
Michael Worth has represented clients at every stage of the litigation process. His practice focuses on business and complex commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, contractual matters, and business torts involving breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, defamation, alter ego, business interference, unfair competition, and misappropriation of trade secrets. Mr. Worth has also handled a number of business entity disputes between the owners of corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. He has litigated a variety of high exposure matters in both state and federal court. Mr. Worth is effective at negotiating prelitigation and pretrial resolutions, obtaining provisional remedies, and representing clients at mediation and trial. His clients include large multinational corporations, small businesses, and individuals. He provides advice and counsel to and represents businesses and startups across various industries, including technology, fashion and apparel, entertainment, media, physical therapy, hospice care, secured private lending, restaurants, and consumer products.
Social Media Influencers and Content Creators
Mr. Worth serves as outside general counsel for high profile social media influencers, content creators, and companies that use social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube to produce or monetize content, partner with brands, market products, or otherwise engage in business transactions. Mr. Worth negotiates management agreements, assists clients with registering their intellectual property for copyright and trademark protection, and protects and enforces clients’ copyrights, trademarks, images, and other intellectual property rights.
Employee/Independent Contractor Misclassification
Mr. Worth has developed a particular expertise in analyzing and defending against claims involving employee/independent contractor misclassification. He has represented a variety of companies in connection with Employment Development Department (“EDD”) audits and assessments, Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR”) Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”) investigations, and Bureau of Field Enforcement (“BOFE”) citations. Mr. Worth has represented clients in California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (“CUIAB”) proceedings. He also counsels and consults with clients to help structure their companies to help prevent and mitigate the risk of misclassification claims, audits, and fines.
High Net Worth Family Offices
Mr. Worth also serves as outside general counsel for high net worth family owned and operated businesses, investment portfolios, and real estate holdings. He provides advice and counsel, strategic planning, dispute resolution, and litigation representation for family offices. These matters include, but are not limited to, enforcing creditors’ rights, instituting foreclosures, negotiating leases, resolving partnership disputes, litigating loan agreements, deficiency actions, and personal guaranties, pursuing fraudulent transfers, and collecting on judgments.
Mr. Worth served as a judicial extern to Chief Magistrate Judge Suzanne H. Segal at the United States District Court. During law school, he was an Associate Editor on the Southwestern Law Review, and an Advocate in the Southwestern Negotiation Honors Program. Mr. Worth also worked as a Dean’s Fellow tutoring law students, and continues to serve as a mentor to law students and recent graduates.
Awards and Honors
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America – 2025
- Super Lawyers Southern California “Rising Star” from 2019-2023
- Buchalter’s Debra Healy Deem Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award 2020
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15
Oct
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Buchalter Elevates Eleven Attorneys to Shareholder
Firm News
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14 October, 2024 – Buchalter is pleased to announce the promotion to Shareholder of eleven attorneys from five offices and eight practice groups across the firm. […]
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15
Aug
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Buchalter Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”
Awards
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that over 30 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Best […]
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06
Jun
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2023 Southern California “Rising Stars”
Awards
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that Super Lawyers has recognized several Buchalter attorneys as 2023 Southern California “Rising Stars.” Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” are top, […]
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01
Dec
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Update: Settlement Secured by Buchalter in Landmark San Diego Ponzi Scheme (as Featured on CNBC’s American Greed)
Firm News
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Buchalter secured a settlement last year from Chicago Title on behalf of approximately 80 victims of a fraudulent liquor license investment scheme devised by former […]
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05
Aug
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Matthew Seror and Michael Worth Quoted in The Fashion Law
Firm News
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As Makeup Co., Molly Sims Settle Lawsuit, Uncertainty Over Influencer Liability Remains The Fashion Law Aug. 2, 2022 “As for what made the lawsuit an […]
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07
Jun
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2022 Southern California “Rising Stars”
Awards
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Super Lawyers has recognized six Buchalter attorneys as 2022 Southern California “Rising Stars.” “Rising Stars” are top, up-and-coming attorneys who are either 40 years of […]
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03
Sep
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Matt Seror and Michael Worth Quoted in World Trademark Review
Press
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Influencer liability ruling opens door for direct infringement claims, but brands must tread carefully August 30, 2021 By Victoria Arnold “More influencers may be named […]
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28
Jun
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Buchalter Secures More than $22.6 Million From Chicago Title for Victims of Largest Ponzi Scheme in San Diego History
Representative Matters
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LOS ANGELES – June 28, 2021. Buchalter secured a favorable settlement of more than $22.6 million from Chicago Title on behalf of approximately 80 victims […]
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08
Jun
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2021 Southern California “Rising Stars”
Awards
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Super Lawyers has recognized nine Buchalter attorneys as 2021 Southern California “Rising Stars.” “Rising Stars” are top, up-and-coming attorneys who are either 40 years of […]
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09
Jun
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2020 Southern California “Rising Stars”
Awards
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Southern California Super Lawyers has recognized nine Buchalter attorneys as 2020 “Rising Stars.” “Rising Stars” are top, up-and-coming attorneys who are either 40 years of […]
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30
May
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2019 Southern California “Rising Stars”
Awards
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Southern California Super Lawyers has recognized nine Buchalter attorneys as 2019 “Rising Stars.” “Rising Stars” are top, up-and-coming attorneys who are either 40 years of […]
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Presentation
Michael J. Worth, Panelist at the 2024 Influencer Fireside Chat
June 26th, 2024
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Publication
Social Media Influencers Could Become the Targets of Trademark Infringement Lawsuits
- Download
August 17th, 2021
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Publication
Executive Order Aimed at Restricting Civil Liability Protections Afforded to Social Media Companies
- Download
May 29th, 2020
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Presentation
Michael J. Worth, Guest Speaker at Through the Woods Therapy Corp.
January 21st, 2020
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Presentation
Michael Worth, Speaker at National Business Institute’s (NBI) Webinar
December 13th, 2018
Mr. Worth earned his J.D. from Southwestern Law School cum laude in 2013 and his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara with honors in 2009.
Mr. Worth studied International Business Transactions in 2011 at the Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied Corporate Finance in 2007 at the London School of Economics, England.
- California State Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- Board Member, Downtown Los Angeles Bar Association- assists in planning and executing some of the largest professional networking events for attorneys in Los Angeles.
Additional Specialties
- Commercial Litigation
- Real Estate Litigation
- Probate Litigation