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Wanger Jones Helsley PC

Labor & Employment

Management-side counsel for employers navigating wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, employment litigation, and class action defense across California.

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What We Do

Labor & Employment Services

01

Wage & Hour Compliance

Counsel on California wage and hour law, classification, pay practices, and policies to help employers reduce exposure.

02

Workplace Investigations

Investigation of harassment, discrimination, and misconduct complaints, and advice on corrective action.

03

Employment Litigation

Defense of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage claims in state and federal court.

04

Class & Representative Action Defense

Defense of class and PAGA representative actions, including wage and hour class claims.

05

Policies & Handbooks

Drafting and review of employee handbooks, policies, and agreements to support compliance.

06

Advice & Counseling

Day-to-day employer counseling on hiring, discipline, leave, accommodation, and termination decisions.

Overview

How We Serve Our Clients

Wanger Jones Helsley provides management-side labor and employment counsel to California employers. The practice helps businesses comply with the state's demanding employment laws, respond to workplace complaints, and defend employment claims when they arise, with a focus on practical risk reduction.

The firm advises on wage and hour compliance, classification, investigations, policies, and the full range of day-to-day employment decisions, and defends discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage claims, including class and PAGA representative actions, in state and federal court.

The firm's employment work has earned regional recognition, including a Bee's Best of Central California gold award for Employment and Labor Law. Employers benefit from the firm's combination of preventive counsel and the trial capability to defend claims that proceed to litigation.

Our Approach

What to Expect from WJH

— 01

Management-Side

The firm represents employers, aligning its counsel with the operational and risk-management realities California businesses face.

— 02

Preventive & Practical

The practice emphasizes compliance, policies, and counseling that reduce exposure before disputes arise, not just litigation after the fact.

— 03

Trial-Ready

When claims proceed, employers have the firm's established litigation team to defend discrimination, wage and hour, and class or representative actions.

The Team

Attorneys in this Practice

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Amanda G. Hebesha, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Amanda G. Hebesha
Shareholder
Fresno
Michael S. Helsley, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Michael S. Helsley
Shareholder
Fresno
Giulio A. Sanchez, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Giulio A. Sanchez
Shareholder
Fresno
Benjamin C. West, Shareholder, Wanger Jones Helsley PC
Benjamin C. West
Shareholder
Fresno
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Wanger Jones Helsley handle in labor and employment law?
Wanger Jones Helsley provides management-side counsel on wage and hour compliance, classification, workplace investigations, employment policies and handbooks, day-to-day employer counseling, and the defense of employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage claims, and class and PAGA representative actions.
Does WJH represent employers or employees?
Wanger Jones Helsley provides management-side counsel, representing employers. The firm helps California businesses comply with employment law, respond to workplace complaints, draft policies, and defend employment claims, aligning its advice with the operational and risk-management realities employers face under the state's demanding labor and employment laws.
Can WJH defend wage and hour class actions?
Yes. The firm defends class and PAGA representative actions, including wage and hour class claims, in California state and federal court. It draws on its established litigation practice to handle these high-exposure matters for employers, combining employment-law knowledge with the trial capability to take cases through to resolution.
Has WJH been recognized for employment work?
Yes. The firm received a Bee's Best of Central California gold award for Employment and Labor Law. Employers benefit from the firm's combination of preventive compliance counsel and the established trial capability to defend employment claims, including class and representative actions, that proceed to litigation in state or federal court.
Where does WJH handle labor and employment matters?
The firm's labor and employment attorneys work from the Fresno office and serve employers throughout the Central Valley and across California. They advise on compliance and defend claims in both state and federal court for businesses operating in the state, from day-to-day counseling through litigation and class action defense.
Who at WJH handles labor and employment matters in Fresno?
Wanger Jones Helsley's management-side labor and employment work is handled by Fresno-based shareholders including Michael Helsley, Amanda Hebesha, Benjamin West, and Giulio Sanchez. The firm directs employers to the attorney whose experience best matches the compliance question or litigation matter at hand.
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