PROTECTING CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS
UNDERSTANDING THE THREAT OF WAGE & HOUR LAWSUITS
OVER
4,500 LAWSUITS
Filed in the Past 12 Months Alone
Over 4,500 wage and hour lawsuits were filed in California in the last year. That’s an average of 12 per day.
22.4% INCREASE
Every year, the number of employment class and PAGA actions has increased, on average, by 22.4%.
$250,000 COST
Wage and hour class and PAGA actions can cost a business on average $250,000 for every 100 employees represented in the lawsuit.
“PAGA penalties can add up fast, easily reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars for a small company ... (and millions for larger businesses). The end result is that employers have to enforce onerous labor regulations that often do not benefit employees, or risk getting sued.”
Monroe, K. (2018, Dec. 6). Op-Ed: Frivolous PAGA lawsuits are making some lawyers rich, but they aren’t helping workers or employers. LA Times. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-monroe-paga-small-businesses-20181206-story.html
THIS IS THE BIGGEST LEGAL THREAT FACED BY CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS TODAY
For employers, California’s employment environment is more hostile than ever.
There are over 300 ways to violate the California Labor Code, and good people with growing companies are facing wage and hour lawsuits every day.
“Our company faced a wage and hour class and PAGA action involving potentially hundreds of our employees. Every enquiry we made on who to represent us pointed to Medina McKelvey for their excellent reputation and specialty in handling wage and hour defense cases… These lawsuits can be scary, but the team at Medina McKelvey made the whole process less intimidating for us with a clear and accurate plan coupled with good and timely communication.”
– Owner of large concrete fabrication company
WHY CHOOSE US?
OUR PROVEN METHODS STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS
We are prepared and ready for the new era of wage and hour litigation.
The law changed recently, giving employers—for the first time ever—an opportunity to eliminate or drastically reduce exposure through early compliance and remediation efforts, if they act quickly. While many firms scramble to adapt to these new standards, we have been doing this for years with our innovative Compliance Plan, which culminates in a wage and hour certification proven to reduce exposure and help prevent future lawsuits.
CLIENT FOCUSED
We are a client-centered law firm. We partner and collaborate with you to give you the most strategic and best options for your organization. We take on the burdens of legal actions and projects and simplify the process so that you can focus 100% on your business.
LEGAL EXPERTS
Our firm consists of carefully selected legal professionals at the top of their game who are trained in building relationships and strengthening employers.
BEST-IN-CLASS SERVICE
We make client service our top priority. We carefully strategize and keep you informed at every step, while working efficiently throughout the process. Each move we make, and every dollar you spend, is geared towards saving your business exponentially more in settlement savings and future risk. Your ROI is always top of mind.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
Medina McKelvey has revolutionized the way employment protection and compliance are thought about and achieved. Our firm does not handle compliance or lawsuit prevention piecemeal, but instead has developed a data-driven system and approach for getting you out of litigation and better protected for the future.
LEARN MORE
FIRST TIME FACING A WAGE AND HOUR LAWSUIT? GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY.
Wage and hour laws pertain to the wages and working hours of employees, primarily focusing on nonexempt or hourly workers. These laws define compensable work time, set minimum wage and overtime requirements, and regulate meal and rest periods, among other technical pay-related matters. Frequently updated and clarified in court, these laws can lead to various wage and hour claims. Employees and their lawyers often pursue these claims as class actions or Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) actions, posing a significant legal threat to California businesses due to their potential to affect the entire workforce.
VIDEO 1
CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWS V. YOUR BUSINESS
In California, it’s not a question of if you will get hit with a lawsuit, it’s when, and you need a solid partner on your side who can help you navigate a lawsuit and emerge stronger, wiser, and better protected on the other side.
VIDEO 2
EMPLOYEE CLASS ACTION V. YOUR BUSINESS
Has your business been hit with an employment class action alleging California Labor Code violations? Don't panic. This video will get you up to speed on the basics and present some logical steps you can take.
VIDEO 3
PAGA ACTION V. YOUR BUSINESS
If a PAGA action is directed at your business, what should you do? And what is a PAGA action, anyway?
YOUR ACTION PLAN
PROTECT AND DEFEND YOUR BUSINESS
1
ENGAGE MEDINA McKELVEY
Schedule a consultation to review your case, assess your risk, and begin the development of an action plan.
2
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS
Leverage our aggressive and innovative strategies to resolve the lawsuit, reduce your penalties, and protect your business.
3
GROW YOUR BUSINESS
Refocus your energy on growing your business, knowing you are walking away from a legal challenge better protected.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE, PROACTIVE STRATEGY, UNMATCHED EFFICIENCY
Wage and hour class and PAGA actions require creativity in problem solving to achieve the best results. We’ve developed unique, creative, and often unconventional problem-solving techniques that have successfully saved our clients millions of dollars. We start with risk calculation, then build a unique resolution plan for your specific case.
“When we talked to Medina McKelvey, we got a targeted plan right out of the chute that specifically identified our opponent, what claims and methods they had used in the past against companies like ours, and how they planned to shut those down… These guys know what they are doing and know how to get to a resolution in an efficient and expedited manner.”
— General counsel for a Fortune 100 "best company to work for"
OUR RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
When choosing a law firm, experience matters. No matter your industry or whether you are a small, medium, or Fortune 500 company, we are equipped to help you.
99%
of our cases resolve before going to trial
95%
of our cases resolve before class certification
90%
of our cases resolve before formal discovery
40%
of our cases resolve before mediation or court intervention
We have handled wage and hour cases in more than
50 INDUSTRIES
We have litigated cases with exposure ranging from
6 TO 9 FIGURES
YOUR DEFENSE TEAM
WE ARE EXPERT LITIGATORS READY TO DEFEND YOUR BUSINESS
Our wage and hour team is made up of business owners, entrepreneurs, HR and legal professionals, executive leaders, and former BigLaw partners who have served, trained, and represented thousands of businesses. We are committed to helping you efficiently manage, resolve, and avoid costly lawsuits so that you can get back to running your business.
ALEX MEDINA
Founding Partner
Over 22 years of litigation experience, including trials and appeals. Specialized experience defending employers in both class and PAGA actions in any industry. Exceptional writer and communicator.
TIM NELSON
Partner, Wage and Hour Practice Group Director
Over 20 years of employment litigation experience on both sides of the bar, including trials and appeals. Subject matter expert on a variety of class and PAGA issues, and skilled oral advocate.
CHANTELLE EGAN
Partner
Years of experience as a partner at international law firm litigating class actions, handling neutral investigations, and designing compliance solutions to remedy issues found during litigation.
DOUG LEACH
Attorney/Mediator
Wage and hour negotiations savant with nearly three decades of executive leadership and organizational design experience at Fortune 10 tech company. Labor and employment law expert. Class and PAGA mediator.
KYLE OWEN
Attorney
Wage and hour defense attorney, powerful client advocate, talented writer, national moot court champion, and former law clerk to Chief Judge of the Eastern District of California.
MAYRA SANDOVAL
Attorney
Former HR professional turned lawyer focusing on wage and hour defense and compliance. Board member of the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association in Sacramento. Strong bi-lingual communicator.
SAMANTHA SHAPIRO
Senior Paralegal and Data Analysis
Lead paralegal of the Wage and Hour Practice Group, expert project manager on hundreds of wage and hour class/PAGA cases in California, class, timekeeping, and head of M Data, our in-house data analysis team.
SAMANTHA D'AMICO
HR Advisor, PHRca
PHRca Certified (HRCI) HR and business operations advisor with nearly two decades of experience. Bridges innovative Compliance Plan process and litigation to maximize protection and reduce liability.
SCHEDULE CONSULTATION
CONTACT US FOR A FREE CASE EVALUATION
This one-hour evaluation is free and will offer valuable insights to guide your business, provide answers to your most pressing questions, and forecast the most likely outcome of your wage and hour lawsuit.
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