At Zaller Law Group, we do not talk about AI and technology in the abstract. We use it—every day—as a litigation tool to give our clients a measurable advantage.
California wage-and-hour and PAGA cases are data cases. Outcomes often turn on what the time records actually show, how quickly they can be analyzed, and whether counsel truly understands the data. That is why we helped design and deploy Scaled Comp, a software platform our lawyers advised on the software development to analyze large volumes of time and pay data early in a case.
Here are five ways this technology materially benefits our clients.
1. Early, Large-Scale Time Record Analysis Saves Time and Money
Wage-and-hour and PAGA cases routinely involve tens of thousands—or millions—of time entries. Traditionally, this data is not meaningfully analyzed until late in the case, often after months of motion practice, discovery disputes, and mounting legal fees.
Using Scaled Comp, we analyze large volumes of time record data early—often at the outset of litigation. This allows us to identify compliance issues (or confirm compliance) before unnecessary costs are incurred.
Early insight means fewer surprises, tighter strategy, and a more efficient defense from day one.
2. Employers Know Their Potential Exposure—and Their Best Arguments
Data clarity changes everything.
When time records are analyzed early:
- Employers understand their realistic potential liability
- Employers know where their strongest defense arguments exist
- Strategy is built on facts, not assumptions
This is especially critical in mediation. Parties who understand their data negotiate from a position of strength. Parties who do not are negotiating blind.
Scaled Comp allows us to quantify issues, isolate anomalies, and explain—clearly and persuasively—the story the data actually tells.
3. Stronger “Reasonable Efforts” Arguments Under the Reformed PAGA Law
Under California’s 2024 PAGA reform, employers who can demonstrate reasonable efforts to comply may cap penalties at 15%.
Compliance rates matter. Patterns matter. Documentation matters.
By analyzing time records at scale, we can:
- Measure compliance rates across locations and time periods
- Identify where corrective actions were taken
- Support reasonable efforts arguments with real data, not general statements
This is not theoretical. It is outcome-driven litigation strategy tied directly to reduced penalty exposure.
4. Lawyers Must Control—and Understand—the Data
Too often, law firms outsource data analysis to third-parties who run numbers in isolation and deliver a report weeks or months later. That approach creates three problems:
- Lawyers lose control of the data
- Lawyers do not fully understand the analysis
- Strategy becomes dependent on someone outside the litigation team
At Zaller Law Group, Scaled Comp provides both the report and the underlying data for our attorneys to use and fully understand. This allows our lawyers to dispute differences between data sets in real time—an enormous advantage during negotiations and mediation.
Because Scaled Comp is used in-house:
- We control the data
- We understand the assumptions
- We can run real-time analysis during mediation or calls with a mediator
Your lawyer should be fluent in your records—not waiting on someone else to explain them.
5. Faster Insight Leads to Earlier Resolution—and Better Outcomes
Delays are expensive.
The longer it takes to analyze data, schedule mediation, and meaningfully evaluate exposure, the longer a case lingers, the longer the recovery period continues, and the higher the settlement risk becomes. Prolonged litigation increases legal spend, business disruption, and uncertainty.
By front-loading data analysis:
- Cases are positioned for earlier mediation
- Resolution happens earlier—not a year or more after filing
- Employers reduce total litigation cost and recovery period
Clients are better served by efficient resolution—not prolonged process.
Final Thought: AI Is No Longer Optional
This is no longer a debate about whether AI and technology belong in legal practice.
They are here.
Law firms that are not using technology to analyze data at scale are already behind opposing counsel—and are not delivering the strongest possible defense to their clients. Lawyers need to wake up to that reality.
At Zaller Law Group, we use technology strategically, responsibly, and aggressively to protect employers operating in California’s most challenging legal environment.
That is not the future of employment defense.
It is the present.
To learn more about Scaled Comp and how it is used to analyze time and pay data in wage-and-hour and PAGA matters, feel free to contact me or visit www.scaledcomp.com.