaliation occurs when an employer takes adverse action against an employee for exercising a legally protected right, such as reporting harassment, filing a wage complaint, requesting leave, or refusing to participate in illegal conduct. It is one of the most common violations we see, and one of the most frequently misidentified by employees who assume the adverse action was unrelated to their protected activity.

Family and Medical Leave (FMLA / CFRA)

California employees are protected by both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and the California Family Rights Act, which extends coverage to employers with five or more employees and a broader range of family relationships. We represent employees whose leave was denied, cut short, or used as a basis for termination or demotion.

Workplace Safety (Cal/OSHA)

Employees who report unsafe conditions or refuse dangerous work are protected from retaliation under California Labor Code §6310 and §6311. When employers respond to safety complaints with termination, demotion, or manufactured disciplinary write-ups, those actions support independent employment law claims.

Whistleblower Claims

California Labor Code §1102.5 prohibits retaliation against employees who disclose information they reasonably believe reveals a violation of law to a government agency, law enforcement, or internally to a supervisor or manager. Whistleblower claims often overlap with wrongful termination and retaliation causes of action.

Misclassification Claims

California uses the ABC test established under AB 5 to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Misclassification denies workers minimum wage protections, overtime, meal and rest breaks, expense reimbursement, and access to unemployment insurance. We pursue misclassification claims individually and as class actions.

Class Action Lawsuits

When an employer’s violation affects multiple workers systematically, whether through payroll practices, uniform policies, or widespread harassment, individual claims can be consolidated into class action or PAGA representative actions. Class actions amplify the financial consequences for employers and often produce larger per-employee recoveries.

Mass tort cases involve large numbers of plaintiffs harmed by the same product, substance, or event. HBK Lawyers APC participates in mass tort litigation on a periodic, case-by-case basis when qualifying cases arise. Current and ongoing mass-tort matters include defective products, pharmaceutical injuries, and environmental contamination claims.

If you believe you have a mass tort claim, contact us to determine whether your situation qualifies.

Southern California wildfire litigation involves claims against utility companies, property owners, and other parties whose negligence caused or contributed to a fire. We evaluate wildfire cases for property damage, personal injury, smoke inhalation, and evacuation-related losses. Wildfire claims involve complex liability theories and strict documentation requirements. Contact us immediately if you have been affected by a California wildfire.

Every case at HBK Lawyers APC is handled by a dedicated, experienced attorney, not a paralegal or case manager. We represent clients in English, Spanish, and Armenian throughout the entire process, from the initial consultation through resolution.

Our approach is litigation-first: we prepare cases as if they will go to trial. That preparation affects how opposing counsel and their insurers respond and, in turn, affects outcomes.

We serve clients across Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego counties from two office locations in Glendale and Encino. Initial consultations are available by phone or video, so you do not need to travel to our office to get started.