Matt Golper is a trusted advisor, litigator, and business partner to employers of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, specializing in all aspects of employment law and related litigation. Matt’s litigation practice is centered on delivering aggressive yet goal-oriented representation in complex wage-and-hour disputes, including class actions, collective actions, and PAGA representative matters. He also has extensive experience defending employers in cases involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, and wrongful termination.
Leveraging his litigation expertise and a deep understanding of California’s dynamic employment law landscape, Matt serves as a strategic advisor to human resources teams, management, and in-house counsel. He provides guidance on developing risk-mitigating personnel practices and offers day-to-day advice on a wide range of employee relations and compliance issues, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, employee discipline, performance management, terminations, leave law compliance, complaint investigations, and wage-and-hour compliance.
Matt’s experience extends to creating training programs and delivering instruction on key employment law topics, such as anti-harassment, equal employment opportunity (EEO), and wage-and-hour compliance, tailored for management and HR professionals. He has served in an advisory role helping startups establish foundational HR practices, conducts comprehensive wage-and-hour audits for established organizations, and drafted critical employment documents, including handbooks, executive and independent contractor agreements, separation agreements, and commission/incentive compensation plans.
Before joining the Firm, Matt was a Partner at a national Am Law 200 firm, where he led the firm’s California wage-and-hour practice.
Matt is a seasoned attorney who has successfully defended employers in state and federal courts, arbitration, and before various state and federal agencies. He has extensive experience managing class, collective, and PAGA representative actions, alleging a wide array of claims, including:
- Off-the-clock work (overtime and minimum wage claims)
- Non-compliant meal and rest periods
- Regular rate of pay miscalculation
- Unlawful rounding practices
- Independent contractor misclassification
- Exempt misclassification
- Inaccurate wage statements
- Failure to provide suitable seating
- Sick pay violations
- Non-compliance with California’s alternative workweek schedule requirement
Representative Experience
Class, Collective, and PAGA Representative Wage and Hour Matters
- Successfully opposed a motion for class certification in a wage-and-hour class action involving unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, missed meal/rest breaks, and inaccurate wage statements against a financial services employer.
- Achieved summary judgment and secured complete dismissal of a PAGA representative action alleging invalid alternative work schedules for a Fortune 50 third-party logistics provider.
- Secured dismissal of all PAGA claims in a class and representative action against a financial services organization.
- Prevailed on the merits in individual PAGA arbitration, resulting in dismissal of representative/non-individual PAGA action.
- Won numerous dispositive motions in PAGA representative actions, reducing alleged employer liability by millions of dollars.
- Effectively navigated PAGA cure provisions and a related LWDA investigation for a Fortune 250 employer facing wage statement inaccuracy allegations.
- Defeating dozens of putative class and collective actions by enforcing class-action waivers and compelling individual arbitration.
Other Employment & Labor Matters
- Granted summary judgment and complete dismissal of action for a staffing services agency in a sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and wrongful termination case.
- Granted summary judgment and complete dismissal of action for a retailer in a single-plaintiff retaliation and wrongful termination lawsuit.
- Obtained a dismissal of all claims in a single-plaintiff disability discrimination and wrongful termination action against a Fortune 50 retailer.
- Obtained summary judgment and dismissal in civil rights and disability discrimination cases against public entities, with various decisions upheld on appeal.
- Represented a financial services employer in mass / dozens of arbitrations under the California Labor Code and FLSA, compelling individual arbitration and securing favorable outcomes.
- Obtained workplace violence restraining orders to protect employees on behalf of a video game design company.
- Guided restaurant chain through a successful U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division audit.
Matt’s proven ability to achieve favorable outcomes in complex litigation matters makes him a trusted advocate for employers across diverse industries.
Admitted to Practice
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. Courts of Appeals:
- Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Courts:
- Central District of California
- Eastern District of California
- Northern District of California
- Southern District of California
- B.A., History/Race & Ethnic Studies, University of Redlands
- J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
- California
- Dynamex Bites Back and Sinks Its Teeth In: California Supreme Court Confirms Retroactive Application of the ABC Test, Lexology, Jan. 2021
- California’s AB 2257 Changes State Independent Contractor Law, Lexology, Nov. 2020
- California’s AB 685 Imposes COVID-19 Workplace Exposure Notice and Reporting Requirements for Employers Effective January 1, 2021, Lexology, Oct. 2020
- California’s SB 1159 Codifies Workers' Compensation Presumption to Employees Who Test Positive for COVID-19, Lexology, Oct. 2020
- 2020 California Legislative Wrap-Up: California Employers Must Act Now, Lexology, Oct. 2020
- DOL Issues New FFCRA Guidance on School, Summer Camp, and Related Program Closures, Lexology, June 2020
- California Local Minimum Wage Increases and Other Laws Set to Take Effect on July 1, 2020, Lexology, June 2020
- City of Los Angeles Enacts Modified Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance and New “Worker Protection Order”, Lexology, April 2020
- CARES Act: Loans to Cover Payroll, Unemployment Expansion, and Other Impacts for Employers, Lexology, March 2020
- DOL Provides Further Guidance on FFCRA’s Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family Medical Leave and Publishes Required Poster, Lexology, March 2020
- DOL Offers First Guidance on Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency Family Medical Leave Now Effective April 1, 2020, Lexology, March 2020
- Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Lexology, March 2020
- California Governor Suspends Strict Employer Compliance With California WARN Act,Lexology, March 2020
- Preliminary Injunction Prevents California from Enforcing AB 51’s Anti-Arbitration Provisions, Lexology, February 2020
- California Prohibits Most Employer Mandatory Arbitration Agreements in AB 51, Lexology, October 2019
- “Supreme Court Upholds Employment Class Action Waivers,” Lexology, May 2018
- “California Supreme Court Reverses PAGA Discovery Ruling,” Lexology, July 2017
- “Are You at Risk of Joint Employer Liability?” Orange County Business Journal, Aug. 2014
United States District Court
- Gonzalez v. Builders FirstSource, Inc., 2022 WL 4596579 (C.D. Cal. 2022) (granting employer’s motion to dismiss unpaid overtime, unpaid minimum wage, failure to reimburse, and Labor Code section 212 and 450 claims in putative class action)
- J.L. v. Cissna, 2019 U.S. Dist. Lexis 16761 (N.D. Cal. 2019) (successfully moved to certify class of abused, abandoned, or neglected 18- to 20-year-old immigrants petitioning for Special Immigrant Juvenile status in action against U.S. Customs and Immigration Services and other government entities)
- Vo v. LoanMe, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. Lexis 224058 (C.D. Cal. 2018) (granting employer’s motion to dismiss Private Attorney General Act claims for unpaid overtime wages, inadequate meal and rest periods, unlawful deductions from wages, and derivative penalties)
- Nguyen v. Impac Mortgage, 2018 U.S. Dist. Lexis 227091 (C.D. Cal. 2018) (granting employer’s motion to compel arbitration and to dismiss wage and hour class action lawsuit)
- Warren v. Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. Lexis 228153 (C.D. Cal. 2018) (granting employer’s motion to compel arbitration and to dismiss lawsuit)
- Jaffey v. Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. Lexis 141584 (D. Nev. 2018) (granting employer’s motion to compel arbitration and to dismiss background check class action lawsuit under Fair Credit Reporting Act)
- J.L. v. Cissna, 341 F. Supp. 3d 1048 (N.D. Cal. 2018) (obtained preliminary injunction in class action against U.S. Customs and Immigration Services and other government entities on behalf of putative class of abused, neglected, or abandoned 18- to 20-year-old immigrants petitioning for Special Immigrant Juvenile status)
- Vo v. LoanMe, Inc., 2017 U.S. Dist. Lexis 222328 (C.D. Cal. 2017) (granting employer’s motion to stay proceedings)
- Kim v. CashCall, Inc., 2017 U.S. Dist. Lexis 222620 (C.D. Cal. 2017) (finding sufficient evidence of lost arbitration agreement via secondary evidence and staying wage and hour class action lawsuit)
- Ismail v. County of Orange, 917 F. Supp. 2d 1060 (C.D. Cal. 2012) (granting defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s civil rights claims)
Court of Appeal of California
- Christina C. v. County of Orange, 220 Cal. App. 4th 1371 (2013) (affirming summary judgment in favor of defendants where plaintiffs failed to show a violation of their civil rights)
- Mooney v. County of Orange, 212 Cal. App. 4th 865 (2013) (affirming summary adjudication in disability discrimination action in favor of employer where employee was neither “dismissed” because of a disability nor “separated” from employment)
Superior Court of California
- Martel v. FedEx Supply Chain, Inc., 220 Cal. Super. Lexis 3162 (2020) (granting employer’s summary judgment motion in Private Attorney General Act action alleging unpaid overtime wages and derivative claims)
- Martinez v. El Pollo Loco, 2017 Cal. Super. Lexis 9580 (2017) (sustaining employer’s demurrer without leave to amend on breach of express and implied contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and wrongful termination in violation of public policy)
Professional Activities & Recognition
- Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), Labor & Employment Section
- Orange County Labor & Employment Relations Association (OCLERA)
- Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC)
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Select Recognition
- Selected for Best Lawyers In America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment (2024, 2025)
- Selected for Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) for Employment and Labor and Employment Litigation (2024, 2025)
- Selected as Rising Star by Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) for Employment * Labor and Employment Litigation (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022)
Speaking Engagements
- “PAGA Arbitration Strategy Considerations,” Summit Employment Counsel Series, October 4, 2023
- “California Employment Law Update: 2020 Highlights and What’s Coming in 2021”, GS Webinar Series, December 3, 2020
- “Lingering Effects of COVID-19: Best Practices for Mitigating Your Workers’ Compensation and Employment-Related Exposure,” Marsh & McClennan Agency, Irvine, CA, November 19, 2020
- “Wage-and-Hour Developments and Trends”, GS Webinar Series, November 5, 2020
- “Managing Workers’ Compensation Litigation and Employment Law,” Marsh & McLennan Agency, Irvine, CA, November 6, 2019
- “Here Comes the Sun: Preparing for Employees Returning to Work”, GS Webinar Series, May 5, 2020
- “California Employment Law Update: 2019 Highlights and What’s Coming in 2020”, GS Webinar Series, December 11, 2019
- “The Art of a Clean Break – Best Practices for Ending the Employment Relationship", GS Webinar Series, September 26, 2019
- “2019 Employment Law Update: Critical New Laws and Updates for California Employers,” Manatt Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Dec. 13, 2018
- “Wage and Hour Wars!” Orange County Labor & Employment Relations Association, Sept. 13, 2018
- “Historic Ruling On Class Action Waivers In Arbitration Agreements,” Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, May 31, 2018
- Employment Law Update: Highlights from 2015 and What’s New in 2016,” Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Dec. 2, 2015
- “2015 Employment Law Updates,” Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, Dec. 3, 2014
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