Chris Dengler represents and advises clients in various areas of employment law with an emphasis on employment litigation. His practice focus is on defending employers in a broad range of high-stakes class action and single plaintiff cases. Chris has successfully and efficiently defended over one hundred lawsuits alleging wage and hour violations, including multiplaintiff, representative and class/mass action lawsuits. In recent years, much of his work has involved advising clients on preventing, or representing them in, lawsuits involving Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).
Chris has also defended clients against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and unfair competition. He also regularly provides advice to clients to ensure compliance with the rapidly evolving field of labor and employment law, including the complex areas of wage and hour laws. Chris concentrates on representing clients in the high-tech, healthcare and retail industries.
Chris has handled cases in state and federal courts, as well as at both the appellate and administrative levels, including the following:
- In two jury trials involving exempt misclassification claims of three grocery store managers, obtained two 12-0 jury verdicts in retailer’s favor; verdict by Los Angeles County Superior Court jury set highly favorable precedent for hundreds of coordinated store manager misclassification claims against client that Chris is currently defending in Los Angeles County Superior Court
- Defended hospital clients in wage and hour class actions and PAGA representative actions regarding missed meal and rest periods and other wage payment issues
- Obtained summary adjudication in favor of his client on the application of preemption in a PAGA matter involving nearly 2,000 allegedly aggrieved employees
- Defended a national retailer in a wage and hour class action involving claims of misclassified exempt managers to a highly favorable resolution
Prior to joining Littler, Chris served as a litigation associate at an international law firm where he represented and counseled medical facilities, physicians, credit reporting agencies, energy and technology companies, and other Fortune 100 corporations on a variety of complex civil litigation issues. While in law school, he was a member of the Loyola Law Review.
