About Catherine James Esquire

I’m Catherine James, a California entertainment employment attorney fighting for the workers Hollywood has relied on—and too often mistreated—for decades. My career has been dedicated to confronting the abuse of power that keeps creatives silent and allows workplace misconduct to thrive unchecked.

At SAG-AFTRA, I saw how even union protections weren’t always enough to guarantee fair treatment. Performers were promised rights that weren’t always honored—and those without union backing had almost no recourse.

As the Head of Litigation at a Beverly Hills entertainment firm, I represented people who faced harassment, wage violations, exploitation, and retaliation at the hands of executives, producers, and decision-makers who assumed they were untouchable. They were wrong.

Today, I run Entertainment Workers Rights, a law practice built for one purpose: holding the entertainment industry accountable. I represent workers and creatives in cases involving harassment, retaliation, discrimination, and wage theft, and I negotiate contracts designed to protect their rights—not exploit them.

Litigation or contracts, the mission doesn’t change. I fight for people who’ve been ignored, underpaid, dismissed, or threatened into silence. When the industry crosses the line, I make sure workers have power, leverage, and a lawyer who is not afraid to confront the people who assume they can’t be challenged.

Because the people who create culture should never be sacrificed for it.

Because your talent should open doors — not paint a target on your back.

Because silence has been demanded for too long, and I refuse to play along.

I do this work to break those patterns and protect the workers the industry depends on but rarely protects.