Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Lawyer
| Feher Law
- Top Rated Trial Firm
- Over $170 Million Recovered For Clients
- No Fees Unless We Win
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Los Angeles employers range from studios and hospitals to port logistics, hotels, retailers, and tech companies, and workers in every one of those industries can be fired for illegal reasons. California is an at-will state, but that does not let an employer fire you because of discrimination, retaliation, a medical or family leave, a workers’ compensation claim, or a refusal to break the law.
A Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer at Feher Law reviews why you were fired, your records, and any severance or arbitration agreement, and pursues back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, and more. See our Los Angeles employment lawyer page for the full picture of employment claims in Los Angeles. You pay nothing unless we win.
Key Takeaways
- Los Angeles is an at-will market, but a firing is still illegal when it is based on discrimination, retaliation, protected leave, or a refusal to break the law.
- Labor Code Section 1102.5 bars retaliation against workers who report suspected violations of law or refuse to take part in one. An employer can owe a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, and the court may award attorney’s fees.
- Under Labor Code Section 98.6, if your employer acts against you within 90 days of a protected complaint, the law presumes retaliation in your favor and the employer must rebut it.
- Pay complaints in the City of Los Angeles can go to the Office of Wage Standards, and the city minimum wage is $18.42 an hour as of July 1, 2026. Being fired after asking about unpaid wages is a retaliation claim.
- Feher Law takes wrongful termination cases on a contingency fee under a written agreement, as Business and Professions Code 6147 requires, so there is no fee unless we recover.
Table of Contents
What Feher Law Brings to a Los Angeles Firing Case
- Trial experience: Thomas Feher has tried more than 50 cases to a jury verdict, and we prepare every Los Angeles employment case as if it will be tried. That preparation changes how employers value a settlement.
- A careful first review: before anything is filed, we read the termination letter, any severance agreement, the arbitration clause, and your timeline, because they decide which agency and which court the claim starts in.
- Proven results: in early 2024, we won a $1.4 million settlement for a client who was fired after taking time off. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Verdicts & Settlements
$170M+ Recovered for California Workers & Injury Victims
Real case outcomes from Feher Law across personal injury and employment matters, resolved under California law.
See what your case could be worth.
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Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its specific facts under California law. View full results on our Case Results page.
Why Acting Fast Protects Your Case
Wrongful termination deadlines run from the day you were fired, and the right one depends on the claim. A discrimination or retaliation claim under FEHA starts with a Civil Rights Department complaint within three years, while a claim that the firing violated public policy is generally a two-year lawsuit. Once the date passes, the claim is gone, however strong the facts.
The filing deadline is not the only clock. Delay can cost you in practical ways:
- Your company email, Slack, and HR portal access is usually cut off on your last day, so the messages that show why you were fired can disappear from your reach
- A severance offer often comes with a short signing window, and signing it releases your claims
- Unemployment benefits generally start from the week you file, so waiting can cost you weeks of benefits
- Coworkers who saw what happened change jobs or stop returning calls
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Meet Our Team
Thomas Feher, Esq.
Founding Attorney
Stephen Wiard, Esq.
Senior Trial Attorney
Sandy Luu, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Alex Ballard, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Karen Parra, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Chase Nielsen, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Betsy Gomez
Managing Paralegal
Erica Feher
Chief of Operations
Austin Wallick, Esq.
Associate Attorney
Samantha Marquez
Legal Secretary
Marcela Guzman
Intake Specialist (Employment)
Alejandro Zelaya
Intake Specialist (Personal Injury)
Daniela Ramirez
Litigation Assistant
Marvin Rodriguez
Paralegal
Cassandra De Vera
Law Clerk
What Wrongful Termination Looks Like in Los Angeles Workplaces
Wrongful termination means being fired for a reason the law forbids. In Los Angeles the pattern often follows the industry:
- Entertainment and media: crew and staff let go after complaining about unpaid overtime, unsafe sets, or harassment on a production.
- Healthcare: nurses and technicians fired for reporting patient-safety or staffing problems, which can be protected under Labor Code 1102.5.
- Hotels, restaurants, and retail: servers, housekeepers, and sales staff terminated after raising wage, tip, scheduling, or meal break issues.
- Warehousing and port logistics: drivers and dock workers fired after reporting unsafe conditions or filing a workers’ compensation claim.
- Tech and professional offices: employees pushed out after a pregnancy, a leave request, a disability accommodation, or a discrimination complaint.
Each of these has a different protected activity and a different deadline, so a Los Angeles wrongful termination lawyer starts by identifying what you did, or what happened to you, right before the firing.
Additional reading: Los Angeles workplace discrimination lawyer
California and Los Angeles Laws That Protect Workers From Wrongful Termination
Los Angeles workers are protected by several overlapping sources of law, and a strong termination claim often relies on more than one:
- The Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA): bars firing based on protected traits and bars retaliation for complaining about discrimination or harassment, under Government Code 12940. It applies to employers with five or more employees.
- Whistleblower protection: Labor Code 1102.5 covers reports to an agency or to a supervisor, and refusing to take part in illegal activity.
- Wage and rights complaints: Labor Code 98.6 protects workers who complain they are owed wages or exercise rights under the Labor Commissioner’s jurisdiction.
- Safety complaints: Labor Code 6310 protects workers who report unsafe conditions to Cal/OSHA or to their employer.
- Public policy: under Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167, an employer cannot fire a worker for a reason that violates fundamental public policy.
- Implied contract: under Foley v. Interactive Data Corp. (1988) 47 Cal.3d 654, a worker may have a claim when the employer’s words, policies, or long practice promised termination only for good cause.
- Los Angeles ordinances: the City’s minimum wage and Fair Work Week ordinances are enforced by the Office of Wage Standards, which takes worker complaints. These rules add to, and do not replace, state law.
Signs Your Los Angeles Firing May Have Been Illegal
Whether a firing was unlawful usually turns on what happened before it. These signs point to a possible claim in Los Angeles:
- Timing: you were fired days or weeks after a complaint, a leave request, an accommodation request, a pregnancy announcement, or a question about pay. Under Labor Code 98.6, action within 90 days of protected activity carries a presumption in the employee’s favor.
- Shifting reasons: the explanation changed between the termination meeting, the HR letter, and the answer your employer gave the unemployment office.
- A reversed paper trail: strong reviews until you complained, then sudden write-ups and performance plans.
- Unequal treatment: coworkers outside your protected group did the same thing and kept their jobs.
- A rushed exit: a severance agreement with a short signing window and a release of all claims was ready the day you were let go.
If any of this sounds familiar, speak with our employment attorneys before you sign anything. We will review the timeline and tell you whether the facts support a claim.
Why Los Angeles Workers Need Counsel After a Firing
Los Angeles employers usually arrive at the termination meeting with HR, and often counsel, behind them. The papers you are handed there, a termination letter, a severance release, an arbitration agreement, were written to protect the company. A Los Angeles wrongful termination attorney evens that out.
Before anything is filed, we decide where the claim belongs: the Civil Rights Department for FEHA claims, the Labor Commissioner for certain wage retaliation claims, or a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court or the federal court in the Central District of California. We also check whether an arbitration clause can be challenged, and we put a dollar figure on back pay, front pay, and emotional distress so that any severance offer is measured against what your case may be worth.
That leaves you free to focus on your next job while we handle the filings, the evidence, and the negotiation.
Deadlines After a Los Angeles Firing
There is no single deadline. The clock depends on the claim, and it usually starts on the day you were fired:
- FEHA discrimination, harassment, or retaliation: file a complaint with the Civil Rights Department within three years under Government Code 12960. CRD takes filings through its online California Civil Rights System portal. After you receive a right-to-sue notice, you generally have one year to sue under Government Code 12965.
- Termination that violates public policy: generally a lawsuit within two years under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1.
- Breach of an employment contract: four years for a written contract and two for an oral one.
Because a single firing can support more than one claim, the safest approach is to treat the shortest deadline as the real one and speak with a lawyer early.
Related guide: California wrongful termination deadlines
First Steps After a Wrongful Termination in Los Angeles
The first week after a firing is when most of the evidence is still within your reach. Here is how to use it:
- Do not sign yet: if you are handed a severance agreement or release, ask for time to review it. Signing can give up your claims.
- Write a timeline: note dates, who said what, who was present, and what you complained about before you were let go.
- Save what is yours: keep copies of your offer letter, pay stubs, performance reviews, and messages you sent or received, and do not take confidential company files.
- Find the paper you signed: locate your employment agreement, handbook acknowledgment, and any arbitration agreement.
- Apply for unemployment: file with the Employment Development Department right away, and describe the termination accurately.
- Name your witnesses: list coworkers who saw the events and note how to reach them.
- Talk to a lawyer before any agency filing: Feher Law decides whether the claim starts with a Civil Rights Department complaint, a Labor Commissioner filing, or a lawsuit, and files it for you.
- Stay professional: avoid venting on social media or in messages to former coworkers, which can be used against you.
Taking these steps early protects your rights and gives your lawyer a complete record to work from.
Common Wrongful Termination Situations in Los Angeles Workplaces
The firings we see most often follow a report of harassment or discrimination, a complaint about unpaid wages or overtime, a pregnancy, medical leave, or disability accommodation request, a workers’ compensation claim, or a refusal to take part in something illegal, which is common in healthcare, hospitality, warehousing, and entertainment jobs. Timing is often the clearest evidence: a good review followed by a termination soon after a protected complaint is a strong sign.
How a Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Claim Moves Forward
Many claims begin with a complaint to the Civil Rights Department (CRD), which has three years from the date of the discrimination or retaliation to file and then issues a right-to-sue notice. Claims that the firing violated public policy can be filed directly in court. FEHA claims are generally filed in the county where you worked, which for a Los Angeles job is Los Angeles County Superior Court. Many Los Angeles employers require arbitration, so we review any agreement you signed before we choose the path.
What a Wrongful Termination Claim Can Recover in Los Angeles
The damages in a Los Angeles wrongful termination case depend on the claim and the facts, and may include:
- Back pay: wages, commissions, bonuses, and benefits you lost from the day you were fired until the case resolves, including health coverage and retirement contributions
- Front pay: future lost earnings when finding comparable work will take time or reinstatement is not realistic
- Emotional distress: compensation for anxiety, humiliation, and the toll the firing took on you and your family
- Punitive damages: additional damages for malice, oppression, or fraud under Civil Code 3294
- Civil penalties and attorney’s fees: up to $10,000 per violation under Labor Code 1102.5 and 98.6, and attorney’s fees where the statute allows them
- Reinstatement: returning to your former position when that is practical
To see how those pieces might add up for your situation, use our wrongful termination settlement calculator. It gives a rough estimate from your pay, time out of work, and the type of claim.
For a personal review, call Feher Law at (310) 340-1112 for a free consultation.
The calculator gives a general estimate only. It is not legal advice, and your case depends on its own facts.
What Can I Expect to Pay?
You do not pay anything upfront for your employment law claim. Feher Law works on a contingency fee, so our fee is a percentage of what we recover and you owe no attorney’s fee if we do not win. The terms are in a written agreement before we start.
That structure keeps our incentives aligned with yours: the better your result, the better ours.
What to Expect When You Work With Feher Law
- Free case evaluation: we listen to what happened, review your termination papers, and tell you whether the facts support a claim.
- Choosing the forum: a discrimination or retaliation claim starts with a Civil Rights Department complaint and a right-to-sue notice, while a public policy or Labor Code claim can go straight to court. We also review any arbitration agreement you signed.
- Evidence: we collect your personnel records, the termination letter, performance reviews, and witness statements to show why you were really fired.
- Negotiation or mediation: we present your damages to the employer and its lawyers and push for a fair settlement before trial.
- Litigation if needed: if the employer will not settle fairly, we file in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where civil cases are often heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown, or in federal court in the Central District of California, and prepare for trial.
The Firing Claims We Handle Most
Our Los Angeles employment attorneys handle the claims that most often sit behind a termination:
Fired Because of Who You Are
Fired because of race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, pregnancy, or sexual orientation, in violation of FEHA.
Fired for Speaking Up
Terminated after reporting harassment, raising a wage or safety issue, filing a workers’ compensation claim, or taking protected leave.
Pushed Out After Harassment
Pushed out after harassment that your employer ignored, or fired after you complained about it.
Fired in Breach of an Agreement
Let go in violation of a written agreement, an implied promise of good-cause termination, or a policy that limited your employer’s right to fire you.
Fired for Reporting Illegal Conduct
Fired for reporting illegal conduct or unsafe conditions to an agency or inside the company, or for refusing to take part in it.
Medical and Family Leave Retaliation
Fired or forced out after requesting or taking leave under the California Family Rights Act or the Family and Medical Leave Act.
FEHA Versus Title VII After a Firing
FEHA gives Los Angeles workers broader protection than federal Title VII, as the comparison below shows.
| Factor | California FEHA | Federal Title VII |
|---|---|---|
| Damages cap | No cap | $50,000-$300,000 by employer size |
| Statute of limitations | 3 years to CRD | 180-300 days to EEOC |
| Employer size | 5+ employees (1+ for harassment) | 15+ employees |
| Protected classes | Race, sex, religion, age (40+), disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, military, medical | Race, color, religion, sex, national origin |
| Average settlement | $50,000 to $1M+ | $30,000 to $300,000 (capped) |
This comparison is a general summary and not legal advice. How these rules apply depends on the facts of your case, and no outcome is guaranteed.
What Drives Wrongful Termination Value in Los Angeles
Los Angeles wrongful termination values turn on lost wages, emotional distress, and the strength of the evidence, as the table below shows.
| Case Type | Typical Settlement | Severe / Punitive Cases |
|---|---|---|
| At-will Violation | $25,000 – $150,000 | $300,000 – $750,000 |
| Public Policy Violation | $50,000 – $300,000 | $500,000 – $2,000,000 |
| Discrimination-Based | $100,000 – $500,000 | $1,000,000 – $3,000,000 |
| Retaliation-Based | $100,000 – $500,000 | $1,000,000 – $3,000,000 |
| Whistleblower Termination | $200,000 – $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 – $5,000,000+ |
The ranges in this table are general illustrations and not a prediction of what any case is worth. Every case depends on its own facts, the evidence, the law that applies, and the insurance available. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This is not legal advice.
We represent workers across the Los Angeles region.
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Fired in Los Angeles? Talk to Us Before You Sign Anything
If you were fired in Los Angeles and think the reason was unlawful, speak with Feher Law before you sign a severance agreement or an agency form. We will go through your timeline and papers and give you a straight answer about your options.
To start, contact Feher Law or call (310) 340-1112 for a free consultation.
Notable Recent Settlements
Examples of California cases Feher Law has resolved on behalf of clients in this practice area:
- $1.4M – Wrongful Termination
- $933K – Wrongful Termination
- $750K – Wrongful Termination – Disability Discrimination
- $450K – Wrongful Termination
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is evaluated on its specific facts under California law.
Estimate your case value: our wrongful termination settlement calculator gives a first range, or speak with a Los Angeles employment lawyer about your records.
Last reviewed by Thomas Feher, Esq. – October 2026
Services We Offer
When it comes to your recovery and peace of mind, it’s vital to have an expert by your side that really understands the bigger picture of employment law. Explore the full range of services we offer below.
Frequently Asked Questions
My employer gave no reason for firing me. Is that legal in Los Angeles?
What deadlines apply to a wrongful termination claim in Los Angeles?
Do I have to arbitrate my wrongful termination claim in Los Angeles?
Where is a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in Los Angeles?
Should I sign the severance agreement my employer gave me?
What can a wrongful termination claim recover in Los Angeles?
What if I was fired after complaining about pay in Los Angeles?
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- No Fees Unless We Win
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Other Los Angeles Practice Areas
Feher Law also serves Los Angeles clients in these related practice areas:
- Los Angeles Employment Lawyer
- Los Angeles Workplace Discrimination Lawyer
- Los Angeles Sexual Harassment Lawyer
- Los Angeles Retaliation Lawyer
- Los Angeles Employment Contract Attorney
- Los Angeles Brain Injury Lawyer
- Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
- Los Angeles Amputation Lawyer
- Los Angeles CRPS Lawyer
For a general overview of how we represent Los Angeles County clients across all practice areas, see our Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer page.