Skip to content
DWT logo
People Services Insights
About Offices Careers
Search
People
Services
Insights
About
Offices
Careers
Search
Desktop Image: Franz, Stephen
Mobile Image: Franz, Stephen

Stephen Franz

Associate

T 213.655.9632 Los Angeles
I work hard, solve problems, and deliver results for my clients
  •  

Download vCard Download bio Print this page
Share

Stephen counsels employers to anticipate, avoid, and mitigate employment disputes, and when litigation is unavoidable, he aggressively and creatively represents his clients' interests in court.

Stephen's expertise is in defending clients against wage-and hour-class actions and California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuits. He also has significant experience representing employers in single-plaintiff litigation. In addition, he handles employment disputes before federal and state administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, California Civil Rights Department, and the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement.

While Stephen represents employers all industries, he has particular expertise in the entertainment, restaurant, and transportation spaces. Representative clients include A24, Amazon, Disney, Entertainment One, Paramount, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Universal Music Group.  Stephen also has extensive experience representing multinational Korean enterprises on litigation and employment matters in America.

Practice Highlights

Wage and hour class actions and PAGA

Defends employers in wage-and-hour class actions and PAGA representative actions alleging unpaid off-the-clock work and overtime, meal and rest break violations, pay stub violations, waiting time penalties, unreimbursed business expenses, regular rate of pay violations, unfair competition, and civil penalties under PAGA.  

Entertainment industry practice

Represents global media companies, record labels, talent agencies, and film and television production entities in wage-and-hour class actions, PAGA representative actions, single plaintiff claims, internal investigations, and administrative charges.

Advice and counsel

Provides day-to-day multistate employment and labor law counseling, risk mitigation and assessment, and strategy to human resources professionals and business leaders regarding wage-and-hour compliance, worker classification, leave and accommodations, discipline and termination, contingent workforce, COVID-19, and other employment law issues.
*Denotes an attorney's experience prior to joining Davis Wright Tremaine
Searching...

Admitted to Practice

  • California, 2013

Education

  • J.D., UCLA School of Law, 2013
    • Editor-in-Chief, Pacific Basin Law Journal
    • Executive Board, Asian/Pacific Islander Law Students Association
    • Tribal Legal Clinic
  • B.A., History, Wheaton College, 2009
    • Dean's List
    • Phi Alpha Theta
    • Varsity Football

Memberships & Affiliations

    • Board Member, Japanese American Bar Association Educational Foundation
    • Board of Governors, Japanese American Bar Association

Background

    • Associate, Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp LLP, Los Angeles, 2019-2021
    • Associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Los Angeles, 2018-2019
    • Associate, Raines Feldman LLP, Los Angeles, 2017-2018
    • Associate, Lathrop Gage LLP, Los Angeles, 2016-2017
    • Associate, 2013-2016; Summer Associate, 2012 – The Zappia Law Firm, Los Angeles
Clear Filter
Searching...
Your search returned no results. Please try another search or remove search criteria.
DWT logo
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Media Kit Affiliations Legal notices
Privacy policy Employees DWT Collaborate EEO
SUBSCRIBE
©1996-2025 Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Attorney Advertising. Not intended as legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Close
Close

CAUTION - Before you proceed, please note: By clicking "accept" you agree that our review of the information contained in your e-mail and any attachments will not create an attorney-client relationship, and will not prevent any lawyer in our firm from representing a party in any matter where that information is relevant, even if you submitted the information in good faith to retain us.