Los Angeles Wrongful
Termination Lawyers
Your Career Rights Protection Starts Here
If you were wrongfully terminated, demoted, or subjected to retaliatory discharge in Los Angeles or across California, Midtown Law Group is here to defend your employment rights, hold accountable employers responsible, and fight for full financial compensation.
Free Consultation →Los Angeles Wrongful Termination Attorney
Losing your job unexpectedly can throw your life, reputation, and financial security into turmoil. While California is predominantly an "at-will" employment state, employers are strictly prohibited from firing workers for illegal, retaliatory, or discriminatory reasons.
At Midtown Law Group, our experienced Los Angeles employment attorneys represent executives, salaried professionals, and hourly employees who have been unlawfully discharged. We investigate the underlying motives behind your firing, preserve key workplace evidence, and aggressively pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
We handle wrongful termination claims involving:
- FEHA & Title VII Discrimination
- Whistleblower & Labor Code § 1102.5 retaliation
- Reporting harassment or toxic workplace conduct
- Filing wage, overtime, or break complaints
- Requesting medical, disability, or pregnancy leave
- Breach of employment contract or severance terms
- Constructive discharge & hostile work environments
We also assist executives and key personnel in negotiating severance packages and enforcing contractual termination protections.
Midtown Law Group: Your Los Angeles Employment Rights Advocates
When you partner with Midtown Law Group, you gain a dedicated legal team committed to standing up against corporate employers and defense law firms.
Employers rarely admit to firing an employee for an illegal reason. Instead, they often manufacture pretextual excuses—such as sudden performance drop-offs or restructuring. We meticulously analyze employer records to uncover the true retaliatory or discriminatory motives.
Our legal team examines:
- Employment contracts and offer letters
- Termination notices and separation documents
- Performance evaluations and commendations
- Disciplinary records and sudden PIPs
- Emails, Slack/Teams chats, and internal memos
- HR complaints and ethics reports
- Medical leave and accommodation requests
- Treatment of similarly situated non-protected workers
We negotiate forcefully with employers and prepare every case for full court litigation when a fair settlement cannot be reached.
Why Hiring a Wrongful Termination Attorney Matters
An experienced Los Angeles employment law attorney can help you:
- Uncover pretextual reasons manufactured by employers to justify firing.
- Protect yourself from signing predatory severance agreements or broad waivers.
- Preserve critical digital evidence before employer email servers are wiped.
- Calculate total lost back pay, front pay, stock options, and benefits.
- Pursue emotional distress damages and statutory penalties.
- Navigate CRD, EEOC, and court filing procedures accurately.
- Level the playing field against well-funded corporate defense counsel.
Practice Areas
Have questions about your recent firing? Our legal team is available for a free consultation.
Every Case Is Unique.
We're Ready for All of Them.
Discriminatory Termination
An employer may not fire an employee because of a characteristic protected under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) or federal law, including race, age, disability, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.
Retaliatory Termination
Firing an employee for exercising a legally protected right—such as reporting harassment, filing a wage complaint, participating in an internal investigation, or requesting reasonable accommodations—is strictly illegal in California.
Whistleblower Termination
Under California Labor Code § 1102.5, employees and contractors are protected when disclosing or refusing to participate in unlawful practices, health/safety violations, financial fraud, or regulatory non-compliance.
Termination After Wage Complaints
Employers cannot fire workers for making good-faith complaints regarding unpaid wages, missed meal or rest breaks, off-the-clock work, tip theft, or misclassification under the California Labor Code.
Termination After Protected Leave
Firing an eligible worker for taking or requesting leave under FMLA, CFRA (California Family Rights Act), Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), jury duty, or Los Angeles paid sick time is grounds for a wrongful termination claim.
Breach of Employment Contract
When an employer breaches an executive employment contract, offer letter with enforceable terms, union collective bargaining agreement, or good-cause requirement, contract-based claims can be pursued.
Key California Wrongful Termination Considerations
Navigating California employment laws requires understanding statutory rights, public policy exceptions, and administrative deadlines. Midtown Law Group guides clients through every stage of the legal process.
Understanding At-Will Employment Exceptions
While California Labor Code § 2922 establishes at-will employment, this rule is not absolute. An employer cannot fire an employee in violation of public policy, anti-discrimination statutes, whistleblower protections, or contractual obligations.
If an employer's stated reason for firing is false or inconsistent with your performance history, it may serve as strong evidence of unlawful pretext.
Protected Categories Under California FEHA
The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) offers broader protections than federal law. Firing an employee based on protected characteristics—including medical conditions, disability accommodations, or pregnancy—gives rise to significant legal liability.
Whistleblower & Retaliation Protections
Under California Labor Code § 1102.5, employers are strictly prohibited from retaliating against employees who disclose information regarding suspected violations of state or federal laws, or who refuse to participate in illegal workplace activities.
Calculating Full Financial Recovery
A wrongful termination recovery should reflect the full financial and emotional impact of the illegal discharge. Recoverable damages may include:
- Lost back wages and past earnings
- Future lost wages (front pay)
- Lost health, retirement, and pension benefits
- Unvested stock options and bonuses
- Emotional distress & mental anguish
- Reputational damage
- Statutory attorney's fees
- Punitive damages for egregious employer conduct
Strict Filing Deadlines
Statutes of limitations for wrongful termination vary depending on the underlying claim. FEHA administrative filings generally require action within 3 years, while public sector claims may require formal government notice within 6 months. Prompt legal review is critical to preserving your right to sue.
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When I was retaliated against and wrongfully terminated after raising HR concerns, Midtown Law Group stepped in and secured an incredible resolution. They restored my confidence and held the firm accountable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrongful termination generally occurs when an employee is fired for a legally prohibited reason or in violation of an enforceable agreement. Examples may include termination because of discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, protected medical or family leave, wage complaints, union activity, or breach of an employment contract.
Many private-sector employees in California work at will and can be terminated without advance warning or good cause. However, the termination cannot be based on an illegal reason (such as bias or retaliation). Employees with contracts, union protections, public-sector rights, or other statutory protections also have additional rights.
No. An employer may make a decision that is unfair, unreasonable, or poorly managed without necessarily violating employment law. A viable legal claim requires evidence that the employer acted for an unlawful reason, breached a contract, or violated a protected workplace right.
Evidence may include discriminatory comments, suspicious timing, inconsistent explanations, different treatment of comparable employees, policy violations, statistical patterns, and a history of positive performance before the termination. The complete sequence of events is usually more important than any single document.
An employer may still make legitimate employment decisions after a complaint, but it cannot fire you because you made a reasonable, good-faith report of discrimination, harassment, or illegal practices. A termination occurring soon after a complaint should be evaluated alongside your performance history and employer communications.
Potentially. The answer depends on your eligibility, the type of leave requested (e.g., FMLA, CFRA, PDL), the employer's size, available accommodations, and the stated reason for termination. You should preserve your leave requests, medical notes, employer responses, and termination records for review.
Do not assume a severance agreement only concerns payment. It usually requires you to release discrimination, retaliation, wage, whistleblower, contract, and other legal claims. You should review the compensation, release language, confidentiality requirements, nondisparagement terms, and post-employment restrictions before signing.
Request written information about the termination, preserve relevant communications, save your employment agreement and reviews, create a timeline, and avoid posting details publicly. Do not take confidential company documents you are not entitled to possess. Review any severance agreement and legal deadlines promptly.
The deadline depends on the legal basis for your claim. For California FEHA claims, you generally have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department (CRD). EEOC charges are subject to a 300-day deadline, public agency claims require a formal government claim within 6 months (180 days), and whistleblower/contract claims have specific statutory timelines.
