Mr. Tilles, Partner, is a seasoned employment defense attorney who brings more than twenty years of experience to Michael Sullivan & Associates. He is recognized for balancing aggressive litigation defense with practical business-focused solutions and is a highly experienced litigator, having defended employers in individual, multi-party, and class action matters involving employment claims including wage-and-hour violations (e.g., unpaid wages, meal/rest breaks, unreimbursed business expenses, waiting time penalties, non-compliant wage statements, etc.), wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and violations of the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).
Mr. Tilles represents clients in state and federal court, arbitration, and in proceedings before the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), OSHA, and the Employment Development Department (EDD). He also serves as outside general counsel to clients in industries including hospitality, retail, transportation, logistics, real estate, construction, healthcare, and professional services.
Mr. Tilles is known for his ability to translate complex legal obligations into clear, actionable business guidance. His dual strength in litigation and preventative counseling enables him to help clients reduce risk before litigation arises and to defend them aggressively and cost-effectively when it does.
In addition to representing and advising California employers across a wide range of industries, Mr. Tilles supervises legal staff, cultivates clients and participates in local professional events while handling a full caseload of employment law files. He holds an AV-Preeminent rating, the highest awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been selected for the Southern California Super Lawyer list every year since 2019. Mr. Tilles often serves as a speaker and legal contributor on employment law topics.
Before joining Michael Sullivan & Associates, Mr. Tilles was partner at Zaller Law Group, where he advised clients on employment decisions and compliance strategy with a focus on litigation risk reduction and defensibility, and represented clients in all phases of employment litigation. He also served as partner in a similar capacity for Ecoff Campain Tilles & Kay, LLP. Mr. Tilles has also worked as senior counsel for Gordon Reese Scully Mansukhani, LLC, and as an associate attorney for Daniels, Fine, Israel & Schonbuch, LLP.
Mr. Tiles received his Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University where he was on the Moot Court Honor Board and won DePaul Moot Court Negotiation Champion. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University.
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