Louis Benowitz is the president and attorney of Benowitz Law Corporation where he works on California employee rights cases. Louis’ work includes representing employees who have experienced illegal workplace discrimination based on their membership in protected classes (e.g., sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, military veteran status, pregnancy), exercise of their rights to job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, retaliation for complaints based on protected activities, whistleblower complaints, workplace safety violations, workplace harassment, and employee misclassification. Louis is an avid employee advocate and an incredibly effective attorney since 2009. 

Louis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Cornell University in 2003. He achieved his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 2008. 

During his time at Loyola Law School, Louis served as an editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, won multiple brief-writing awards while serving on the Scott Moot Court Honors Board, and earned membership in the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society. This is when Louis first learned he was passionate about legal writing and litigation at both the trial and appellate court levels. 

Louis has been recognized by Southern California Super Lawyers every year since 2013, and was recognized as a Rising Star Up-and-Coming 100 Super Lawyer for 2021. Louis has worked on numerous high-profile cases, successfully securing millions in compensation for his clients. Louis has also been a speaker on multiple occasions at the California Employment Lawyers Association’s Advanced Wage and Hour Conference on multiple occasions and has appeared on multiple legal podcasts discussing employee rights issues. 

When Louis is not practicing law, you can find him cold-plunging in Manhattan Beach, going to Dodger games, taking walks with his pup Lolabear, playing Pokémon Go with his twin boys, and spending time with his wife Lisa. 

• Troester v. Starbucks Corp. (2018) 5 Cal.5th 829, California Supreme Court: Obtained reversal of summary judgment order and set precedent holding that California’s “hours worked” definition does not recognize a de minimis exception (contrary to the FLSA)
• Augustus v. ABM Security Services, Inc. (2016) 2 Cal.5th 257, California Supreme Court: As amicus curiae on behalf of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), submitted brief largely adopted by the Court in its ruling that California law prohibits on-call and on-duty rest periods.
• Valencia v. SCIS Air Security Corp. (2015) 241 Cal.App.4th 377, Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District: Obtained a reversal of a denial of class certification and grant of summary adjudication in favor of employer in wage and hour class action on grounds that the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA) does not preempt California’s wage and hour laws.
• Chavez v. Southern California Edison Co. (2015) No. B253514, Unpublished, Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District: Obtained reversal defense verdict after jury trial in male-on-male sexual harassment case where court gave erroneous jury instruction over plaintiff’s objection.

• California

• California Employment Lawyers Association 
• Justice HQ