Sahar Shiralian is an associate in the employment and labor group. Sahar represents clients in disputes related to race, age, or sexual orientation discrimination, disability discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, whistleblower retaliation,  and violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and California wage and hour regulations.  Sahar has defended and worked with a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 and small businesses, private and public companies, entertainment and corporate clients, hospitality clients, and high-net-worth individuals. Her employment litigation experience includes both single-plaintiff and class action claims, including PAGA lawsuits.

Sahar also advises on employee relations, hiring, employee separation, internal investigations, wage and hour audits, and workplace safety matters (including COVID-19 compliance). She assists with drafting employee handbooks, personnel policies, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, and other types of employment agreements, and she has experience in providing due diligence support in mergers and acquisitions.

Sahar also advises on employee relations, hiring, employee separation, internal investigations, wage and hour audits, and workplace safety matters (including COVID-19 compliance). She assists with drafting employee handbooks, personnel policies, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, and other types of employment agreements, and she has experience in providing due diligence support in mergers and acquisitions.

Sahar earned her B.A. in English and comparative literature from the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating summa cum laude. During college, she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, an editor for the Humanities Research Journal, and served as editor-in-chief for the Undergraduate Law Journal. She earned her J.D. from the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, where she competed in the Arbitration Moot Court Competition and won American Jurisprudence Awards for Criminal Law and Legal Research and Writing. At USC, Sahar founded several organizations including the Art Law Society, the Entertainment Law Society, and the USC Entertainment Law Spotlight publication of which she served as editor-in-chief.

Sahar is a polyglot – proficient in Farsi and Turkish, and fluent in French and English.

Client Alerts

California Weighs Making Fast Food Franchisors Liable for Employment Law Violations Affecting Employees of Franchises

If signed into law, Assembly Bill 1228 (the “Fast Food Franchisor Responsibility Act”) would add to the Labor Code Section 2810.9, making covered fast food franchisors jointly responsible (with the franchisee) for the franchisee’s violations of specified laws, rules, and regulations. For example, the franchisor would share liability for violations of the state’s Fair Employment and Housing

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Countdown to California Minimum Wage Increases

On January 1, 2023, California’s statewide minimum wage increased to $15.50/hour for all employers.  But starting July 1, 2023, employers in every city and municipality listed below will be required to pay more than the state’s required minimum ($15.50/hour) due to local laws requiring higher hourly rates. Employees in the city of West Hollywood, for example, must be

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Client Alerts

California Compliant: Are California’s Wage Orders About to Be Re-Written?

Many of the specific wage and hour requirements that California employers must follow are set forth in industry-specific “Wage Orders.” The current Wage Orders, which are available at https://www.dir.ca.gov/iwc/wageorderindustries.htm, were drafted more than 20 years ago by the IWC. The IWC, which was created by the Legislature as part of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR),

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Client Alerts

CALFORNIA COMPLIANT: Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions for California Employers in 2023

California employers may be challenged to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions in 2023, which has brought significant changes in various California labor and employment laws. Some of the most widely applicable new laws that will impact the workplace in 2023 include: Given that California law provides that overtime-exempt employees must receive a salary of at

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In the News

As the Heat Index Rises, Standards for Keeping Employees Cool May Also Change

Written as a column for Daily Journal by MWM’s Kate LaQuay and Sahar Shiralian The dog days of summer are almost over, which is cause for celebration for many Californians. Recent historic heat wave were likely the sizzling inspiration for a new proposed regulation establishing a heat illness standard for indoor work areas. On Aug.

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University of Southern California Gould School of Law, JD, 2018

American Jurisprudence Awards for Criminal Law and Legal Research and Writing
USC Entertainment Law Spotlight, editor-in-chief
Art Law Society and Entertainment Law Society, founder

University of California Los Angeles, BA, 2013

English and Comparative Language

summa cum laude

Phi Beta Kappa honor society
Humanities Research Journal, editor-in-chief
Undergraduate Law Journal, editor-in-chief

California, 2018