El Monte Employment Attorneys

The trial attorneys of the Akopyan Law Firm A.P.C. stand ready to fight for the rights of the residents of El Monte, regardless of whether they are employees or employers.  If your cause is just and involves employment law, give us a call to see how we can help.

El Monte, California

El Monte is a City situated in the San Gabriel Valley and is home to more than 120,000 residents.  It covers approximately ten square miles, and encompasses the following zip codes: 91731, 91732, 91733, 91734, 91735, and 91780. The City of El Monte has a rich history.  Blessed with deep, rich, alluvial topsoil, the area was crossed by small streams, and in those early days was covered by stands of slender willows, alders and cattails, interspersed with expansive meadows, wild grapevines, and succulent watercress. Between the 1770s and 1830s, missionaries and Spanish soldiers stopped here, and named the area, “El Monte,” which referred not to the mountain as most assume, but to that era’s definition—“meadow or marsh” or “the wooded place.” During the land-grant/rancho era of the 1830s-40s, the area continued to serve as a natural resting place for weary travelers, including a small party of Americans led by Jedediah Smith, a famed mountain man and explorer. Among his party in 1826 was Harrison Rogers, whose diary entry about their stay referred to the rest and rehabilitation offered by “Camp Monte” or “Monte Camp.” El Monte’s first permanent residents arrived in 1849-50, a time when thousands of prospectors and immigrant pioneers came to California seeking gold. Few found wealth in the gold, but some found the riches of fertile land and built homes. Originally setting off in search of gold, the Thompson family crossed the San Gabriel River to reach El Monte in 1851 after a fourteen-month journey from Iowa that had left them physically and emotionally depleted and living with a daily concern for the barest necessities of life. With the hardships they had endured crossing mountains and deserts and fending off the attacks by hostile Apaches, their aims changed, and they wanted only to settle at the first place offering adequate fresh water and good soil for farming. Other pioneers led by Captain Johnson of Lexington, Kentucky, arrived in the following year. A brief survey of the gold fields to the north convinced Captain Johnson that El Monte’s agricultural promise offered a more realistic key to the future of his group. A natural leader, he became an important part of the community in the 1850s with permanent residents consisting of no more than a dozen families. He proposed naming their village “Lexington” in honor of his birthplace and as a tribute to the importance of that name in U.S. Revolutionary War history. Even though residents agreed, the original name of El Monte, Monte Camp or The Monte persisted. When the State Legislature organized California into smaller defined governmental units called townships, they named this area El Monte Township, with the Village of Lexington as its government seat. Two years later the town’s name reverted to the original: El Monte. Farmers here enjoyed increasing success, despite occasional floods from its rivers and other periods of severe drought. The community grew steadily with card parlors and dance halls, robberies and murders. Vigilantes, particularly the infamous “Monte Boys,” hastened the hanging of wrongdoers. Politically divided by the Civil War the community had Confederate sympathies, even though California was a Union state. During these early years, El Monte’s successful agrarian economy was based on such products as wool, honey, grain, fruit, castor oil, hops, cotton, and El Monte Bacon. In 1907 Pacific Electric intercity railroad service was extended to El Monte. The line’s old “Red Cars” remained an important part of transportation for the next forty-five years. Until incorporation of El Monte in 1912, volunteer fire and police departments served the area.

The “Roaring ’20s” had a slightly different connotation in El Monte than elsewhere in the country, with the arrival of Gay’s Lion Farm. Two European-born former circus stars, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gay, operated this tourist attraction, which has been called “the Disneyland of the 1920s and 1930s.” The Gays raised wild animals for use in the burgeoning motion picture industry, with the operation housing over 200 African lions. The compound had individual cages for adult lions, a larger “nursery” cage for cubs, and a very large, centrally located arena cage in which Gay trained the lions to perform acts for spectators. Many of the lions starred in films during the 1920s and 1930s, including the “Tarzan” films starring Elmo Lincoln and Johnny Weismuller. The MGM lion logo was made with “Jackie,” one of the Gays’ most famous stars. Athletic teams from El Monte High School chose “The Lions” as their team name, and Gay periodically designated one of the young, active male lions as the school’s official mascot to make an appearance at certain home football games and with a roar encouraged cheering of the hometown crowds. World War II rationing of meat and gasoline led to closing the lion farm, with the lions loaned” to public zoos.

In the 1930’s El Monte was a small community with a Mexican population of about 20 percent, a Japanese population of 5 percent, and an Anglo population of 75 percent. However, the Depression of the ’30s brought drastic changes to El Monte, as it did to many other communities. Farm profits plummeted, leading some landowners to sublet small farm tracts to Japanese tenants, who raised such cash crops as berries, melons and vegetables. Other areas of El Monte, particularly large groves and orchards, were subdivided into homesites of one acre or less, transforming El Monte to a bedroom community from which residents commuted elsewhere. During these times, most Mexican immigrants worked as farm hands and lived in one of three immigrant camps (Hicks, Las Flores, or Medina Court), and the Japanese tenant farmer lived on the farm itself.

Population exploded in the 1940s and early 1950s—illustrated by high school enrollment, which soared from 1,500 students in 1943 to 3,700 in 1948. Five different beginning/ending times had to be instituted to accommodate all the students and class schedules. During its first forty-eight years, El Monte Union High School housed its entire student population in one school, but from 1949 to the present, four additional schools were built. From a population of about 10,000 in 1940, the population now numbers approximately 116,000. In place of the sleepy little town of orchards, flower fields, and farms and dairies, is an urban community of homes, schools and parks supported by an expanding industrial and commercial base.

The Akopyan Law Firm A.P.C. is headquartered in Los Angeles which is minutes away from El Monte. Our employment lawyers stand ready to provide legal services to both employees and employers in El Monte.

Ways to Find The Best Employment Lawyer in El Monte

El Monte, as a thriving community, offers its residents a multitude of options when it comes to legal representation. With the prevalence of online searches for “El Monte employment lawyer” or “wrongful termination attorney in El Monte,” it’s common to encounter numerous paid advertisements from employment lawyers operating across various locations. Selecting the right attorney, one with the necessary skills and experience, can indeed be challenging when the decision is primarily influenced by a paid internet advertisement. For individuals seeking legal guidance, it can be difficult to ascertain if a particular attorney is truly well-versed in this field and possesses the experience needed to effectively handle employment trials and litigation when all they have to rely on is an advertisement. This is where the Akopyan Law Firm, A.P.C. sets itself apart. Each of our attorneys boasts nearly two decades of invaluable experience, reinforced by a distinguished track record of success in representing both employees and employers. Our firm’s core philosophy revolves around quality over quantity, ensuring that every client receives the personalized attention and exceptional representation they deserve. With offices located just minutes away from El Monte, we are strategically positioned to provide residents with top-tier legal representation. We take great pride in our work and extend an invitation for you to explore our online reviews or request client references to witness our track record firsthand. When you choose the Akopyan Law Firm, A.P.C., you’re not just selecting legal expertise; you’re embracing a commitment to delivering the highest standards of service. Your legal needs are our utmost priority, and we’re here to be your trusted advocates. If you seek legal representation that prioritizes quality and experience, we encourage you to reach out to us today for exceptional counsel and support. Your journey to effective legal resolution begins right here in El Monte.

We Can Help El Monte Residents With: