Michael Thomas is a principal in the Orange County office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and co-leads the firm’s Corporate Diversity Counseling practice. His work sits at the intersection of employment law litigation, corporate compliance, and workplace culture strategy, combining legal expertise with business training and a focus on organizational development.
He advises employers on complex ESG and workplace issues, helping them navigate legal, reputational, and regulatory risk while implementing practices around transparency, inclusion, and compliance. His approach integrates traditional legal counsel with elements of behavioral science, mindfulness, and adult learning to support workplace effectiveness and employee engagement.
On the litigation side, he defends employers in high-stakes matters including wage and hour class actions, Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, and individual employment disputes across industries such as hospitality, retail, manufacturing, transportation, and the gig economy. His experience includes defending large-scale cases involving thousands of employees and issues like misclassification, unpaid wages, meal and rest break violations, and off-the-clock work.
Beyond litigation, he frequently designs and delivers corporate trainings on topics such as harassment prevention, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour compliance, workplace violence prevention, and effective communication.
He holds certifications in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University and in yoga/mindfulness from the Niroga Institute, which he incorporates into his broader workplace consulting approach.
His professional recognition includes listings such as Super Lawyers, Stand-Out Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, and Most Influential Lawyers by Savoy Magazine, among others, and he is active in alumni and nonprofit board service.
