California is an at-will state. Your employer can usually fire you for a bad reason, or for no reason at all. What it can’t do is fire you for an illegal reason. That includes reporting safety violations, taking protected medical leave, getting older, or complaining about discrimination.
That line is where a wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles goes to work. In the past year, Los Angeles juries have returned some of the biggest employee verdicts in the country, including $103 million against an insurer and $52 million against a food distributor. Big verdicts get headlines. The cases behind them are usually built on emails, timing, and the slow paper trail an employer creates before someone is fired. These five lawyers know how to build that record.
Firing Laws Every California Worker Should Know
These rules come up again and again in Los Angeles termination cases:
- At-will has limits: You can’t be fired for a reason that violates public policy, such as refusing to break the law or reporting illegal conduct.
- The 90-day presumption: Since 2024, if you’re fired within 90 days of reporting certain Labor Code violations, the law presumes retaliation. Your employer must then justify the decision.
- Discrimination deadline: Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, you generally have three years to file with the California Civil Rights Department, then one year after a right-to-sue notice to file a lawsuit.
- Leave rights: The California Family Rights Act protects eligible workers at employers with five or more employees who take leave for their own or a family member’s serious health condition.
- Whistleblower penalties: Retaliation under Labor Code Section 1102.5 can bring a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation, paid to the employee, on top of damages.
Five Wrongful Termination Lawyers Winning in Los Angeles Courtrooms
1. Maryann P. Gallagher
Truck drivers and yard workers at Sysco’s Riverside operation said they were punished for speaking up. They had complained about unsafe yard speeds, falsified time records, and perishable food loaded into trailers that weren’t properly cooled. Some called Cal/OSHA. They said the company then cut their hours, watched them closely, disciplined them, and pushed some of them out.
In February 2026, a Los Angeles County jury awarded the five workers about $52.5 million. Gallagher, who led the trial team, said jurors were struck that the supervisor accused of leading the retaliation had been promoted to director. Years earlier, she won an $8.5 million verdict, including punitive damages, for Blanca Torres, a 23-year aerospace employee replaced by a younger man she had trained.
- Strength: whistleblower and age discrimination trials
- Office: Los Angeles. Contact the firm for the current address.
2. Shegerian Law: Carney and Justin Shegerian
Joy Slagel worked at Liberty Mutual for more than 30 years. She was fired the day after returning from approved disability leave, with no reason given. Her lawsuit said a new manager pushed out older workers, leaving only two employees over 40 in an office of about 120. In late 2025, a jury awarded her $103 million, including $83 million in punitive damages. Justin Shegerian tried the case as first chair for the first time.
The trial judge struck the punitive award in May 2026, leaving $20 million. That’s still a major result, and a reminder that headline numbers often shrink after trial. Founder Carney Shegerian also won a $32.2 million disability discrimination verdict in November 2025 for a former Equinox trainer who said he was fired for following his doctor’s restrictions.
- Strength: age and disability discrimination cases against large employers
- Office: 320 North Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004 (also Brentwood)
3. Matthew McNicholas, McNicholas & McNicholas
Four LAPD officers raised concerns about the department’s firearms training facility in 2018. They warned that staffing shortages meant recruits weren’t getting proper weapons training. They said the department responded with Internal Affairs investigations, demotions, and transfers. One officer was even falsely accused of joining a “blue flu” sick-out.
In April 2026, a Los Angeles jury awarded the officers $14.6 million. Matthew McNicholas led the trial team. His family firm has practiced for more than three decades and handles both employment and serious injury cases.
- Strength: retaliation claims by public employees, including police
- Office: 10866 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90024
4. David deRubertis, Law Offices of David M. deRubertis
Nancy Valla was chief nursing officer at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. After a 2019 suicide in the hospital’s parking structure, she pushed for safety barriers. She also reported expired anesthesia machines and defibrillators still in use. While she was on medical leave, the hospital replaced her. In June 2025, a jury awarded her $27.5 million for retaliation and failure to accommodate a disability.
deRubertis has won major employment verdicts for years. His listed results include Roby v. McKesson, a $19 million verdict that later reached the California Supreme Court. He was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles in 2014. He also handles employment appeals, which matters when an employer challenges a verdict.
- Strength: retaliation, disability accommodation, and appeals
- Office: 4219 Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604
5. Gregory Helmer, Helmer Friedman
Not every wrongful termination case is worth tens of millions. Many involve lost wages, a few years of career damage, and an employer that refuses to pay anything. Helmer Friedman handles the full range. Gregory Helmer’s listed results include a $1.64 million award in Needles v. Mel Bernie Co. and a $550,000 verdict for roofing workers.
Helmer has practiced since 1990 and has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2005. Partner Andrew Friedman writes on employment law for Advocate, the magazine of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Their practice can be a good fit for workers whose cases are strong but not headline-sized.
- Strength: mid-sized termination and wage cases
- Office: 9310 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 609, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
LA’s Biggest Retaliation Defendant Is the City Itself
Here’s something surprising about Los Angeles employment law. Some of the most consistent retaliation verdicts don’t involve corporations. They involve the City of Los Angeles and its own police department.
- April 2026: $14.6 million for four LAPD officers who reported training-facility problems
- 2025: $4.5 million for a retired LAPD sergeant who reported a fellow officer for billing overtime that wasn’t worked
- 2026: A state appeals court reinstated a $13.1 million verdict for LAPD officers in a separate case, according to the Daily Journal
Taxpayers cover those losses. For public employees, the lesson is clear. Government jobs come with their own claim procedures and deadlines, so speak with a lawyer early.
If you think you were fired illegally, take these steps:
- Save performance reviews, emails, and texts you’re allowed to keep
- Write a timeline of complaints, leave requests, and discipline
- Don’t sign a severance agreement before a lawyer reviews it
Wrongful Termination Questions Angelenos Ask
Q1. Can I sue for wrongful termination in an at-will state like California?
A: Yes. At-will employment doesn’t allow firing for discrimination, retaliation, protected leave, or refusing to break the law. Those terminations can support a lawsuit.
Q2. How long do I have to file a wrongful termination claim in California?
A: It depends on the claim. FEHA discrimination claims generally allow three years to file with the Civil Rights Department. Public policy claims usually have two years.
Q3. How much is a wrongful termination case worth in Los Angeles?
A: Values depend on lost wages, emotional distress, and employer conduct. Most cases settle for far less than headline verdicts, but punitive damages can increase outcomes.
Q4. Should I sign a severance agreement after being fired?
A: Not without review. Signing usually waives your right to sue. A lawyer can tell you whether the offer is fair or whether you have a stronger claim.
Q5. What counts as retaliation at work in California?
A: Firing, demotion, cut hours, or harassment after you report illegal conduct, request accommodation, take protected leave, or complain about discrimination can all count as retaliation.
