Wrongful Termination Claims
Your company may be facing a difficult legal dispute. If so, understanding California’s employment laws is key to your defense. A wrongful termination claim happens when a worker is fired in a way that breaks state or federal law. California is an at-will state. You can legally let workers go for normal business reasons. But the law protects employees too. You can’t fire someone based on personal traits or protected work activities.
Many workers think any firing they dislike is illegal. In reality, the actual legal threshold for a lawsuit is quite narrow. The wrongful termination defense attorneys at Sullivan Pratt LLP represent employers against these claims. Our legal team has decades of experience. We help businesses stay compliant with complex rules and protect their interests.
Common Wrongful Termination Claims
Employers can fire at-will employees for valid business reasons. But when firings violate protected rights, businesses face serious lawsuits. Here are the most common types of wrongful termination claims:
- Discrimination: Firing based on race, sex, pregnancy, age (40+), disability, religion or other protected traits
- Unlawful retaliation: Firing an employee for reporting harassment, wage issues, safety problems or whistleblowing
- Leave-related discharges: Letting workers go for taking family leave, pregnancy leave or paid sick time
- Public policy violations (Tameny claims): Dismissing someone for refusing to break the law or reporting violations
- Hostile work environment: Pushing an employee out through harassment or toxic conditions
- Wage-and-hour retaliation: Discharging workers who complain about overtime, job classification or break violations
Every single case is completely different. Fortunately, our lawyers are not just familiar with labor laws. They are hands-on practitioners who solve unique problems and get results in complex disputes.
Strategic Defense Services For Employers
At Sullivan Pratt LLP, our lawyers provide direct representation tailored to your needs. When you face a lawsuit, they will protect your interests from day one. They handle courtroom work and develop defense strategies for your case. They also provide risk management to help prevent future employee disputes.
Our team’s approach is very straightforward. They will build your defense on documented business reasons for the firing. In their defense work, they will use personnel files, performance records and company policies to challenge employee claims early. This often weakens the other side’s case before it gets to court.
Employment litigation is a primary focus at our firm. We’re well-equipped to serve you whenever you need us.