Los Angeles · Employment Litigation
Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Los Angeles
We represent fired employees, never employers or their insurers, in retaliation, discrimination, and whistleblower terminations across Los Angeles County. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
When a Los Angeles firing crosses the line.
California is an at-will state, and employers lean on that phrase heavily in exit meetings. At-will means an employer does not need a good reason. It has never meant an employer may act on an unlawful reason.
The Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov. Code § 12940) prohibits discharge because of race, national origin, age, disability, medical condition, gender, pregnancy, religion, or sexual orientation, and separately prohibits retaliation against an employee who complains about that conduct. Labor Code § 1102.5 protects employees who report suspected violations of law, internally or to an agency, and shifts the burden to the employer to prove by clear and convincing evidence that it would have fired the employee anyway. Labor Code § 98.6 covers wage and hour complaints, and a Tameny claim reaches terminations that violate a fundamental public policy.
Recoverable damages typically include lost past and future wages, lost benefits, emotional distress, attorney's fees under FEHA, and, where the conduct was malicious or oppressive, punitive damages. Timing evidence matters: the gap between a protected complaint and the discharge is often the strongest fact in the file.
Preserve what you can. Offer letters, handbooks, performance reviews, written complaints, texts, and the termination paperwork all carry weight, and they are far easier to gather before a company account is closed.
Los Angeles employment matters we handle
Wrongful Termination
Firings that violate California statutes or a fundamental public policy.
Learn more →
Retaliation
Discipline or discharge after complaints, reports, leave requests, or protected activity.
Learn more →
Workplace Discrimination
Adverse action based on race, age, disability, gender, national origin, religion, or pregnancy.
Learn more →
Workplace Harassment
Hostile work environments that management knew about and failed to stop.
Learn more →
Sexual Harassment
Quid pro quo demands and pervasive conduct, including terminations that follow a complaint.
Learn more →
Questions fired employees ask
- Is California at-will employment a bar to a wrongful termination case?
- No. At-will employment means either side can end the relationship for any lawful reason. It does not permit a firing for an unlawful reason, discrimination, retaliation for protected activity, whistleblowing, taking protected leave, or refusing to break the law.
- What are the most common wrongful termination claims we see in Los Angeles?
- Terminations after a complaint about discrimination or harassment (Gov. Code § 12940(h)), after reporting suspected legal violations (Labor Code § 1102.5), after a workplace injury or wage complaint (Labor Code § 98.6, § 132a), after requesting disability accommodation or medical leave, and terminations that violate a fundamental public policy (Tameny claims).
- How long do I have to file?
- Deadlines vary by claim. FEHA claims generally require a Civil Rights Department complaint within three years of the violation, followed by a lawsuit within one year of the right-to-sue notice. Some Labor Code and public-policy claims run on different clocks. Because a missed deadline can end a strong case, call early rather than late.
- What does it cost to hire the firm?
- Employment matters are handled on contingency, no fee unless we recover. Consultations are free and confidential.
- Do you handle cases outside the City of Los Angeles?
- Yes. The office is in downtown Los Angeles and the firm handles employment matters throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County.
Talk to a Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer.
Confidential and free. Attorney Okojie personally reviews every intake, and if the firm is not the right fit we will tell you directly.
880 W 1st St, Suite 313
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2430