The California professional exemption generally applies to licensed employees, such as lawyers, doctors, dentists, optometrists, architects, engineers, teachers, or accountants. It may also include creative professionals engaged in a learned or artistic profession, such as music, writing, theater, or graphic arts.
To be considered exempt under the 2026 California professional exemption, the employee must:
Earn a monthly salary equivalent to no less than two times the state minimum wage for full-time employment;
Perform tasks which are intellectual, creative, and vary in nature (as opposed to routine mental, manual, mechanical, or physical work); and
Exercise discretion and independent judgment in the performance of their duties.
Steve litigates a wide range of complex cases, from environmental mass torts to consumer class actions. He has secured over $1 billion for his clients.
Linda has recovered millions of dollars prosecuting fraud, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary cases against large banks and insurance companies.
Gibbs Mura is a California-based law firm committed to protecting the rights of clients nationwide who have been harmed by corporate misconduct. We represent individuals, whistleblowers, employees, and small businesses across the U.S. against the world’s largest corporations. Our award-winning lawyers have achieved landmark recoveries and billions of dollars for our clients in high-stakes class action and individual cases involving consumer protection, data breach, digital privacy, and federal and California employment lawsuits. Our attorneys have received numerous honors for their work, including “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California,” “Top Class Action Attorneys Under 40,” “Consumer Protection MVP,” “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Top Cybersecurity/ Privacy Attorneys Under 40.”
Classified as a California Exempt Professional?
You may be misclassified. Contact us for a no cost consultation.
