Employment Attorney in Santa Monica
For Santa Monica workers who were shorted on pay, denied breaks, or labeled a contractor or “exempt” to avoid the rules — and for anyone punished for raising it.
Santa Monica is its own coastal city on the Westside of Los Angeles. Whether you work there or live there and work somewhere else in the region, California's statewide wage and employment protections apply to you. Cohen Law Group represents employees throughout California from our office in Century City, also on the Westside. Meetings by appointment at our Century City office.
When the problem starts with your paycheck
California has some of the strongest wage protections in the country. Employers must pay for all hours worked and follow strict rules on overtime, meal and rest periods, and wage statements. Common violations include:
- Unpaid overtime — non-exempt employees are owed time-and-a-half for hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week, and double time in certain circumstances
- Off-the-clock work before or after a shift, during unpaid breaks, or in unpaid trainings and meetings
- Meal breaks that were interrupted or never provided, and denied rest breaks
- Pay stubs with missing or incorrect information, or a final paycheck that was late or incomplete
- Being labeled an independent contractor or an “exempt” employee when the job doesn’t fit the label
Classification is where many of these problems begin. What matters is the reality of the working relationship — not what the agreement or job title says. And pay disputes often overlap with other claims: an employee who complains about unpaid wages and is then cut back or fired may also have a retaliation claim. See our employment law page for the full range of workplace claims we handle.
Working with a Century City firm from Santa Monica
Call (310) 747-1883 to speak directly with an attorney, or request a free, confidential consultation online. Hablamos español. Attorney Jordan Cohen speaks Spanish and can meet with you in Spanish. If you can, gather your own pay stubs, schedules, and any messages about your hours — time records, payroll data, and communications like these are what courts and agencies look at in wage cases. You don't need everything to get started.
Why Cohen Law Group
Joon Song, Senior Counsel, has nearly 15 years of experience in matters that include employment disputes. He previously served as managing attorney for litigation at a multistate law firm, overseeing a team of sixteen lawyers and legal professionals, and he is admitted in California and in the federal Central District of California.
Wage and classification cases depend on records. From pre-litigation counseling through trial, the firm focuses on building leverage early and developing strong factual records.
Pay and classification questions
I'm paid as an independent contractor. Could I actually be an employee?
Possibly. Under California law, most workers are presumed to be employees, and an employer must meet strict criteria — including the ABC test — to classify someone otherwise. Factors include how much control the company has over your schedule and duties, and whether your work is part of its usual business.
My employer says I'm exempt because of my job title. Is that right?
Not necessarily. Exempt status depends on your actual duties and on salary requirements — not your title. If you were misclassified as exempt, you may be owed unpaid overtime and meal and rest break premiums.
How far back can I recover unpaid wages?
It depends on the claim. Statutes of limitation limit how far back wages can be recovered, and different claims have different filing deadlines, so waiting can reduce or eliminate what you can recover. An early evaluation helps.
Employment law is our primary practice. The firm also handles serious injury claims, insurance bad-faith disputes on behalf of policyholders, and business litigation.
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Learn more about employee misclassification and wage and hour violations, the claims we see most from Santa Monica workers.
Employment claims we handle: Wrongful Termination, Workplace Retaliation, Whistleblower Claims, Discrimination & Harassment, Wage & Hour Violations, Employee Misclassification.
Next step
Request a consultation
California matters only. Call (310) 747-1883 or request a consultation online. Hablamos español. Attorney Jordan Cohen speaks Spanish and can meet with you in Spanish.