Paul M. Smith

Skilled and strategic guidance on a complex workplace investigation

I engaged Paul Smith at Ogletree Deakins during a sensitive internal investigation at my company. We were facing allegations of potential wage and hour violations across multiple departments in our Los Angeles office, and the situation required immediate, knowledgeable attention. Paul’s recognition in Litigation - Labor and Employment was immediately evident. Despite his relatively recent start at the firm, his grasp of California employment law was comprehensive. He guided our HR team through the investigation process with a clear strategy, ensuring we complied with every regulation while protecting the company’s interests. His advice on documenting interviews and preserving evidence was invaluable. The matter was resolved efficiently without escalating to litigation, which was our primary goal. Paul is clearly a sharp attorney with a promising future. My only slight critique, which prevents a perfect score, is that during the initial week, response times could occasionally stretch to a full business day, likely due to his caseload. However, once engaged, his focus was complete. I would confidently recommend him for employment-related matters in the Sacramento or Los Angeles areas.