Anthony J. Zaller

Overview

Anthony Zaller founded Zaller Law Group in 2017 to defend California employers, with a particular focus on restaurants and hospitality businesses. He represents employers in Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) representative actions, wage and hour class actions, and government agency investigations. He also helps clients reduce exposure before a claim is filed, through compliance audits, policy and handbook reviews, and practical guidance on California’s Labor Code.

Anthony has defended claims involving unpaid wages and overtime, missed meal and rest periods, unreimbursed business expenses, tip pool and service charge practices, and PAGA penalties. He has also defended single-plaintiff cases involving wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, breach of contract, unfair competition, and misappropriation of trade secrets. Clients routinely turn to him for risk management advice on difficult terminations, workplace investigations, and resolving threatened litigation before it is filed.

An entrepreneur himself, Anthony co-founded Scaled Comp, a company that analyzes timekeeping and settlement data for California employers. He was also a co-owner of Prosper, a hospitality events company, through its sale in 2026. He brings an owner’s perspective to legal advice: clear risk assessments, predictable strategy, and solutions that work in a real operation.

Industries

Anthony’s practice centers on restaurants, hospitality, and owner-operated businesses. He has also represented employers in:

• Manufacturing

• Technology and start-ups

• Entertainment

• Retail

• Oil and gas

• Trucking and logistics

• Aerospace and aviation

Thought Leadership

Anthony writes the California Employment Law Report (californiaemploymentlawreport.com), a long-running blog on legal developments affecting California employers. He hosts the Legal Lineup and the firm’s annual Employers Summit, where business owners and HR leaders review the year’s legal changes. He also leads a recurring monthly masterclass series for employers on topics such as terminations and scheduling compliance.

He speaks regularly to trade associations, bar groups, franchise groups, and investors on:

• PAGA litigation and compliance after the 2024 reforms

• Wage and hour developments in California

• Meal and rest period compliance

• Tip pools and service charge models

• Terminations, discipline, and investigations

• Class action trends and defense strategy

Results

• Resolved class action and PAGA claim for multi-unit restaurant group at a fraction of the claimed penalty exposure.

• Obtained complete summary judgment for a national manufacturing company in federal court on claims of wrongful discharge, unpaid wages, rest period violations, failure to provide payroll records, and unfair competition.

• Tried a four-day arbitration brought by two employees against a franchisee of a national restaurant chain. Obtained a defense verdict against one claimant and limited the other’s recovery to under $1,000. Earlier in the case, compelled arbitration and dismissed the class claims. After the arbitration, won dismissal of the remaining PAGA claims and recovered costs.

• Won a motion to dismiss a wage and hour class action at the outset of litigation against a Los Angeles restaurant chain over the timing of paychecks.

• Defeated class certification for a national manufacturer facing claims of missed meal and rest periods, unpaid commissions, and off-the-clock work.

• Prepared an exempt misclassification case for trial for a national solar and wind power supplier, and obtained a favorable settlement two days before trial after favorable rulings on pre-trial motions.

• Resolved sexual harassment allegations before litigation for a Los Angeles company after conducting an investigation and obtaining witness statements.

Press, Publications & Speaking

Anthony has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, Inc., Entrepreneur, Silicon Valley Business Journal, Restaurant Business, Nation’s Restaurant News, the Daily Journal, KTLA 5, and CBS Los Angeles.

• Host, Employers Summit (annual)

• Quoted in “California’s New AI ‘Bossware’ Laws Are About to Take Effect. Are Employers Ready?” KQED (October 2026)

• Presentation: Defending Businesses to Minimize Litigation Exposure, Beverly Hills Bar Association (September 2026)

• Presentation: CRA Legal Center Live, California Restaurant Show (August 2026)

• Quoted in “Is a dine-in service fee a tip? Former servers allege in suit they are owed gratuities from Jon & Vinny’s,” Los Angeles Times (June 2023)

• Quoted in “California’s Fast Act May Still Hit the Small Chains and Independents It’s Meant to Spare,” Restaurant Business (August 2022)

• Co-update author, Chapter 10 (Employee Handbooks), Advising California Employers and Employees, Continuing Education of the Bar (2022)

• Presentation: Top 5 Employment Law Mistakes Startups Must Avoid, USC Viterbi Startup Garage (March 2022)

• Quoted in “As Congress Weighs Tort Reform, What Does COVID-19 Liability Look Like for California Businesses?” Continuing Education of the Bar (September 2020)

• Moderator, Restaurant Industry Forum: Service Charge Models, California Restaurant Association (February 2020)

• Panelist, Friends or Foes? The Public’s Battle with Data, Privacy, and the Internet, Boston University School of Law Symposium (February 2020)

Earlier presentations include the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, the Los Angeles County Bar Association Labor & Employment Symposium, the American Bar Association National Symposium on Technology in Labor and Employment Law, and the Los Angeles Chef Conference.

Community & Leadership

• Board of Directors, California Restaurant Foundation, a non-profit supporting high school culinary arts programs, scholarships, and food and beverage workers facing hardship

• Former Board of Directors, Los Angeles Chapter, California Restaurant Association

Education

• J.D./M.B.A., Loyola Law School

• B.A., Loyola Marymount University (cum laude)

Admissions

• State of California

• U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Outside the Office

Anthony lives in Los Angeles with his family. When he’s not working with clients, he competes in triathlons, surfs, is a private pilot, and spends as much time as possible skiing and fishing in Montana.