$15.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
Employment
California ERISA Litigation Attorneys
Have your employer-sponsored benefits been wrongfully denied or mishandled? At Wilshire Law Firm — an award-winning, nationally recognized team — we help employees across California enforce their rights under ERISA. Contact us 24/7 for a free case review with a legal professional — there are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
- 7X"BEST LAW FIRM" AWARDS
- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Understanding Your ERISA Litigation Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
ERISA — the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. §1001 et seq.) — is the federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry. It protects participants by requiring plans to disclose key information, hold fiduciaries to strict duties, and provide a fair process for claiming benefits. Common disputes involve denied long-term disability benefits, health insurance claim denials, mismanaged retirement funds, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
Wilshire Law Firm reviews your plan documents and benefit denial, explains your rights under ERISA, and builds the administrative record needed to protect your claim. Because ERISA cases are typically decided on the record developed during the plan's internal appeal, our attorneys act quickly to gather medical evidence, expert opinions, and vocational proof before deadlines close. There are no fees unless you get paid.
Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team with extensive experience holding insurers and plan administrators accountable. Our attorneys handle every conversation with the plan, develop the evidence your case needs, and pursue the benefits you earned — all with personalized attention and no fees unless you get paid.
After a denial, you generally have 180 days to file an internal administrative appeal with the plan for most disability and health claims (29 C.F.R. §2560.503-1). You must usually exhaust the plan's appeal process before filing suit in federal court under ERISA §502(a) (29 U.S.C. §1132), and many plans impose their own contractual deadline for filing a lawsuit. Because missing any of these deadlines can end your claim, it's best to speak with a legal professional as soon as your benefits are denied.
We handle a wide range of employer-sponsored benefit disputes across California. These commonly include long-term and short-term disability denials, health insurance and medical claim denials, life and accidental death benefit disputes, pension and 401(k) mismanagement, and breach of fiduciary duty. Because plan terms vary widely, a legal professional can review your specific plan during a free case review. If you are in the San Diego area, our San Diego employment lawyers can also help with workplace disputes.
Meet Our ERISA Litigation Attorneys
Nationally-Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
John G. Yslas, Esq.Senior Partner, Chair of the Employment Wage & Hour Class Action Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Tyler J. Woods, Esq.Senior Partner
Arrash Fattahi, Esq.Partner
Benjamin Haber, Esq.Partner
Nicol Hajjar, Esq.Partner
Diego Aviles, Esq.Junior Partner
Jeffrey Bils, Esq.Junior Partner
Emily Borman, Esq.Junior Partner
Jose Maria D. Patino, Jr., Esq.Junior Partner
Christina M. LeJunior Partner
William M. Pao, Esq.Junior Partner
Eugene Zinovyev, Esq.Junior Partner$12.0M
Recovery for employees denied legally required meal and rest breaks.
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Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have an ERISA Claim in California?
You likely have an ERISA claim if an employer-sponsored plan wrongfully denied, reduced, or delayed benefits you earned. Three factors matter most — coverage, denial, and deadlines. Coverage means the plan promised the benefit you sought. Denial means the plan refused or underpaid it, often citing plan terms or a lack of evidence. Deadlines mean you must act within ERISA's appeal windows (generally 180 days to appeal a denial). Because ERISA is governed by federal law, contact Wilshire Law Firm for a free case evaluation.
Start Your Free ERISA Litigation Case Review
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Record breaking results
Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
1–1 of 17
#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
ERISA Litigation FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
ERISA is the federal law that sets minimum standards for most employer-sponsored benefit plans in private industry, including long-term and short-term disability, health, life, and pension benefits. It gives plan participants rights to information about their plans and to appeal denied claims. Government and church plans are often excluded.
After a denial, ERISA plans generally require you to complete the plan's internal appeal process before going to court, and the deadline to appeal can be short. The evidence you submit during that appeal often becomes the record a court later reviews, so it is important to build it fully. Confirm your specific appeal deadline as soon as you receive a denial.
Generally, yes. ERISA typically requires you to exhaust the plan's internal appeal process before you can sue over a denied benefit. Filing suit too early can result in dismissal, so it is important to follow the plan's procedures and deadlines.
Many ERISA benefit disputes are decided by a judge based on the administrative record rather than by a jury, and courts may give deference to the plan administrator's decision. That makes the documents and evidence submitted during the appeal especially important. Because these cases follow special federal procedures, early legal guidance can be valuable.