Esra A. Hudson
Esra Hudson is a nationally recognized litigator and trusted adviser whose ability to manage high-stakes matters involving public scrutiny and media attention has made her a go-to resource for prominent individuals and iconic companies, particularly in the entertainment industry. Esra’s practice centers on all aspects of employment law and civil litigation with a client-centered, cutting-edge approach.
Among other notable matters, her work includes serving as lead counsel to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in the closely watched litigation involving Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and related parties. At the intersection of employment law, complex litigation and a global media firestorm, Esra helped turn an aggressive $400 million countersuit against her clients into a complete dismissal and subsequently obtained a groundbreaking fee-and-cost award under California Civil Code Section 47.1. The case involved consolidated federal proceedings and related litigation across multiple jurisdictions, all while developments generated near-daily international news coverage and extensive online commentary.
As the leader of Manatt’s Employment and Labor Practice, Esra’s vast experience includes class and collective action defense; Private Attorney General Act representative actions; discrimination; harassment; whistleblowing; wrongful discharge; wage and hour; breach of contract; trade secrets and unfair competition matters; investigations; agency proceedings; classification audits; and complex, multi-party arbitrations.
Esra also maintains an active pro bono and civic engagement practice, including her key role overseeing the completion of a court-ordered monitoring period for the Sweetwater Union High School District following the landmark Ollier v. Sweetwater Union High School District decision—a 17-year case establishing Title IX protections for equity in girls’ high school sports—working in partnership with Legal Aid at Work and the California Women’s Law Center, where she has been a board member for over a decade.
Esra has received numerous awards and honors, including being recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top Lawyers; by Variety in its Women’s Impact Report and as a Top Entertainment Lawyer; by The Hollywood Reporter on its Top 100 Power Lawyers list; and multiple recognitions by both AmLaw’s Litigators of the Week, Runners Up and Shout Outs and Law360’s Legal Lions of the Week, among many others. She is a Fellow of the American Bar Association Foundation and an invited member of the American Employment Law Council.
