California is an at-will state — but at-will never meant an employer can fire you for an unlawful reason. A termination is wrongful when it's because of a protected characteristic, in retaliation for protected activity (reporting harassment, a safety hazard, or wage theft; taking protected leave), or in violation of a clear public policy. These cases turn on timing and the paper trail: what your reviews said before, what changed, and what was said around the decision. We help you preserve that record and hold the employer to account.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with wrongful termination
Mihran M. Ghazaryan looks past the reason the employer wrote down to the one that actually drove the firing. He reconstructs the timeline — your reviews before, what changed, who decided, and what was said — preserves the paper trail, and handles the Civil Rights Department step where it applies. He tells you honestly whether 'at-will' is a real defense in your case or a cover, and pursues the back pay, front pay, and emotional-distress damages the law allows.
What we handle
Retaliation
Fired after reporting harassment, discrimination, unsafe conditions, or wage violations — or after taking protected leave. The timing itself is often powerful evidence.
Discrimination-based firing
Terminations driven by race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, or national origin, often dressed up as a layoff or a sudden performance problem.
Public-policy and whistleblower terminations
Being fired for refusing to break the law, for jury duty, or for reporting illegal conduct (Labor Code §1102.5).
How we work
- 1
Free, confidential consultation
We listen first and tell you plainly whether you appear to have a claim. The conversation is confidential and there's no fee to have it — and we're careful if you're still employed.
- 2
Preserve the record
Offer letters, handbooks, performance reviews, emails and texts, pay stubs, and a dated timeline. The contemporaneous record is what wins an employment case, so we lock it down early.
- 3
Administrative exhaustion and the demand
FEHA claims generally require a complaint with the Civil Rights Department and a right-to-sue notice first. We handle that step, then present a documented demand to the employer.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Many matters resolve through negotiation or mediation. When an employer won't be reasonable, we file and prepare the case fully — which is usually what moves the number.
What to do right away
- Write a dated timeline of what happened while it's fresh.
- Save offer letters, reviews, emails, texts, and pay records to a personal (non-work) account.
- Don't sign a severance or release before it's reviewed — the deadline is usually negotiable.
- Note who made the decision and what reason they gave, in writing if possible.
- Talk to a lawyer before resigning — quitting can change the claim.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.