Employee-side employment law · Los Angeles

Entertainment Industry Employment Lawyer in Los Angeles

Hollywood runs on people. When a studio, production company, or executive fires, harasses, or retaliates against one of those people, California law protects the worker, not the brand. We represent the actors, crew, writers, and studio staff who make the industry run. We focus on representing employees, not the studios.

If you were pushed out, silenced, or punished for speaking up, you may have more options than you think. The consultation is free and confidential, and we work on contingency: if we don't win, you don't pay.

Schedule a free consultation Call (424) 255-8376

Free consultation. Most matters handled on contingency. Serving employees across California.

Big studios have powerful lawyers. You should too.

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01 · Who we're for

Los Angeles employment attorney for entertainment workers, not studios

Big studios, production companies, and talent agencies have entire legal departments built to protect the company. When you are the one who was fired, harassed, or retaliated against, you are up against that machinery alone. That is the gap we close.

An employment lawyer who represents entertainment workers is not the same thing as the lawyers who paper deals and register copyrights. Those firms work for the business. We work for the worker. Most of our work is in Los Angeles, and we represent employees across California, from the soundstage to the corporate floor.

02 · Your protections

Are entertainment industry workers protected under California law?

Yes. Entertainment industry workers are protected by the same state and federal employment laws as everyone else, and California's protections are among the strongest in the country. At the state level, the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) protects you from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. At the federal level, Title VII does the same. These laws apply on a film set and in a studio office, not just in a "normal" workplace.

Myth 01

“But it's at-will”

At-will employment means an employer can generally end the relationship for many reasons, or no reason. It does not mean an employer can fire you for an illegal reason. Firing someone for reporting harassment, or because of their age, race, gender, pregnancy, or disability, or for refusing to break the law, is not protected by at-will. It tends to be the opposite: it can be the basis of a claim.

Myth 02

“But I'm a 1099”

Misclassification is everywhere in film and TV. Productions often label workers as independent contractors when the law would treat them as employees, based on how the work is actually controlled and performed. If you were misclassified, you may still be protected, and you may also have unpaid wages or overtime claims on top of it. The label on your paperwork does not decide your rights.

The scale here is real. The U.S. film and television industry supports more than two million jobs nationwide, and the vast majority of those people are not movie stars. They are crew, assistants, writers, editors, and office staff, and they are protected workers.

03 · What we handle

Entertainment employment cases we handle

§ 01

Wrongful termination

Fired for an illegal reason.

View practice area
§ 02

Sexual harassment & hostile work environment

On set, in the office, quid pro quo.

View practice area
§ 03

Retaliation & whistleblower claims

Punished for reporting harassment, unsafe sets, unpaid wages, or illegal activity. An employer generally cannot fire you for reporting information you reasonably believe discloses a violation of law — to a government agency, a supervisor, or internally.

§ 04

Discrimination

Age, gender, race, pregnancy, or disability.

View practice area
§ 05

Wage & hour and unpaid wages

Off-the-clock work, missed overtime, misclassification, and unpaid wages on productions.

§ 06

Severance agreement review

For executives and talent handed an agreement and a short deadline.

View practice area
04 · Who we represent

Who we represent in the entertainment industry

It is not just the names above the title.

Actors & on-camera talentCamera, grip & electricProduction assistantsEditors & post-productionWriters & producersStudio & corporate staffReality & streaming talent
05 · The context

Why the entertainment industry is different

The law is the same. The pressure is not. This is an industry where everyone knows everyone, where one bad reference can quietly end a career, and where NDAs get handed out as a condition of the job. A lot of people decide to stay silent.

Since #MeToo, more of those stories have come out, but the power imbalance has not gone away. A worker reporting misconduct is still going up against a company with deep pockets and a reputation to protect. We take that seriously. Conversations with us are confidential, and we are comfortable going up against high-profile, well-resourced defendants. The size of the name on the other side does not change how we work a case.

In the press

Entertainment industry cases in the news

Our work for entertainment-industry employees includes high-profile matters against major studios, production companies, and public figures — whistleblower and retaliation cases, sexual harassment claims, wage disputes, and wrongful-termination suits. Below is a sample of matters that have drawn press coverage:

Except where a verdict or judgment is noted, the matters below are pending lawsuits. They describe allegations the firm has made on behalf of its clients; the defendants deny the claims, and nothing here is a finding or admission of wrongdoing.

Brian King Joseph v. Will Smith and Treyball Studios Management

Brian King Joseph — an electric violinist and America’s Got Talent finalist (season 13, 2018) — was hired to perform on Will Smith’s 2025 “Based on a True Story” tour. He alleges he was sexually harassed and then fired in retaliation after he reported an incident in which someone entered his hotel room and left sexual items and a note. The firm represents Mr. Joseph in his sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful-termination suit in Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Smith has denied the allegations and moved to dismiss; the firm is actively litigating the case.

Firm case pageIn the press:Variety, Rolling Stone, KTLA

Derek Dixon v. Tyler Perry and TPS Production Services

The firm represents actor and screenwriter Derek Dixon, a series regular on Tyler Perry’s “The Oval,” in a $260 million suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The complaint alleges quid pro quo and hostile-work-environment sexual harassment, sexual assault and battery, and retaliation by Mr. Perry and his production companies. Mr. Perry denies the allegations and has called the suit meritless.

Firm case pageIn the press:Variety, ABC News

Mario Rodriguez v. Tyler Perry and Lionsgate

The firm represents Mario Rodriguez, an actor in “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” in a suit seeking at least $77 million against Tyler Perry and Lionsgate. The complaint alleges years of unwanted sexual advances, sexual battery, and assault, and that the studio ignored the misconduct. Mr. Perry denies the allegations.

Firm case pageIn the press:CNN, Variety, Rolling Stone

Karla Amezola & Daniel Levy v. Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. (Estrella TV)

Karla Amezola, an Emmy-winning Spanish-language news anchor at Estrella TV (Liberman Broadcasting), alleged years of sexual harassment by the network’s vice president of news, Andrés Angulo, and retaliation after she reported it. The firm filed her suit in Los Angeles Superior Court (No. BC624228) for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, retaliation, failure to prevent harassment, and wrongful termination, and the matter drew national coverage.

The firm also represented Daniel Levy, a quality-control producer at Estrella TV, in a related retaliation and wrongful-termination suit against the same broadcaster. After Mr. Levy went to human resources in May 2016 to support Ms. Amezola and other female colleagues who had accused Mr. Angulo of harassment, he alleges he was stripped of his position within hours and terminated about four weeks later. His claims included retaliation under FEHA and whistleblower retaliation under California Labor Code sections 1102.5 and 232.5.

Amezola case pageLevy case pageIn the press:Variety, Forbes, CBS Los Angeles

Zirpel v. Alki David Productions, Inc. — $7.1M whistleblower verdict (affirmed)

The firm represented Karl Zirpel through discovery and depositions in his whistleblower-retaliation case against the production company of media mogul Alki David, after Mr. Zirpel was fired for reporting unsafe conditions and code violations at a venue he was renovating for the company; trial co-counsel JML Law took the case to trial. A Los Angeles jury returned a verdict of $7,068,717 — about $7.1 million, including $6 million in punitive damages — and, with attorneys’ fees, the judgment reached roughly $7.6 million. The California Court of Appeal affirmed in a published opinion in 2023 (Zirpel v. Alki David Productions, Inc., No. B317334).

Firm case pageIn the press:National Law Review, Proskauer (CA Employment Law Update)

Rhea Devlugt v. Mario Barrett, et al.

The firm represents Rhea Devlugt — known professionally as Jasmine St. Clair — in a wage-and-hour and whistleblower-retaliation suit against recording artist Mario (Mario Barrett) — a runner-up on The Masked Singer (2024) and a former Dancing with the Stars contestant — and a wellness company. Ms. Devlugt alleges she was misclassified as an independent contractor, denied wages she was owed, and then cut off after she raised concerns about unsafe and unlicensed medical practices — protected activity under California’s whistleblower statute (Labor Code § 1102.5).

Firm case pageLimited independent press coverage located for this matter; only the firm case page is linked.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.

How to choose

Entertainment law firms in Los Angeles: how to choose.

When people search for entertainment law firms in Los Angeles, they often find two very different kinds of firm, and it matters which one you call.

Transactional / IP firms
  • —Contracts, copyright, licensing, and deal-making
  • —They work for the business side of the industry
  • —They paper deals and register copyrights
Employee-side litigation (us)
  • §We represent workers who were harmed on the job
  • §Fired, harassed, discriminated against, or retaliated against
  • §We work for the worker, not the studio
?
a quick test

If you are searching because of something an employer did to you, you want an employment lawyer who represents entertainment workers — not a transactional entertainment lawyer.

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Why Delshad Legal

Why workers choose Delshad Legal

We keep our caseload limited so each client gets real attention. Mr. Delshad trained at Latham & Watkins, holds a JD/MBA from UCLA, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the California Wrongful Termination Law Review. We work on contingency for litigation matters, so if we don't win, you don't pay. Severance reviews are handled as a focused, separate service; we'll explain how that works on your first call. Either way, the consultation is free and confidential.

Super Lawyers, selected 2022 to 2025Best Lawyers, since 2017Avvo 10.0 “Superb”
Common questions

The questions people ask first.

Short, straight answers. The specifics depend on your situation — that's what the free review is for.

Generally, yes, if you were fired for an illegal reason. At-will employment lets an employer end the relationship for many reasons, but not for an unlawful one, such as discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for reporting misconduct. The size of the studio does not change that.

Yes. Actors, crew, writers, and studio staff are covered by California’s FEHA and federal Title VII, the same as workers in any other industry. Working in entertainment does not remove those protections.

Being fired for reporting harassment is often retaliation, which is generally illegal. Save what you can, your report, who you told, dates, and what happened afterward, and talk to an employment lawyer promptly. Deadlines to act can be short.

If you were harmed as a worker, you need an employee-side employment lawyer who knows the entertainment industry, which is what we do. If you need a contract drafted or a copyright handled, that is transactional entertainment law, a different practice. The two are not interchangeable.

Often, yes. Many "independent contractors" in film and TV are misclassified and are legally employees, which can restore protections they were told they didn’t have. Even where contractor status holds, California law provides harassment protections that can reach beyond traditional employees. It is worth having someone look at the specifics.

It depends on the claim, and some deadlines are short. As general guidance only: FEHA claims generally allow up to three years to file with the California Civil Rights Department, followed by a limited window to sue after you receive a right-to-sue letter; federal claims through the EEOC generally have a much shorter window. Because deadlines can run early and vary by claim, talk to a lawyer about your situation as soon as you can.

The first step costs nothing

Talk to an employment lawyer for the entertainment industry.

Think you have an entertainment industry employment claim? Let's talk. The call is free, the conversation is confidential, and the sooner you act, the more options you tend to have. We represent employees across California, with most of our work in Los Angeles.

Confidential from the first call$0 unless we winA straight answer

Prefer to talk? Call (424) 255-8376 — a real person answers.

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Authored by the Law Offices of Jonathan J. Delshad. Representing employees is the core of the firm's practice.

Reviewed for California employment law accuracy. Last updated: July 2, 2026.

Law Offices of Jonathan J. Delshad, PC

1663 Sawtelle Blvd, Suite 220, Los Angeles, CA 90025 · (424) 255-8376

Serving employees throughout Los Angeles, Southern California, and across California.

Attorney advertising. This page is educational only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship, which exists only under a signed engagement agreement. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on the specific facts. Deadlines can run early, consult a lawyer promptly about your situation.