Wrongful Termination Lawyer Los Angeles

At Liane Ly Law, we understand that wrongful termination can dramatically disrupt your professional and personal life. Our experienced wrongful termination lawyers in Los Angeles are committed to securing justice and fair compensation for employees unjustly dismissed.

We thoroughly examine each case—from discriminatory firings to retaliatory dismissals—to protect your rights and restore your reputation. Our focused approach ensures every detail is evaluated to build a strong claim.

los angeles employment law attorney
los angeles employment lawyer

What is Wrongful Termination?

Wrongful termination occurs when an employer fires an employee in violation of legal rights or public policy. This may include dismissals based on discrimination related to race, gender, age, disability, or retaliation for whistleblowing or reporting workplace violations. In some cases, an employer may breach the terms of an employment contract by terminating an employee without just cause. At Liane Ly Law, we explain every facet of wrongful termination so you can understand your rights under California law and the protections afforded to you.

Often, wrongful termination can be subtle. For example, an employer might present a pretextual reason for firing you while the real motive is discriminatory or retaliatory. Our experienced wrongful termination lawyers in Los Angeles scrutinize every detail—from performance reviews to internal communications—to build a persuasive case on your behalf.

Our Approach to Your Case

At Liane Ly Law, our approach begins with a thorough, personalized consultation where we listen to your story in detail. We evaluate all the facts of your case to determine if your termination was indeed wrongful. By gathering documentation—such as employment contracts, emails, performance evaluations, and witness testimonies—we construct a robust case that highlights every injustice.

Once we have a complete picture of your situation, we develop a tailored legal strategy aimed at securing not only financial compensation but also corrective measures that hold your former employer accountable. Our team of wrongful termination lawyers in Los Angeles emphasizes clear, consistent communication, ensuring you understand every step of the process and are fully prepared to take on your case with confidence.

los angeles employment law attorneys
los angeles employment law attorney

Proudly Serving the Los Angeles Community

Liane Ly Law is proud to serve the diverse communities of Los Angeles, from Downtown to Hollywood and beyond. We recognize the unique challenges faced by employees in the bustling Los Angeles job market and are committed to providing aggressive, effective legal representation tailored to local employment issues.

Our connection to the community goes beyond the courtroom. We strive to educate employees about their rights and offer ongoing support throughout the legal process. As your trusted wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles, we are here to help you rebuild your career and secure the compensation you deserve.

Our Story: Fighting for Fairness

Liane’s passion extends beyond the courtroom. She dedicates her time to pro bono legal services, empowering low-wage workers and undocumented immigrants seeking asylum. She is also deeply involved with non-profits that advocate for workers’ rights, ensuring that her commitment to justice goes beyond her practice.

With over 15 years of experience, Liane has built a reputation for providing compassionate, results-driven representation. Her work has taken her to state and federal courts, where she has achieved significant victories for workers across a wide range of industries. Whether addressing wage disputes, fighting against wrongful termination, or standing up to discrimination, Liane approaches each case with the belief that every worker’s story matters.

At Liane Ly Law, we’re not just about legal representation—we’re about changing lives.

We understand the courage it takes to speak up against unfair treatment and the impact losing your job can have on every aspect of your life.  We’re here to stand by your side every step of the way. Let us help you reclaim your voice and achieve the justice you deserve. 

los angeles employment attorney
los angeles employment lawyer

Why Choose Us

Driven

Relentlessly pursuing justice with passion, precision, and unwavering commitment to protect your rights and achieve the results you deserve.

Professional

Delivering expert legal representation with integrity, reliability, and a steadfast focus on achieving the best outcomes for our clients.

Experienced

Bringing years of proven expertise to navigate complex legal challenges and secure justice for our clients.

FAQs

Employment Lawyer Los Angeles Common Questions and Answers

The law creates classes of people that are protected from discrimination based on the features or statuses listed.  These protected classes come from state, federal, and local laws to protect various groups.

If you fall into a protected class and were wrongfully terminated because of that protected feature, then you may be entitled to a wrongful termination case.

There are three major federal laws that create protected classes in employment law:

  • Title VII
  • The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Title VII is the basic law that makes it illegal to discriminate based on these protected classes:

  • Race
  • Color
  • Religion
  • Sex
  • National origin.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act added pregnancy to this list of protections, after the Supreme Court declined to include pregnancy within sex discrimination.  The ADA added protections for disability status.

Consulting with a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles will help clarify your situation as we analyze performance reviews and communications to uncover any hidden issues.

What constitutes “sex discrimination” in the workplace has been expanded a bit through U.S. Supreme Court cases to include additional protected features within the protected class of “sex”:

  • Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (1989) determined that gender and gender stereotypes playing a role in adverse employment decisions also violates Title VII.
  • Bostock v. Clayton (2020) affirmed that firing a worker for being gay or transgender is inherently sex discrimination and also violates Title VII.

These standards should be as strong as any legislation, even though they are not written directly into the statute.

It is crucial to act quickly and preserve all evidence, as our experienced attorneys are ready to guide you through the process and ensure every piece of documentation supports your claim.

Unsurprisingly, California goes further toward protecting workers from wrongful termination under state law.  All of the same categories are also protected under state law, plus gender and sexual orientation are explicitly added to the list of protected classes.

Additionally, there are protections for age, ancestry, medical and genetic issues, marital status, past or present military service, and reproductive health decisions.

We advise you to consult with our attorneys as soon as possible to avoid any potential issues with deadlines, as timely action is essential in preserving your legal rights.

One of the most common reasons for wrongful termination, aside from discrimination, is retaliation.  This occurs when your employer seeks revenge for something you have legally done or otherwise “takes it out on you” by firing you.

Retaliation often occurs after

  • Reporting sexual harassment
  • Reporting discrimination
  • Testifying against the company in another case
  • Whistleblowing efforts to report OSHA violations, regulatory violations, or other illegal behavior
  • As punishment for legal or insurance claims, such as filing a Workers’ Compensation claim or short-term disability claim.

Our legal strategy is tailored to recover both tangible and intangible losses, and we evaluate the full extent of your damages to secure a comprehensive settlement that reflects the severity of your experience.

Firing an employee because of speech they made is often a form of retaliation.  Public employers – i.e., the government – generally cannot fire you for speech you make outside of your professional capacity.  This often affects teachers, court staff, and other public employees.

In California, additional protections also help workers at private companies for speech and political activity outside of work.  Under California law, it is illegal for companies to make policies preventing employees’ political activity or candidacy for office, or controlling their political affiliations.

This might not protect against retaliation for all categories of speech, but should certainly protect against retaliation for political activity.  Additionally, political activity or speech while on duty, at work, has different rules.  It can often be blocked to prevent disruption, etc.

Our approach prioritizes both efficiency and fairness, striving for a resolution that upholds your rights while negotiating settlements that accurately reflect the harm caused by your termination.

Your right to join a union and collectively bargain is generally protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and other state and federal laws.  This potentially makes it illegal for an employer to terminate you because you tried to talk to other employees about organizing or took active steps toward unionization or collective action.

Our firm prides itself on meticulous attention to detail and the ability to tailor our legal strategy to each individual case. We understand the complexities of employment law in Los Angeles and leverage that expertise to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

California has robust requirements for sick days that help protect workers from firing and other adverse employment actions because they were sick.  Follow your employer’s procedures for sick days, and talk to our wrongful termination lawyers if you face trouble for using the sick days you are entitled to.

Many workers never get an explicit “pink slip” or other communication from their employer saying, “You’re fired.”  This makes it hard to know if you are simply not getting shifts or calls, or if you have actually been fired.  This may even be a tactic employers use to try to get you to quit on your own so they do not have to fire you.

Often, there are other claims you can file before you are actually fired, especially if your employer has already taken adverse steps against you, such as cutting your hours, benefits, or pay.  If you have not been given any hours in so long that you are effectively terminated, we may be able to start wrongful termination proceedings.

Typically, wrongful termination requires that you are fired instead of quitting.  However, some cases can be argued as “constructive dismissal” cases (a.k.a.  “constructive discharge” or “constructive termination”).

Here, you claim that your treatment was so wrong or severe that you quit, but it was not really voluntary.  The court should essentially treat it the same as if you were fired.

To win these claims, you have to prove that a reasonable person in the same work conditions would also be forced to resign rather than stay on.  This is common when your employer tries to make your job miserable to force you to quit, so they can avoid paying you severance, unemployment, or other benefits.