Neil Pedersen

Neil is a 30-year litigator who aggressively advocates employee rights against medium sized and large employers. Neil is also an adjunct professor of law, teaching employment law and law practice management. He is highly respected among his peers and by his former clients. He has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer and one of the Best Employers in Orange County several years running. He was named Attorney of the Year by the State Bar Solo and Small Firm Section in 2016. He has tried several significant matters to settlements and judgments in the high six-figure and the seven figure ranges.Neil's Orange County law firm represents employees in all Southern California courts, including the federal courts located therein. He is equally comfortable arbitrating disputes.

Employment Law

Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination

• Free Consultation
• Contingent Fees
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  My firm advances all costs of litigation and seeks no fees or up front costs to handle your case. To determine if we can assist, we engage in substantial up-front analysis and investigation at no charge to you. To get started you need to contact the Intake Manager at the firm.

California

Since 1989

Senior Principal

Pedersen Law APC

2000 - Current

Vice-President of Human Resources/General Counsel

QuantumLink Corporation, Torrance, CA

1998 - 1999

Vice-President of Corporate Policy/General Counsel

QuantumLink Corporation, Torrance, CA

1998 - 1998

Principal

Pedersen & Black, a Professional Law Corporation, Newport Beach, CA

1994 - 1998

Senior Associate Attorney

Ford & Pedersen, Los Angeles, CA

1990 - 1994

Associate Attorney

Walker, Kendrick & Jackson, Newport Beach, CA

1987 - 1990

Western State Univ

Undergraduate Degree

Western State Univ COL

Law Degree

Distinguished Alumni Award

Western State Law Review

2018

Attorney of the Year

California State Bar Solo and Small Firm Section

2016

Client's Choice Award

Avvo.com

2016

Named a “Top 100 Employment Lawyer”

The National Advocates

2015

Super Lawyer

Thompson Reuters publications

2015

Awarded in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

California State Bar  # 139262

Member

1989 - Current

Mandatory Harassment Training is Expanded to Include Small and Medium-Size Firms

California State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Section’s E-News

November, 2018

Beware Treating Disabled Employees the Same as Everyone Else

California State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Section’s E-News

September, 2018

New Laws That Will Affect Law Office Employers

California State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Section’s E-News

February, 2018

Reducing Stress in the Practice of Law: Some Practical Tips – Part Three in a Recurring Series

California State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Section’s E-News

January, 2018

Reducing Stress in the Practice of Law: Some Practical Tips – Part Two in a Recurring Series

California State Bar Law Practice Management and Technology Section’s E-News

January, 2018

Ethical Issues Presented by the Cyber-Security Threat to the Small Firm or Solo Practitioner, A one-hour presentation to the Los Angeles County Bar Association Intellectual Property Section

October 19, 2017

Los Angeles County Bar Association Intellectual Property Section

The Prospective Client and Beyond, Client Interviews to Identify Problem Clients and Avoid Potential Pitfalls During the Representation, A one-hour presentation to the Peter M. Elliott American Inn of Court

November 9, 2017

Time Management and Proper Delegation, “Jump Start Your Law Practice,” a three-day conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana

November 20, 2017

Money, Fees, and Pricing (Making Your Money Work for You), “Start Your Law Practice,” a three-day conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana

November 19, 2017

Employee Hiring, Firing, and Management, A one-hour presentation at “Start Your Law Practice,” a three-day conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana

November 18, 2017

Q. i was talked into applying for unemployment during the pandemic when they were giving extra money but i am on ssdi am i

10 June 2021

A: Contact the EDD and arrange to give back the money you should not have received. If you did not qualify for UI benefits, that is your only option short of waiting to be the subject of a reimbursement action. And do not think that blaming your conduct on someone else for talking you into taking benefits will help your position. It will not. You took the benefits and need to now repay them. Good luck to you.

Q. How can I get the California Labor ?Department to actually read my information about my case?

10 June 2021

A: If your right to appeal has passed, there is no practical way to get them to take up your case. Whether you can approach the dispute from a litigation standpoint, i.e., in court, depends on much more information than you have provided here. Trying to resolve a wage or hour dispute by filing an administrative complaint with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is only one way to approach such a problem. You have the alternative to suing the employer in court as well. You have the option of going either way. However, if you took either approach beyond a certain point, you lose the option to change directions and take the other. It would be wise for you to locate and consult with an experienced employment law attorney as soon as possible to explore your facts and determine your options. I would suggest you look either on this site in the Find a Lawyer section, or go to www.cela.org, the home page for the California Employment Lawyers Association, an organization whose members are dedicated to the representation of employees against their employers. Most employment attorneys who practice this area of law offer a free or low cost consultation in the beginning and then, if the matter has merit and value, will usually agree to work on a contingency basis, meaning you can hire an attorney without paying any money until the matter results in a positive outcome for you. Many advance all the costs of the litigation as well. Do not let fear of fees and costs keep you from finding a good attorney. Good luck to you.

Q. Can my employer make me work 12+ hours with no communication of what time I will be able to leave?

10 June 2021

A: There is nothing unlawful with an employer telling you to work until relieved, even if that might involve 12 or more hours. I have seen people in your situation be required to work 24 hours and more. That is not unlawful. What is unlawful is if you are not being properly being paid overtime for this work, or if you are not being given a reasonable opportunity to take a legally compliant meal or rest period. When you work more than 8 hours in a workday you are entitled to overtime (1.5 times your regular rate). If you work more than 12 hours in the same workday, you are to receive double overtime (2 times your regular rate). Note that overtime is determined based on the number of hours you work in a workday, not a shift. A workday is a 24 hour period of time designated by your employer as a workday. The default workday is midnight to midnight. As to meal and rest periods, your employer has an obligation to provide you with a reasonable opportunity to take a ten-minute, on-the-clock, uninterrupted, duty-free rest period for every four hours (or major portion thereof) that you work. You also must be given a reasonable opportunity to take a thirty-minute, off-the-clock, uninterrupted and duty-free meal period on any workday when you work more than 5 hours. If you are not given the reasonable opportunity to take the rest periods described above, you are entitled to a penalty wage in the amount of one hour of pay at your regular rate for every day you were denied at least on such rest period. You are entitled to another hour of pay for every day you were denied the meal period as described. Good luck to you.