Laura Reathaford is widely respected by her peers in the legal field and has a reputation marked by her successes in “bet-the-company” cases, litigating hundreds of wage and hour and PAGA actions. Clients continually call on Laura and refer her to their colleagues because she takes the road less traveled to California litigation. According to her clients, they “return to her for legal counsel and refer her to other companies because of her staunch advocacy for employers and her no-nonsense approach to handling employment issues.” She works tirelessly to effect change in the courtroom concerning matters that have far-reaching implications for California employers, including appearing as amicus curiae counsel in many cutting-edge wage and hour and PAGA cases.
Laura Reathaford is an accomplished employment litigator who has led Lathrop GPM’s California-based labor and employment group from its Los Angeles office since 2019. She was appointed Partner in Charge of the L.A. office in January 2023.
When asked…
Why did you become a lawyer?
I always believed that the legal profession is one that would suit my personality well – and I have found that to be true. I enjoy employment law because it combines business prowess with human experiences. In this area of the law, we often deal with management, which means dealing with people running a business. We get to be a part of the team helping them to navigate the legal complexities of employment relationships. I enjoy learning about businesses, their work, and how they fit into the larger economy.
What do you enjoy about being the Partner-in-Charge of the L.A. Office?
I believe it is important for law firm leadership to leave a legacy for the next generation. To me, that means building the Los Angeles office so that all of our current and future attorneys have the opportunity to build their practices representing interesting clients in complex legal work across multiple areas of law.
