Andrew H. Friedman
Top rated Employment & Labor attorney in Beverly Hills, California
Helmer Friedman LLP
Practice areas: Employment & Labor, Employment Litigation, Class Action & Mass Torts
Licensed in California since: 1991
Education: Cornell University Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2026 
Free Consultation Helmer Friedman LLP
9301 Wilshire Blvd.Suite 609
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Phone: 310-396-7714 Email: Andrew H. Friedman Visit website
Andrew H. Friedman, a name partner with the law firm of Helmer · Friedman LLP, primarily represents employees in all aspects of employment law including not only individual discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases but also complex multi-party wage and hour class actions. Mr. Friedman received his J.D. degree from Cornell Law School and his B.A. degree in history and psychology, cum laude, from Vanderbilt University. At Cornell, Mr. Friedman was a member of the Board of Editors of the Cornell Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Following law school, Mr. Friedman served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable John T. Nixon, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Subsequently, Mr. Friedman was trained as an employment attorney by two of the Nation’s most prestigious management-side employment law firms – Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker and Bryan Cave LLP.
Mr. Friedman has handled a wide range of employment-related litigation in state and federal courts. Indeed, Mr. Friedman recently prevailed (along with his law partner, Gregory D. Helmer) in a three week sexual harassment jury trial in Orange County, California. He also settled a $2.4 Million wage and hour class action lawsuit in federal court (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California), a $1.575 Million class action discrimination lawsuit in the Orange County Superior Court and he recovered a $1.5 Million settlement in federal court (U.S. District Court for the Central District of California) in a wage and hour class action.
Mr. Friedman served as Counsel of Record in Lightfoot v. Cendant Mortgage Corp. et. al. (Case No. 10-56068) where he successfully convinced the U. S. Supreme Court to grant the petition for certiorari that he filed on behalf of his clients. In January 2017, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision authored by Justice Sotomayor, reversed the Ninth Circuit and found in favor of Mr. Friedman's clients.
Mr. Friedman has received the highest possible Martindale-Hubble rating ("AV"), indicating that he is ranked at the highest level of professional excellence with "very high to preeminent legal ability" and "very high" ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar.
Mr. Friedman is the author of a two-volume, approximately 1500 page, employment discrimination law treatise entitled Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases (James Publishing, 2005 - 2025). A description of the book can be found at: https://jamespublishing.com/product/litigating-employment-discrimination-cases/
First Admitted: 1990, Missouri
Professional Webpage: http://www.helmerfriedman.com/friedman_andrew.htm
Bar / Professional Activity
- Mr. Friedman's professional memberships include, among others, the following: (1) Advisor, Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section, California Lawyers Association (2018 – present); (2) Vice-Chair, Committee on Judicial Appointments of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2019 – present); (3) Member, Committee on Judicial Appointments of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2013 – present); (4) Fellow, The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (2013 – present); (5) Member, Board of Directors of the Employment Roundtable of Southern California (2007 – 2024); (6) Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary, Board of Directors of the Employment Roundtable of Southern California (various years); (7) Member, Symposium Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2006 – present); (8) Advisor, Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of California (2005 – 2015); (9) Member, Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2003 – present); (10) Co-Chair of the Saturday Morning Seminar Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (2003 – 2005); (11) Member, Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of California (2002 – 2005); (12) Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (2002-2003).
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- In Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2009 00315713, Mr. Friedman (along with his law partner Gregory D. Helmer) secured a verdict in favor of their client, in a sexual harassment lawsuit. The jury, in an 11-1 verdict, found that the plaintiff was sexually harassed and wrongfully terminated by the defendants. The jury awarded $125,000 in damages. , 2010
- Mr. Friedman served as Counsel of Record in Lightfoot v. Cendant Mortgage Corp. et. al. (Case No. 10-56068) where he successfully convinced the U. S. Supreme Court to grant the petition for certiorari that he filed on behalf of his clients. In January 2017, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision authored by Justice Sotomayor, reversed the Ninth Circuit and ruled in favor of Mr. Friedman’s clients., 2017
Educational Background
- John Burroughs (St. Louis, Missouri); Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee)
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Mr. Friedman is widely acclaimed for writing the definitive employment law treatise - Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases (James Publishing – 2005 – 2025), https://jamespublishing.com/product/litigating-employment-discrimination-cases/ - which is widely used by practitioners from the plaintiff and management sides of the employment law bar., Author, Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases, James Publishing, 2025
- Andrew H. Friedman and Erin Kelly co-authored an article on the best and worst employment cases of 2025., Co-Author along with Erin Kelly, The Best And Worst Employment Case Law Developments Of 2024:A Brief Overview Of The Most Important Case Law Developments That Shaped The Year In Employment Law (With A Bit Of Color Commentary), Consumer Attorneys Association of Southern California (February 2025)., 2025
- A review of recent employment law cases., Co-Author, Andrew H. Friedman, Ramit Mizrahi & Anthony J. Oncidi, Top Employment Cases of 2021, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 36, No. 1 (2022), Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 36, No. 1, 2022
- A review of recent employment law cases., Co-Author, Andrew H. Friedman & Samson B. Spiegelman, The Best And Worst Employment Case Law Developments Of 2021:A Brief Overview Of The Most Important Case Law Developments That Shaped The Year In Employment Law (With A Bit Of Color Commentary), Consumer Attor, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (“CAALA”) Advocate Magazine, 2021
- An overview of recent employment law cases., Author, Andrew H. Friedman, California Employment Law Notes, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 35, No. 4 (2021), Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 35, No. 4, 2021
- Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases is a two-volume, 1500 page, practice guide for plaintiff and defense counsel and neutrals. , Author, Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases, James Publising Co., 2005
- A law review article about unconditional offers of reinstatement, Co-Author, A Refresher on and Thoughts about Unconditional Offers of Reinstatement, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 33, No. 1, 2019
- A law review article update about the most important employment law cases of 2020., Co-Author, Top Employment Cases of 2020, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. R. Vol. 35, No. 1, 2021
- A survey of recent religious accommodation cases., Author, Saints and Sinners in the Workplace: A Survey of Religious Accommodation Cases,, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. Rev., Vol. 21, No. 4, 2007
- A law review article providing an overview of the "Same Actor" rule in employment discrimination cases., Co-Author, Applying the Same-Actor Rule to Defend Against a Claim of Discrimination, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. Rev., Vol. 25, No. 1 (2011), 2011
- An article examing the California Supreme Court's "mixed motive" jury instruction decision in Harris v. City of Santa Monica., Co-Author, The Mixed-Motive Defense: Mixed Blessings Following the California Supreme Court's Decision in Harris v. City of Santa Monica, Cal. Lab. & Emp. L. Rev., Vol. 27, No. 3 (2013), 2013
- An article examinaing the "cat's paw" doctrine., Co-Author, When A Discharged Employee Claims Discrimination, Will The “Cat's Paw” Doctrine Overcome Evidence That The Decision-Maker Harbored No Discriminatory Bias, Cal. Lab. &Emp. L. Rev., Vol. 25, No. 4 (2011), 2011
Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell has rated Mr. Friedman at its highest possible level - AV - since 2011 with specific ratings of 5.0 out of 5.0 in Legal Knowledge, Analytical Capability, Judgment, Communication, and Legal Experience. See https://www.martindale.com/attorney/andrew-henry-friedman-279259/#profile-peer-reviews, Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2025
- The legal rating service Avvo has awarded Mr. Friedman with its highest-possible rating - 5.0/5.0 (Superb). See Avvo 5.0/5.0 (Superb) RatingAvvo RatingOur Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.What determines Avvo Rating?Experience & backgroundYears licensed, work experience, educationLegal community recognitionPeer endorsements, associations, awardsLegal thought leadershipPublications, speaking engagementsDisciplineDisciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them., Avvo - 10/10 (Superb) Rating, Avvo - https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/90210-ca-andrew-friedman-685674.html, 2025
- Chambers USA, the Nation’s leading legal data and analytics provider, has awarded Mr. Friedman with its highest possible rating (“Band 1”) for Labor & Employment –See https://chambers.com/lawyer/andrew-h-friedman-usa-5:25940936According to a review published in Chambers USA, “Andrew Friedman of Helmer Friedman is recognized among peers for his work representing both individuals and classes in a variety of matters, ranging from harassment to wage and hour suits. ‘He’s an excellent plaintiff lawyer who offers a really good perspective.’”, Chambers Band 1: Labor & Employment: Mainly Plaintiffs, Chambers - https://chambers.com/lawyer/andrew-h-friedman-usa-5:25940936, 2025
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Office location for Andrew H. Friedman
9301 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 609
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2026
Top Lists
Top 100: Southern California Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2026- Top 100: 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers
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- Top 100: 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers