Los Angeles partner Michael Kun was named to the Daily Journal’s 2026 Top Labor & Employment Lawyers list. The annual list honors top-performing lawyers in California.
In a profile by the publication, Mike shared details about his start in law and a defining matter in his career: Serrano v. Aerotek. The matter addressed whether joint employers could be held liable for each other’s conduct. The question arises in the temporary staffing context, where employees seek to hold staffing companies liable for their clients’ alleged conduct or to hold clients liable for their staffing companies’ alleged conduct.
The appellate decision established what is now known as the “Serrano defense,” holding that joint employers in California are not liable for one another’s conduct. The ruling has become a frequently cited authority on joint employer liability and a defense strategy in litigation involving the staffing industry.
“Without exaggeration, I can say that the ‘Serrano defense’ comes up in conversation every day in the cases we work on in the temporary staffing space,” Mike told the Daily Journal.
