Photo of Philippe A. Lebel

Philippe (Phil) A. Lebel represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including wage and hour, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, defamation, trade secrets, and breach of contract litigation, in both the single-plaintiff and class- and/or representative-action context, at both the trial and appellate levels, as well as before administrative agencies.

In addition to his litigation work, Phil regularly advises clients regarding compliance with federal, state and local employment laws, and assists a variety of companies and financial firms in evaluating labor and employment issues in connection with corporate transactions. Phil also has experience assisting employers with sensitive employee investigations, cutting edge-trainings, pay equity analyses and comprehensive audits of employment practices.

Phil has assisted clients in a wide array of sectors including in the biotech, education, entertainment, fashion, financial services, fitness, healthcare, high-tech, legal services, manufacturing, media, professional services, retail, sports, and staffing industries, among others.

Phil regularly speaks on emerging issues for employers and has been published or quoted in Law360, the Daily JournalThe Hollywood ReporterBusiness Insurance, and SHRM.org regarding a variety of labor and employment law topics.

Before law school, Phil was an intern with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, during which he assisted on political campaigns in Alabama and Georgia. Phil is a former member of the Board of Directors of the AIDS Legal Referral Panel.

A new California law imposes significant new registration and reporting requirements on a broad range of asset management firms. Although the statute is styled as a “venture capital” law, its expansive definitions and California nexus provisions mean that many firms that do not traditionally view themselves as venture capital companies may nevertheless be subject to its requirements. Meet the new “Fair Investment Practices by Venture

A new law that took effect on January 1st, California Assembly Bill 692 (“AB 692”), significantly limits employers’ ability to require repayment of bonus, training, relocation and other retention-linked incentives upon a worker’s termination of employment. Employers with workers located in California should review and update their forms of offer letters, employment agreements, and any other documents that may include repayment obligations for

California employers face an important new compliance deadline under the state’s newly enacted Workplace Know Your Rights Act. By February 1, 2026, all California employers must distribute this mandatory “Know Your Rights” Notice to their employees – and, thereafter, must continue to do so annually. This requirement applies to all employers, regardless of size.

The California Labor Commissioner has issued a template of the

Proskauer secured a victory for our client on a motion to compel arbitration in a sex discrimination action filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The plaintiff alleged sex-based discrimination and harassment; retaliation; failure to prevent harassment, discrimination, and retaliation; constructive termination; and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Although the plaintiff had executed an arbitration agreement before beginning employment, she argued the agreement was “unconscionable”

Los Angeles has claimed the top spot on the American Tort Reform Foundation’s (ATRF) annual list of “Judicial Hellholes.”  The Report claims that “lawsuit abuse in Los Angeles . . . has propelled the jurisdiction to the very top of the list.”  According to the ATRF, the plaintiffs’ bar resorts to various litigation tactics that drive Los Angeles’ notorious nuclear verdicts (i.e., those exceeding $10

Since its enactment, the federal Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act has resulted in plaintiffs’ lawyers tacking on increasingly implausible sexual harassment claims to unrelated garden-variety employment claims in a naked attempt to defeat otherwise enforceable arbitration agreements. Numerous courts across the country have permitted (and thereby encouraged) these poison-pill sexual harassment claims, which have become just the latest weapon plaintiffs are

Remember when the workday ended at 5:00 pm?

In today’s always-on world, the “infinite workday” has quietly taken over—creeping into dinners, weekends, and even that quaint concept known as a “vacation.”  With smartphones in every pocket and teams spread across multiple time zones, work now follows us everywhere.  Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index confirms what many leaders already sense: work is no longer confined by

California continues to police artificial intelligence (“AI”) in the workplace.  Following proposed rulemaking on the use of AI for significant employment decisions, as we reported here, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan introduced Assembly Bill 1221 (“AB 1221”) this legislative session.  The bill aims to regulate workplace surveillance tools, including AI, and use of employee data derived therefrom.  Applicable to employers of all sizes, AB 1221 could

In yet another attempt to avoid arbitration agreements, plaintiffs’ lawyers in the wake of the blockbuster court decisions in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana and Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc. began filing so-called “headless” claims for civil penalties under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”).  In such cases, the plaintiff seeks civil penalties for all allegedly aggrieved employees except themself.  Thus, these