Employment

Employee are protected by federal and state laws and regulations. We assert your rights when they are violated. Our firm has secured trial verdicts and negotiated settlements for clients damaged as a result of:

• Wage and hour violations
• Discrimination due to age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or race
• Retaliation for whistleblowing or exercising legal rights
• Harassment by supervisors or co-workers
• Breach of employment agreements

We have successfully litigated cases against such major employers as the Gap, Ameriquest, Delta Airlines, Blue Diamond Growers, and National Cable Communications. Our effectiveness at litigation has led a number of employers to seek our help in drafting employment agreements and employee handbooks that keep companies in compliance with the law.

BriefCase: We represented a teacher who headed the mathematics department at an independent middle and private school for more than 20 years while teaching algebra, calculus, geometry and other mathematics courses. When our client's contract was not renewed without a credible explanation, we filed a complaint alleging discrimination solely on the basis of age (our client, at age 62, was one of the school's oldest faculty members) and breach of implied contact. After defeating the school's summary judgment motion on all claims, we secured a substantial mediated settlement for our client.

BriefCase: We represented a Russian immigrant who worked more than 10 years as a resident manager for a homeowners association in Pacific Heights. The Association fired him after he complained to OSHA about unsafe working conditions. We filed a lawsuit for retaliation and recovered an $800,000 settlement.

BriefCase: We filed a lawsuit on behalf of an employee who was paid less than the minimum wage. The employer refused to settle, so we tried the case, obtained a successful jury verdict and a substantial recovery totaling $185,000.