 On July 23, Lauren Teukolsky chaired the California Lawyers Association's Annual Advanced Wage and Hour Conference and its Labor. The conference was covered by Law360, which interviewed Ms. Teukolsky about AB 2155, a recent California law aimed at expanding the state’s forced arbitration exemptions to mirror federal law.
As the article explains, California has its own arbitration law, the California Arbitration Act (CAA). Before the new law went into place, the CAA lacked certain exemptions contained in the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). Specifically, the FAA excludes “transportation workers” from arbitration, as well as sexual harassment and assault claims. California law had no such exemptions. Law 360 quoted Ms. Teukolsky saying, “Generally speaking, California law is far more protective of employees than federal law. Oddly, the one place where that was not true was in our arbitration law." Governor Newsom recently signed AB 2155 was into law to close the loophole. It provides that exemptions to the FAA apply equally to the CAA. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2027. This means if arbitration agreements are covered by the CAA, transportation workers such as delivery drivers will be exempted from arbitration. Similarly, under the CAA, no sexual harassment or assault cases may be sent to arbitration. (The California Court of Appeal already reached this conclusion, holding the CAA was preempted to the extent it would require arbitration of sexual harassment or assault cases.) Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, The Guardian, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the Law 360 article, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here.
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LAUREN TEUKOLSKY QUOTED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ON THE GROWING USE OF AI IN LITIGATION5/18/2026  Lauren Teukolsky was quoted in a May 18 article by the San Francisco Chronicle on the growing trend of California lawyers using artificial intelligence (AI) in litigation. Law firms are adopting AI technology to draft briefs, review filings, and generate citations saving time and money. AI is not perfect and tends to hallucinate legal cases or their content; a recent global survey found 957 cases where U.S. courts discovered that AI had produced hallucinated content, primarily in civil cases.
A simple fix to the AI hallucination problem is to have lawyers verify AI-generated content. The San Francisco Chronicle described Ms. Teukolsky’s use of the AI tool Deep Research to find citations she needed for an employment case and verify the findings in 10-15 minutes. Ms. Teukolsky explained that the results were “as good as a very competent attorney would produce,” but “an attorney would take at least a week” to complete this task. One potential consequence of this growing AI use is the replacement of legal support staff that aid attorneys in litigation. AI can replicate tasks traditionally performed by law clerks, legal assistants, and paralegals at a fraction of the cost. Ms. Teukolsky surmised, “It will cost jobs, paralegals, clerks.” Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, The Guardian, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the article in its entirety, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here.  Lauren Teukolsky was quoted in April 22 article by The Guardian, which discusses Amazon’s treatment of injured workers. Workers were allegedly encouraged to continue their shifts shortly after witnessing traumatic events or medical emergencies on the floor. According to the article, workers say Amazon artificially lowers its injury numbers by using its in-house medical clinics, known as AmCare, to filter out injury reports. The article quotes workers as saying these clinics provide minimal care and are used to help Amazon avoid officially recording an injury.
The article describes a recent lawsuit that Teukolsky Law filed against Amazon. In the complaint, plaintiff Juan Loera-Gomez alleges he suffered injuries to his back and shoulders after spending hours lifting boxes that each weighed more than 50 pounds. Amazon allegedly accommodated his injuries by moving him to a light duty position for six months, but abruptly placed him on unpaid leave, saying the company could no longer accommodate his work restrictions. He was then fired. The lawsuit alleges claims for disability discrimination and failure to provide a reasonable accommodation. The Guardian quoted Ms. Teukolsky saying, “This isn’t an isolated incident. It looks to me there’s a pretty clear pattern of this occurring in Amazon warehouses” Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Daily Journal, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the article in its entirety, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here. The Inland Empire’s local NPR affiliate, KVCR News, covered a recent lawsuit filed by Teukolsky Law against Amazon on behalf of Juan Loera, a former San Bernardino warehouse employee who sustained life-altering injuries after two years of handling heavy cargo. The lawsuit contends Mr. Loera’s condition required medical accommodation, but he was allegedly forced into unpaid leave and eventually terminated via email, causing significant financial hardship for his family.
Data from the Strategic Organizing Center and the National Employment Law Project shows that the serious injury rate at Amazon facilities was nearly double that of its industry competitors in 2024. The company accounted for 56% of all serious industry injuries, often requiring workers to be moved to light duty or to miss work entirely due to the severity of their physical trauma. As the Inland Empire continues to serve as a global hub for logistics, this case serves as a bellwether for how large-scale employers manage disability accommodations and the protection of workers who exercise their right to demand safer working conditions. Mr. Loera is represented by Lauren Teukolsky and staff attorneys at The Warehouse Worker Resources Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving working conditions in the warehouse industry in Southern California. Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades, including in unpaid wage cases. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the KVCR article, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here.  A Law360 article covers a recent lawsuit filed by Teukolsky Law against food service giant Compass Group USA regarding unpaid travel time at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The article highlights the significant amounts of unpaid time airport lounge workers must spend on employer-mandated shuttle buses to travel to their work stations after they pass through TSA security checkpoints.
Plaintiff Ignacio Vazquez and his coworkers work in the remote Terminal R , which is not connected to LAX and can only be accessed by taking a shuttle. The complaint alleges that employees must wait alongside passengers for the shuttle to arrive, take the shuttle across the tarmac (where they are often stopped by passing airplanes), and are allowed to clock in only after they reach their workstations in Terminal R. A previous employer permitted employees to clock in before they boarded the employer-mandated shuttle bus and be paid for the travel time, but Compass changed this practice, resulting in significant amounts of unpaid time. The lawsuit alleges Compass disciplined employees who attempted to clock in before they boarded the shuttle so they could be paid for the time. As discussed in the Law360 article, employees can lose up to an hour of pay each day navigating the mandatory travel requirements. Mr. Vazquez and putative class members are represented by Lauren Teukolsky and staff attorneys from UNITE HERE Local 11. Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades, including in unpaid wage cases. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the Law 360 article, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here.  Lauren Teukolsky’s “Wage and Hour Case Notes” were published in the March 2026 edition of the California Labor and Employment Law Review. Her column describes recent decisions from California’s appellate courts that affect wage-and-hour law, including Lorenzo v. San Francisco Zen Center, in which the appeals court held that religious organizations are not exempt from California’s wage and hour laws.
The California Lawyers Association (CLA) is a voluntary statewide bar association. Ms. Teukolsky was recently appointed to serve on the Executive Committee of CLA’s Labor & Employment Section. Her three-year term started in October 2024. Ms. Teukolsky has written for CLA’s California Labor and Employment Law Review for over two years. Her “Wage and Hour Case Notes” are published every other quarter. Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades, and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. If you would like to speak with Ms. Teukolsky about a wage-and-hour matter, click here.  Lauren Teukolsky was recently selected to the 2026 Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers list and the 2026 Top 50 Women Southern California Super Lawyers list. This is the third time Ms. Teukolsky has earned a spot on the “Top 100” list. The selections were made by Super Lawyers, a rating service that recognizes “outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.”
This year’s lists mark Ms. Teukolsky’s fourteenth consecutive selection by Super Lawyers, a streak that began in 2013. Before that, she was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2004 to 2010. The Super Lawyers selection process involves a multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The objective of the selection process is to create a comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys. The top 5% of attorneys are selected to Super Lawyers lists each year. Lauren Teukolsky has worked to protect employees’ rights for over two decades and speaks regularly at conferences on employment law. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To learn more about Ms. Teukolsky, click here. If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated, harassed, or suffered from other unlawful workplace practices, click here to get in touch with our office.  Lauren Teukolsky was quoted in a January 14 Bloomberg Law article about recent developments surrounding the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), a California law that permits employees to stand in the shoes of the state to enforce provisions of the Labor Code on behalf of an entire workforce.
A growing number of employers require workers to sign mandatory arbitration agreements, forcing workers into a private court system that deprives them of a judge and jury. Employers also may require employees to waive their right to bring class action lawsuits through a mandatory arbitration agreement. However, the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2022 that employers may not require employees to waive their right to bring a PAGA action through an arbitration agreement. Several important pending lawsuits will define the scope of PAGA, and whether workers must arbitrate some aspects of their PAGA claims. Bloomberg law quoted Ms. Teukolsky saying, “Defendants are trying to figure out ways to send pieces of [PAGA] cases to arbitration to narrow them and to slow them down.” She also noted that when aspects of PAGA cases are sent to arbitration, the effect of an arbitrator’s ruling on the PAGA claim pending in court is “still an open question.” Ms. Teukolsky has represented workers for over two decades and her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To read the article in its entirety, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here.  Lauren Teukolsky is set to speak at the 2026 New Employment Law Practitioner Conference on Wage & Hour Basics. The virtual conference will take place on February 5-6, 2026 and is hosted by the California Lawyers Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section.
The conference is designed for new attorneys, professionals transitioning into labor or employment law, and HR practitioners. Attendees will receive practical and foundational guidance to help them confidently navigate the complexities of wage-and-hour rules and the broader field of employment law. Ms. Teukolsky has worked to protect employees’ rights for over two decades and speaks regularly at conferences on employment law. In the past year, Ms. Teukolsky spoke at the CLA Advanced Wage & Hour Conference on the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”); a conference at the Berkeley Law School on sexual harassment; and a LACBA symposium on PAGA. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To register for the CLA Conference on February 5-6, 2026, click here. If you believe you’ve been treated unlawfully in the workplace and want to get in touch with our office, click here. LAUREN TEUKOLSKY RECEIVES 2025 SERVICE AWARD FROM CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS ASSOCIATION10/27/2025 Lauren Teukolsky of Teukolsky Law, APC was recently honored with a 2025 Service Award by the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA). CELA selected Ms. Teukolsky based on her “leadership and service on numerous CELA Committees and dedication to the rights of working people.”
CELA is a statewide organization of more than 1,300 California attorneys who devote the majority of their practices to representing employees in individual and class action employment cases. CELA works to protect and expand the legal rights of workers through litigation, education, and advocacy. Ms. Teukolsky has more than 20 years of experience litigating employment cases. She has been a CELA member since 2002. She served as Co-Chair of CELA’s Wage & Hour Committee from 2019-2021, and currently serves on the Amicus Committee. Her commentary on the latest developments in employment law is regularly featured by major publications such as Bloomberg Law, Law360, Law.com, and the Los Angeles Times. To learn more about Ms. Teukolsky, click here. If you believe you have been wrongfully terminated, harassed, or suffered from other unlawful workplace practices, click here to get in touch with our office. |
AuthorLauren Teukolsky is the founder and owner of Teukolsky Law, A Professional Corporation. Archives
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Teukolsky Law, A Professional Corporation, represents clients throughout California. Ms. Teukolsky is admitted to practice in the State of California, as well as the United States Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Northern District of California and Central District of California. Disclaimer.
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