Practices
Primary Industries
Industry Associations
- Hotel Association of Los Angeles (Board of Directors)
- California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA)
Bar & Court Admissions
- State Bar of California
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Community Involvement
The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ (Admissions Committee)
Lawrenceville Club of Southern California (Co-President)
Education
Southwestern University School of Law, J.D.
University of Southern California, M.A.
University of Southern California, B.A.

Lara A. H. Shortz
Lara Shortz, M&R’s Firm Recruiting Partner, handles the full spectrum of employment issues on behalf of management. Recently named one of the most influential women attorneys in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, Lara is frequently called upon to litigate single plaintiff and collective actions (class actions and PAGA claims) and administrative matters on a state and federal level (like those before the State Labor Commissioner, Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration). She has compiled a track record of success in cases involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour matters and executive compensation.
An extraordinary negotiator, Lara takes great pride in her ability to drive favorable settlements in both formal and informal settings. She puts those same skills to work negotiating executive employment agreements (which oftentimes involve complex equity and tax issues), commission agreements, independent contractor agreements, agreements involving restrictive covenants, non-competition agreements, severance agreements and related disputes.
A significant portion of Lara’s practice involves advice and counsel. She is sought after to provide guidance on a variety of legal and human resources issues (lawful hiring practices, leaves of absence and wage and hour compliance); investigations (sexual harassment, discrimination and employee and executive misconduct); workforce reductions (for example, mass layoffs in multiple states under the WARN Act); terminations; administrative and internal compliance audits; and supervisor and management trainings (including sexual harassment prevention). Lara has also helped multiple emerging companies establish their employment infrastructure in the form of policies, best practices and operational mechanisms that set them up for growth and success.
A member of M&R’s Hospitality Industry Group, Lara focuses much of her time servicing clients in the hotel and restaurant/food industry spaces. She represents clients in other sectors as well, including tech, real estate, manufacturing, financial services and insurance.
Community Involvement
Lara is co-chair of and an admissions interviewer for the Lawrenceville Alumni Club of Southern California, and a frequent volunteer at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles.
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Representative Matters
Counseling & Negotiation: Audited approximately 400 positions at major gaming company to determine exempt and non-exempt employment status of workforce.
Counseling & Negotiation: Advised hotel client regarding best practices relative to complex and sensitive employee leave (pregnancy and disability) issues.
Counseling & Negotiation: Advised mortgage bank client regarding best practices relative to misclassification (exempt/non-exempt employee) issues.
Counseling & Negotiation: Conducted major audits on behalf of emerging companies concerning the classification of hundreds of employees, and implemented changes informed by the results of the audits to limit potential liability.
Litigation: Successfully defended multiple television and production companies against wage and hour misclassification and related PAGA claims.
Litigation: Defended class action lawsuit on behalf of hotel sued for multiple wage and hour violations as well as violation of the Los Angeles Hotel Minimum Wage Ordinance, an issue of first impression.
Litigation: Acted as second chair in bench trial representing private high net worth investor in a technology company that created English language learning software distributed to the Chinese market. Recovered multi-million dollar verdict on behalf of client against principal who hid assets overseas and failed to deliver returns on investment.
Litigation: Negotiated a highly favorable settlement for hotel client facing a pregnancy discrimination action prosecuted by a former employee.
Litigation: Defended age discrimination and hostile workplace environment claims against a start-up company having a predominantly young workforce. Resolved the case for nuisance value following a multi-million dollar demand.
Litigation: Defended a wage and hour claim based on the misclassification of an exempt employee, and prosecuted a cross-complaint against that employee for breach of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty and trade secret violations, among other things. Commanded the employee’s six-figure payment to the employer, with no liability on the underlying wage and hour action.
WARN Act: Successfully represented media and marketing business conducting mass layoffs, requiring exhaustive federal and state (California and New York) WARN Act analysis and transition to bankruptcy counsel that led to the ultimate restructuring of the company.
WARN Act: Advised large food production company conducting mass layoffs under the WARN Act in coordination with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.
Whistleblower Litigation: Successfully defended environmental consultant in an employment retaliation and discrimination lawsuit while concurrently defending a Qui Tam whistleblower case that involved a related criminal investigation.
Headlines
Media Mentions
- Law360, January 3, 2021
- January 1, 2020
- Law360, January 1, 2019
- Law360, December 6, 2018
- Nation's Restaurant News, September 20, 2018
- Law360, January 1, 2018
- Law360, September 29, 2017
- Law360, January 2, 2017
- Law360, May 23, 2016
- Hotel Business, February 24, 2016
- California Lodging News, February 16, 2016
- Law360, January 13, 2016
Publications
- Roll Up Your SleevesDaily Beast, February 15, 2021
- Hotel News Now, December 12, 2017
- California Hotel & Lodging Association Newsletter, October 2017
- Hotels Magazine, August 22, 2017
- Hotel News Now, May 23, 2017
- Nation's Restaurant News, April 26, 2017
- Hotel News Now, January 20, 2017
- Hotel News Now, February 10, 2016
Past Speaking Engagements
- Southern California Hotel & Lodging ConferenceAnaheim, CA, May 24, 2018
- Northern California Hotel & Lodging ConferenceSan Jose, CA, May 22, 2018
- Hotel Association of Los Angeles and Michelman & Robinson, LLPLos Angeles, CA, November 15, 2016
- Pacific Oil ConferenceLos Angeles, CA, September 7, 2016
- Southern California Hotel & Lodging ConferencePomona, CA, May 26, 2016
- 2nd Annual GGRA Industry ConferenceSan Francisco, CA, April 12, 2016
- Hospitality Law ConferenceHouston, TX, February 23, 2016
- 2016 InnSpire Conference & Trade ShowMonterey, CA, February 2, 2016
- Hotel Association of Los Angeles and Michelman & Robinson, LLPUniversal City, January 28, 2016
Blog Posts
- Can Your Boss Force You to Get a COVID Vaccine Shot? February 15, 2021
- Non-Essential Travelers Arriving in Southern California Now Subject to Mandatory Quarantines January 5, 2021
- What Employees Need to Know About the $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Package December 23, 2020
- California Employers Now Subject to Additional COVID-19-Related Laws Related to Cal/OSHA Reporting and Worker’s Compensation September 22, 2020
- COVID-19-Related Paid Sick Leave Has Been Expanded in California Yet Again to All Employers with 500+ Employees September 11, 2020
- Federal Anti-Discrimination Law Extends to LGBTQ Employees June 16, 2020
- Hotels in California May Be Days Away From Reopening: What Hoteliers Need to Know June 8, 2020
- Hoteliers Beware: a Return to Business Post-Pandemic Brings With It Potential Legal Liability May 27, 2020
- Employer Do's and Don'ts in the Age of COVID-19 April 1, 2020
- Large Employers Required to Pay Coronavirus-Related Sick Leave Under New L.A. Ordinance March 30, 2020
- The NLRB Weighs in on Misclassification September 9, 2019
- Another Class Action-Related Gift to Employers from the U.S. Supreme Court April 25, 2019
- Navigating the Complex Web of the FMLA April 4, 2019
- New California Law Seeks to Close the Corporate Gender Gap, But Is It Constitutional? October 22, 2018
- California’s Salary History Ban Just Got a Bit Easier to Understand September 25, 2018
- AB 3080: Arbitration and Nondisclosure Agreements in the Crosshairs September 6, 2018
- The Gap Narrows July 16, 2018
- Salary Inquiries Becoming A Thing Of The Past October 18, 2017
- Suitable Seating Laws in California: Do Not Read While Standing August 8, 2017
- Transgender Bathroom Laws in California: What Employers Need to Know July 5, 2017
- Hoteliers Taking Aim at Airbnb June 21, 2017
- Arbitration Agreements: Do Yours Include All Necessary Carve Outs? April 26, 2017
- No Relief in Sight: Ninth Circuit Refuses to Block LA Hotel Minimum Wage Ordinance August 26, 2016
- How Can My Property Comply With All These New Minimum Wage & Sick Leave Laws? August 2, 2016
- In Rush to Comply With Minimum Wage Ordinance, Remember Your Vendors April 28, 2016
- Northern & Southern California Hotel & Lodging ConferenceMay 22, 2018
- HALA Breakfast SeminarNovember 15, 2016
- Southern California Hotel & Lodging ConferenceMay 26, 2016
- 2nd Annual GGRA Industry ConferenceApril 12, 2016
- Hospitality Law ConferenceFebruary 23, 2016
- Los Angeles Hotelier Guide to Navigating the 2016 Legal LandscapeJanuary 28, 2016
- CH&LA's Women in Lodging SeminarNovember 18, 2015
- 2015 AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade ShowApril 23, 2015
- Hospitality Law ConferenceFebruary 10, 2015
- California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA)November 12, 2014
- M&R Food & Beverage Hot Topics Seminar: Growth Planning for Restaurant BusinessesOctober 13, 2014
- Professional Environmental Management Association (PEMA)February 18, 2014
- California Unified Program (Cal CUPA) Annual Training Conference ForumFebruary 3, 2014