Thompson Coburn Launches Wage & Hour Practice with Addition of Los Angeles Team
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Three lateral partners and two associates join the firm
Thompson Coburn LLP has announced a significant expansion of its Labor & Employment practice in Los Angeles with the addition of three partners: Michael S. Kun, Kevin D. Sullivan, and Benjamin T. Runge, and two associates, Catherine Kang and Emilie Ho. Kun will co-chair the Labor & Employment practice group with Hope Abramov and Laura Jordan and will lead the firm’s Wage & Hour practice, which focuses on representing employers in class, collective and representative actions dealing with pay practices and related disputes.
“The addition of this highly talented team and Mike’s leadership is a significant milestone for our labor and employment practice,” said Jordan, who also chairs the firm’s Litigation Department. “This group brings deep experience in high-stakes wage and hour class action litigation and defense of employment claims through trial. This combination will only solidify our positioning as a powerhouse in California and nationally and broaden our bench of trial lawyers.”
“Joining Thompson Coburn provides an exciting opportunity for our team to tap into the firm’s deep bench strength and serve clients’ evolving needs,” said Kun. “Combining our capabilities with this exceptional team in Los Angeles and nationwide will only amplify our strengths. I’m looking forward to collaborating with this accomplished group of attorneys.”
“This expansion is an exciting step in our firm’s continued growth in Los Angeles,” added Los Angeles managing partner Jennifer Post. “Adding this group of top-tier labor and employment attorneys reflects our commitment to meeting the needs of our clients in this very active area of California law. This team enhances our client service capabilities in California and nationwide.”
The five attorneys joining Thompson Coburn were previously with Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., where Kun served as the chair or co-chair of the national wage-hour practice group for more than 15 years.
This addition is the biggest move so far in an active year for lateral partner hiring at Thompson Coburn across the country. Two partners previously joined the Los Angeles office in 2025, intellectual property attorney Olga Berson and litigator Andrew McKeon, and five others have joined firm offices in Dallas, New York and Chicago.
Kun defends employers in high-stakes wage and hour, breach of contract, discrimination and harassment cases. He has litigated over 200 wage and hour class, collective and representative actions across the country, frequently prevailing at the class certification stage, and he is an experienced trial lawyer. He is also an acclaimed author, having published 12 books, one of which was adapted into a feature film.
Kevin D. Sullivan
Benjamin T. Runge
Sullivan leads complex class, collective and representative litigation for employers, frequently prevailing at the certification stage and securing favorable arbitration rulings. He delivers strategic counseling and litigation defense across a spectrum of wage and hour and employment issues.
Runge has successfully represented employers in high-value employment and commercial litigation and trials, including defending against breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claims.
Catherine Kang
Emilie Ho
Kang and Ho assist clients with employment litigation in California, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment and wage-hour claims.
Information sourced by Thompson Coburn LLP. To learn more, contact nina@berbay.com.
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