Fired for the wrong reason? You may have a case.
California is at-will — which means an employer can usually let you go without cause. But California also has the strongest worker protections in the country: the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the Labor Code, and a robust whistleblower regime. Discrimination, retaliation, refusal to commit illegal acts, and breach of an employment contract are all firing-grounds that can entitle you to back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages.
These 10 L.A. firms are some of the most respected employee-side employment plaintiffs' practices in California. Most work on contingency, all offer free consultations, and several have nine-figure track records of recovering for fired workers.
How we picked these 10: We reviewed published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo), client review patterns, and bar association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment
Plaintiff-only employment practice. Founder Jeffrey Rager has successfully litigated hundreds of wrongful termination cases. Multiple Super Lawyers.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation
Only employment law firm in CA to win 'Best In Law Award.' Decades of plaintiff-side experience and multiple eight-figure recoveries.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour
Top-tier client representation, elite legal training. Recovered millions for L.A. workers. Founders are former big-firm attorneys.
Practice focus: Employee rights, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment
One of the largest plaintiff's employment law firms in California. Has recovered millions for workers since 2007.
Practice focus: Employment law (only) — wrongful termination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour
Founder George Azadian focuses solely on employment law. Multiple Super Lawyers. Strong record on retaliation cases.
Practice focus: Employment, personal injury, civil rights
Multi-practice firm with strong wrongful termination practice. Multiple Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers attorneys.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual abuse
Plaintiff-only employment practice. Multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts. Strong record on sexual harassment and discrimination cases.
Practice focus: Wrongful termination, sexual harassment, executive employment
Plaintiff and defense employment experience. Multiple Best Lawyers attorneys. Strong executive-level employment practice.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, wrongful termination, executive employment
Tens of millions recovered. Strong record against major Hollywood and California employers. Multiple Super Lawyers.
Practice focus: Sexual harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation
Plaintiff-side employment practice with 10+ years of L.A. experience. Multilingual intake.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted wrongful termination attorneys in Los Angeles. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →Most L.A. wrongful termination cases begin with a CRD (Civil Rights Department, formerly DFEH) or EEOC charge. After investigation (or a Right-to-Sue letter), suit is filed in L.A. Superior Court (FEHA cases) or Central District of California (federal claims). Cases typically resolve in 12-24 months through mediation or summary judgment. The strongest cases include written documentation of discriminatory comments, contemporaneous notes, and pattern-and-practice evidence.
Most L.A. plaintiff-side employment firms work on contingency for litigation (33-40% of recovery), with case expenses advanced and reimbursed off the top. For severance negotiations and demand letters, many firms charge a flat fee or a percentage of increased severance. Hourly billing is sometimes used for executive employment counseling. Free consultations are nearly universal. FEHA fee-shifting can pay your lawyer's fees from the employer if you win.
The legal directory you find on Google has thousands of Los Angeles wrongful termination firms. Most are competent. A few are problematic. The patterns to avoid:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, dismissal, or visa approval, walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior partner at intake, then never speak to them again. The case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a sign of a volume mill, not a craftsperson's practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We've helped thousands of clients" is marketing copy. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Los Angeles lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what's covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them.
Most Los Angeles firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions and write down the answers. Compare across at least two firms before you sign.
Los Angeles is its own market. The procedure, the courts, and the strategy are city- and state-specific in ways that matter to your outcome.
Local courthouses matter. L.A. Superior Court, Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown have judges, calendars, and procedures that shape how cases move. A firm that knows the local courthouse has an advantage.
Filing deadlines are strict. Notice of Claim windows for cases against the City or County, Statute of Limitations periods, and pre-suit certification requirements vary by case type and are unforgiving. A missed deadline often means a lost case — full stop.
Local procedure rules matter. Each court has its own forms, motion practice, and judge preferences. The right Los Angeles firm will know not just the law, but the unwritten rules of the courthouse you'll be in.
Local plaintiffs/defendants do well in front of local juries. Verdict patterns vary by venue, and a trial-capable firm uses venue strategically.
Different statutes have different deadlines. CRD/FEHA charge — 3 years from the alleged violation. EEOC (Title VII) — 300 days. Whistleblower under Labor Code § 1102.5 — 3 years. Breach of written contract — 4 years. Move quickly.
Discrimination based on a protected class (race, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity, marital status), retaliation for protected complaints, refusal to commit illegal acts, exercise of statutory rights (CFRA, paid sick leave, jury duty), or breach of an employment contract.
Not yet. A wrongful termination lawyer can almost always negotiate a higher number — and you give up legal claims by signing. Most firms offer a free severance review and will tell you whether the offer is reasonable.
Probably not. The vast majority of L.A. employment cases settle in mediation or before summary judgment. But the firms that get the best results are the ones that can credibly try a case to a federal jury or L.A. Superior Court jury.
Generally no — CFRA and PDL prohibit retaliation for taking covered leave. If you were fired during or shortly after taking medical, parental, or pregnancy leave, talk to an employment lawyer immediately.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you taken to verdict in the last three years? The answer tells you everything. — The LawFirmSquare team