Caleb Y. Lee

"I became a better litigator and advisor the day I sat on the other side of the table as in-house counsel. That experience changed how I practice." —Caleb Y. Lee

California employers facing class action exposure, wage and hour claims, civil rights suits, and other complex employment disputes turn to attorney Caleb Lee for defense counsel who understands their business from the inside out.

Caleb brings a perspective rooted in in-house experience: before returning to private practice, he served as Senior Corporate Counsel at a prominent international entertainment company, advising management and human resources on employment, commercial, and corporate matters. As such, he advises clients with an awareness of operational realities, not just legal theory.

Caleb’s litigation practice focuses on defending employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies across California. He handles wage and hour class actions and collective actions brought under the California Labor Code and the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), representative actions under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), and background check claims under California’s Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act (ICRAA), Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act (CCRAA), and the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). He has represented regional and national employers, including national trucking companies, national beverage manufacturers, national health care clinics and hospitals, and multinational entertainment companies, at every stage of complex litigation, from initial pleadings through certification, summary disposition, settlement, and resolution.

Beyond class and representative actions, Caleb defends employers against single-plaintiff claims involving alleged wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. His background also includes civil litigation in matters involving claims for defamation, breach of contract, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

Outside of litigation, Caleb provides counsel to management on a range of employment issues, including separations, disciplinary actions, workplace accommodations, leaves of absence, and wage and hour compliance, and has guided clients through DLSE enforcement actions and evidentiary (Berman) hearings. He is fluent in Korean, enabling him to serve Korean-speaking clients directly.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Caleb was counsel at a national labor and employment firm. Earlier in his career, he served as a post-bar law clerk at the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, conducting motion hearings and second-chairing criminal jury trials. While he was a law student, Caleb externed for the Honorable Edward J. Davilla of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and interned for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

What Caleb Delivers for Clients

• Class Action Defense with In-House Perspective: Having managed employment matters from the employer’s side of the table both as outside and in-house counsel, Caleb approaches class and collective action defense with an understanding of the business and reputational stakes involved—not just the litigation exposure. Clients get an advocate who can translate legal strategy into operational terms that resonate with executives, HR leaders, and boards.
• California-Specific Compliance Depth: California's wage and hour, background check, and PAGA regimes are among the most technical and plaintiff-friendly in the country, and the cost of getting them wrong compounds quickly at the class level. Caleb has defended employers against claims under each of these frameworks and knows exactly where the exposure lies.
• Efficient Resolution of Complex Claims: Caleb has taken regional and national employers through the full arc of complex litigation, from pleadings and class certification through discovery, dispositive motions, and negotiated resolution, keeping efficiency in view at every stage.
• Proactive Employment Counsel: Caleb advises management on the full range of day-to-day employment decisions, helping clients develop the documentation, policies, and practices that reduce legal exposure before it arises. His in-house background gives him an appreciation for operational constraints that purely litigation-focused counsel often lack.
• Single-Plaintiff Litigation Across the Employment Docket: From discrimination and harassment claims to retaliation and wrongful termination suits, Caleb handles the full range of individual employment disputes that employers confront, regardless of industry.

• Obtained a dismissal for individual defendants in a breach of contract and wrongful termination action by a physician against a national health care clinic.
• Represented regional and national employers in numerous wage and hour class actions under the California Labor Code and FLSA, achieving efficient resolutions across a range of industries.
• Defended national trucking companies against a class action asserting claims under the federal FCRA in connection with the companies’ background check practices.

Education

• University of California, Hastings College of the Law (J.D., 2016)
  • Notes Editor, Hastings International and Comparative Law Review
  • Academic Chair, Korean American Law Student Association
• University of Utah (B.S., cum laude, 2012)
• Carleton College (B.A., magna cum laude, 2009)