Josh Wagner is a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. His practice has an emphasis in employment litigation and counseling, with a special focus on wage and hour issues. He has extensive experience in litigating both single plaintiff and class action employment practices and wage and hour lawsuits on behalf of public entities, businesses, and non-profit organizations.

Josh defends employers against claims of wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination. He also advises employers on a wide range of personnel issues, including leave laws, and conducts wage and hour compliance audits. In addition, he has a commercial litigation practice representing companies against breach of contract and fraud claims.

Representative Experience

  • First or second chaired numerous employment trials to jury verdict, defending public and private entities in the maritime, hospitality, and education industries, among others.
     
  • Negotiated dismissals of hospitality, retail, and security services sector wage and hour class actions in exchange for nominal settlements to individual class representatives after presenting factual and legal weaknesses of the plaintiffs’ claims.
     
  • Furnished advice and counsel to numerous clients on issues relating to effectively managing-out difficult employees, ensuring wage and hour compliance, engaging in the interactive process to reasonably accommodate disabled employees, and implementing reductions in force.

Admissions

  • California

Community Involvement

  • Cystic Fibrosis Research, Inc. (supporter and former member of the Board of Directors)

Education

  • J.D., Stanford Law School, 1998
    • Editor, Stanford Law Review
  • Fulbright Fellowship, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Law, Japan, 1995
  • B.A., magna cum laude, East Asian Studies, University of California, San Diego, 1994

Honors

  • Rising Stars® distinction in the fields of Employment Litigation Defense and Business Litigation (2009-2010, Law & Politics)