Lee Feldman

Attorney Lee Feldman founded the Law Offices of Lee R. Feldman with Alicia Olivares in December 1998. The employee rights boutique, now called Feldman Browne, APC, grew into one of California’s top labor and employment firms, earning the highest “Tier 1” ranking by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms list since 2014. For decades, Lee was recognized by his peers and legal organizations as one of the country’s top plaintiff-side employment lawyers. He was named to the list of Daily Journal’s Top Labor and Employment Lawyers in California, Best Lawyers in America from 2003 through 2024, and Southern California Super Lawyers for 19 straight years (through 2025).

For more than 25 years, Lee exclusively represented California employees, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for workers and their families. In the five years before his passing alone, he secured more than $150 million across more than 35 seven and eight figure recoveries. He and his firm earned a reputation for aggressive, hard-hitting litigation against some of California’s largest and wealthiest employers. Lee never backed down from a fight he believed was worth having, and his intellect, unfiltered candor, and determination made him a formidable opponent.

Lee was also at the forefront of the #MeToo movement as panel counsel for the Women in Film Legal Defense Fund and the #TimesUp Legal Defense Fund. He took on Hollywood producers, studios, networks, talent agencies, and powerful celebrities, recovering more than $125 million for victims of sexual assault and harassment, gender bias, and pay discrimination. His work gave a voice to people who had been silenced.

Affectionately known as “The Rhino”, Lee championed the underdog and became a giant in his profession. He mentored and inspired a generation of attorneys, and his influence reached well beyond his verdicts and settlements; he helped shape the legal community and inspired others to pursue justice with the same tenacity, courage, and conviction that defined his career.

Lee charged through life with a larger-than-life spirit, a mischievous spark, and a heart of gold. He was funny, generous, and unapologetically direct, never hesitating to say exactly what was on his mind. He made people laugh, occasionally cringe, and love him even more for his honesty. He was fiercely loyal to the people he cared about.

Lee passed away peacefully at his home in Pacific Palisades on October 5, 2024, surrounded by his family and closest friends, including his wife of 22 years and business partner, Gina Browne. His impact lives on in the clients he fought for, the attorneys he mentored, the firm he built, and the many people who were fortunate to know him.

Honors & Awards

• Recognized as a top Southern California Employment Litigation Attorney by Super Lawyers® for each of the past 19 consecutive years (2007-2025)
• Named as one of the California Top Labor & Employment Lawyers by Daily Journal for eight consecutive years (2013-2022)
• Named to the list of Best Lawyers in America® in each of the past ten consecutive years by Woodward & White's Best Lawyers in America publication through 2024
• Rated 10.0 Superb by Avvo
• Finalist for CAOC’s 2012 Street Fighter of the Year Award

Significant Single-Plaintiff Cases

• Jane Doe v. XYZ Corp. Recovered $34,500,000 on #MeToo case
• Robin Roe v. AAA Corp $20,000,000 on a single plaintiff #MeToo case
• John Doe v. Evildoer Corp $16,500,000 on a single plaintiff FEHA case
• Jane Doe v. CDE corp. Recovered $8,000,000 on #MeToo case
• Valentine v. County of Los Angeles $7,100,000 class settlement
• Dudley v. SBC Communications ($6,700,000). Mr. Feldman turned a single-plaintiff case for CFRA/FMLA violations into what is believed to be the first class-action lawsuit seeking economic and emotional distress damages for violations of California’s Family Rights Act. The case was ultimately settled for $6,700,000 and SBC agreed to change its policies to avoid future interference with employees: CFRA rights and maintain their privacy rights. In addition, thousands of employees suspended for CFRA absences were granted a paid day off.
• Jane Roe v. Bad Company: Recovered $5,000,000 on #MeToo case
• Jane Roe v. PDQ corp: Recovered $5,000,000 on gender claim
• John Doe v. XYZ corp: Recovered $5,000,000 on race case
• John Doe v. PDQ Recovered $4,000,000 on #MeToo case
• Jane Roe v. John Doe Recovered $3,700,000 on #MeToo case
• Jane Roe v. XYZ Recovered $3,400,000 on #MeToo case
• John Doe v. Bad Company: Recovered $3,500,000 on race claim
• MacMichael v. CLAS. FEHA retaliation verdict resulting in 7-figure recovery.
• Brim v. International Union of Operating Engineers (Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC445400), in which a Los Angeles jury awarded $5,500,000 ($4,500,000 for emotional distress damages) to Mr. Brim, who was retaliated against and wrongfully fired in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) for standing up for his female coworker who was being sexually harassed in the workplace and for refusing to lie about what he personally witnessed.
• Noe v. AEG/Levy: Obtained an $8,000,000 settlement for thousands of food and drink vendors, most of whom worked a single sporting event and were denied minimum wage. The settlement paid each vendor about 800% of their actual lost wages.
• Jane Doe v. Nationwide Corp ($2,500,000). Mr. Feldman obtained a $2,500,000 pre-litigation settlement for a female employee alleging gender discrimination. Economic losses were just $220,000.
• Jane Roe v. Small Employer ($2,350,000). Mr. Feldman obtained $2,350,000 on a pre-litigation sexual harassment claim for a woman with no economic losses.
• High Level Exec v. Fortune 500 Co. ($2,300,000). Mr. Feldman obtained a $2,300,000 settlement on a pre-litigation wrongful termination claim.
• John Doe v. Fortune 50 Corp. ($1,400,000). Mr. Feldman obtained $1,400,000 for an older worker fired due to age and whistleblowing activity.
• Jane Doe v. Large Corporate Employer ($1,200,000.00). Prior to hiring Mr. Feldman, Plaintiff had been negotiating a severance package worth between $50,000 and $75,000. After filing a lawsuit for sexual harassment and retaliatory discharge, and taking numerous depositions, Mr. Feldman won a settlement of $1,200,000.00.
• John Doe v. ABC Corporation ($1,712,000.00). Three employees claiming wrongful termination or constructive discharge. Two of the cases were dropped by another lawyer, who advised the clients to dismiss for a waiver of costs. The lawyer thought so little of the third client’s case that he never filed the lawsuit. Mr. Feldman took over the two dropped cases, obtaining a settlement of $1,000,000.00. He filed the third case against the lawyer that had failed to file the lawsuit, obtaining a settlement of $712,000.
• Jane Doe v. Nationwide Chain ($1,250,000). Paid on claim for wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Plaintiff was fired for refusing to compromise patient care in pursuit of profits.
• Jane Doe v. Large Manufacturer ($1,350,000). Mr. Feldman obtained a $1.35 million settlement for a worker who incurred losses of roughly $65,000 when she was fired from her job in violation of her FMLA rights.
• John Doe v. Cable Company ($975,000). Mr. Feldman obtained this settlement on a racial discrimination claim where the wrongfully fired employee had lost wages of roughly $55,000 and no other lawyer would take his case.
• Vo v. Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (2000) 79 Cal.App.4th 440. The Court of Appeal affirmed an award of $470,000 in attorney’s fees on a verdict of $37,500 because the employer had failed to make a reasonable settlement offer, thereby forcing Mr. Feldman to try a low-damage case and expend vast amounts in fees and costs. The Court of Appeals also awarded appellate fees, bringing the total award to more than $600,000.

Class Action Settlements

• $8,000,000 Noe v. AEG/Levy (2016)[Settlement on theories of joint employer liability for unpaid wages and willful misclassification under Section 226.8 and PAGA]
• Valentine v. County of Los Angeles $7,100,000 class action settlement
• $6,800,000 Dudley v. AT&T; [First CFRA/FMLA class action brought on behalf of employees from whom private medical information was demanded and who were fired in violation of the California Family Rights Act]
• $3,750,000 Totten v. KBR (2018)[Meal breaks, unpaid wages, and overtime][Resulted in a landmark published decision by Judge Gee holding class action waivers unenforceable under NLRB and Norris-LaGuardia Act]
• $2,000,000 Prieto v. Elite Line Services. Wage and hour class action. (2019)
• $1,800,000 Gluck v. A Place For Mom [small class of nursing home placement consultants denied overtime, minimum wage]
• $1,500,000 Catching v. NTL Trucking [small class of intrastate truck drivers denied overtime and meal breaks]
• $1,500,000 Ying v. Hawaiian Gardens [small class of casino workers from whom tips were taken and given to managers]
• $1,500,000 Choudury v. Fresh Brothers
• $1,300,000 Cabrillo v. Mathisen [trucker meal break class]
• $1,000,000 Smith v. Shield Security [security guards denied off duty meal breaks]
• $ 900,000 Douglas v. Barney’s Beanery [waitresses denied meal breaks]
• $ 875,000 Wolff v. Allied Beverages [small class of drivers denied overtime]

Education

• Bar Admission California State Courts 1994
• Bar Admission US Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
• B.A. Emory University - Undergraduate School Atlanta, GA 1986
• J.D. Boston University School of Law - Graduate School Boston, MA 1991

Memberships

• Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)

• Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA)

• The Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), Labor and Employment Law Section

• California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA); member of CELA's Legislative Committee

Awards

• Super Lawyers, Southern California Super Lawyer Visit Website

• Avvo, Superb Rating Top Attorney

• Daily Journal, Top Labor & Employment Lawyers Visit Website

• U.S. News, Best Lawyers in America Visit Website