Michael’s practice is devoted to representing employees and consumers in class actions, cases under the Private Attorneys General Act, and other complex litigation. He has been in practice over 39 years and has served as the managing partner at Cohelan Khoury & Singer for over 20 years. Michael was co-lead counsel on several landmark wage and hour decisions, including Brinker Restaurant Co. v Superior Court (meal and rest period rights), Dilts v Penske Logistics (truck drivers’ wage rights) and Vaquero v Stoneledge Furniture LLC (commission employees’ wage rights). He is one of a small group of employment lawyers who has taken a wage and hour class action through trial (Dilts v Penske Logistics), resulting in a class liability finding.

In addition to certifying over two hundred fifty class cases for settlement by stipulation, Michael has served as lead or co-lead counsel in obtaining class certification in contested proceedings against California Pizza Kitchen, Raytheon Corporation, Les Schwab Tires, Washington Mutual Bank, Wells Fargo Mortgage, Ethan Allen, Ashley Furniture, Albertson’s Supermarkets, AT&T, FedEx Ground, Brinker, Penske Logistics, Catholic Healthcare West, and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Save Mart Supermarkets, Kraft/Heinz, among others.

Michael is licensed to practice in California and Colorado. He is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys and a board member of Legal Aid at Work. He was named to the Daily Journal 2012, 2013, and 2018 list of Top California Labor and Employment Attorneys and selected to Southern California/San Diego Super Lawyers each year from 2012 through 2024. He is a contributing author to California Wage and Hour Litigation (CEB 2010-2024), the winner of the 2011 ACLEA Award for Professional Excellence in the Best Publication Category [opening chapter overview on California wage and hour law and PAGA chapter]. He has been published on wage and hour issues in Bender’s California Labor & Employment Bulletin, California Labor and Employment Law Review (State Bar of California Labor and Employment Law Section), CAOC Forum Magazine, and Orange Country Lawyer Magazine. He has also authored several articles for the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

Michael is a Continuing Legal Education lecturer on class action procedure and wage and hour issues, including programs in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Orange County, and Los Angeles and presentations before the San Diego and Orange County Bar Associations. He has participated in over 100 appellate cases and argued writs and appeals before several California District Courts of Appeal, as well as federal appeals in the Second, Third, and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.

Michael is also a certified professional coach (Coaches Training Institute, 2002), coaching lawyers on career satisfaction. He is an occasional composer of orchestral music and Big Band Jazz, available for download on iTunes. For more information, please visit michaelsingermusic.com.

Published Works & Presentations

• Published decisions
• Continuing education presentations
• Amicus curiae briefs and depublication letters
• Books written
• Published articles

California State Bar License

• No. 115301