Tao Y. Leung

Tao Y. Leung

LOS ANGELES - Whether it’s investigating high-profile complaints of harassment, discrimination and retaliation, or advising on mass layoffs and COVID-19 related issues, Tao Y. Leung said he loves being in a position to help clients with matters that can have a major impact on their reputation and bottom line.

“I am fortunate to have the unique opportunity of serving clients as a business partner, legal adviser, litigator and crisis manager,” he said.

As a partner in Hogan Lovells’ Los Angeles office, Leung heads the labor and employment practice in California, where he handles all aspects of state and federal employment law.

Leung has built a strong reputation as a business-oriented employment practitioner who has obtained favorable resolutions of some of the state’s highest stakes wage and hour class actions.

Leung is currently representing Anschutz Entertainment Group, Inc., LA Live Theatre, LLC, and L.A. Arena Company, LLC in a wage and hour class action involving some 3,000 former and current employees of Crypto.com Arena and Microsoft Theater. Jones v. L.A. Arena Co. et al., BC687908 (L.A. Sup. Ct., filed Dec. 21, 2017).

Leung and his team have so far defeated class certification on the plaintiffs’ meal and rest break claims, as well as class certification on the claim that advanced meal period waivers are unlawful.

Leung said one of the biggest challenges of being a labor and employment lawyer is that employment laws are constantly evolving, especially in California.

“For me, this means vigilantly staying up to date with any new laws or rulings on a wide gamut of different issues, while simultaneously focusing on the bigger picture by observing nationwide, statewide and local trends so that I am able to foresee and anticipate issues before they arise,” he said.

Leung said the best lawyers are those who are trusted strategic partners for their clients.

“It is not enough to just be a zealous advocate and obtain a successful resolution in litigation or to be a counselor advising the client what the applicable laws are,” he said. “Rather, a good labor and employment attorney needs to be able to provide practical solutions that are specifically tailored to each client. I believe that when it comes to employment advice, there is no one size fits all solution.”

--Kelly Puente