I was "at will". Can I still have a case?

Yes. At-will means you can be fired for a bad reason or no reason, but not for an illegal one. Discrimination, retaliation for complaining, and firing you for taking protected leave are illegal reasons regardless of at-will status.

I resigned. Does that end it?

Not necessarily. If conditions were made so intolerable that a reasonable person would have quit, California treats that as a "constructive discharge" — effectively a firing.

I signed a severance agreement. Am I stuck?

Usually a release is enforceable, but not always: some claims cannot be waived, and an agreement signed under pressure or without the required time to consider it can be challenged. Bring it with you.

Your offer letter, handbook, pay stubs, performance reviews, every email or text about the firing, and a timeline written while it's fresh. Do not take confidential company documents; tell us what exists and we will request it properly.

Will I have to face my old boss in court?

Most employment cases settle before trial, often after a mediation. If yours doesn't, we prepare it as a trial case from day one, and you will know what to expect long before you walk into a courtroom.

What we handle · Los Angeles

Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Los Angeles

Neva let them get away with it.

If you're bringing the claim

You were let go and the reason doesn't add up — or it came right after you complained, took leave, got hurt, reported something, or asked to be paid properly. Or you were never fired at all, just squeezed until you quit. California gives employees real protection, but only to those who use it in time. A wrongful termination lawyer in Los Angeles looks at the timing, the paper trail and what was said, and tells you plainly whether there's a claim.

If you're defending one

Or you run a business and a former employee has sent a demand letter or a complaint. Most of these cases turn on documents and timing, not on who shouts loudest. We help employers answer carefully, preserve what matters, and understand what the exposure really is before anyone overreacts.

Common situations we handle

“I was fired two weeks after I complained to HR.”
“They said it was performance, but my reviews were fine.”
“I was let go while on medical or pregnancy leave.”
“I never got my final paycheck, or overtime was never paid.”
“They cut my hours and made life impossible until I resigned.”
“My company got a demand letter from someone we let go.”

What the law says

California is an "at-will" state, which means an employer can usually end a job for any reason — but never for an illegal one. Firing someone because of their race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion or similar protected characteristic breaks the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Firing someone for complaining about unpaid wages, unsafe conditions, discrimination or illegal activity is retaliation, and the Labor Code and the courts treat it as wrongful termination in violation of public policy.

Wage claims stand on their own. If you were not paid overtime, denied meal and rest breaks, misclassified as a contractor or paid late at the end, you may have a claim whether or not the firing itself was lawful.

Read the guide: Fired in California: what to do in the first 90 days →

What's at stake

Depending on the claim: the pay you lost and will lose, emotional distress, penalties for unpaid wages and late final pay, and in discrimination and retaliation cases the employer can be ordered to pay your attorney's fees. Every case is different, and nobody can promise a result; what we can promise is a straight answer about what yours looks like.

How long you have

Discrimination and retaliation claims must first be filed with California's Civil Rights Department, generally within three years of the firing. Public-policy wrongful termination claims generally have two years. Most unpaid-wage claims have three years, some four. Those are the outer limits; evidence and witnesses fade much faster, so the sooner you call, the stronger the case.

What happens next

1
Tell us what happened
The quiz, a text, or a call. Fifteen minutes, free.
2
We tell you straight
Whether you have a case, what it would take, and which way of working applies.
3
Clear terms in writing
If we take it, you get clear terms in writing before anything starts.

Three ways we work. Some cases we take on contingency — no fee unless we win; if there's no recovery you don't pay us a fee, though you may still be responsible for case costs, which we explain in writing before anything starts. Some cases we do for a fixed fee you know before we begin. Some are hourly. We tell you which applies in the first call.

Why Cirkveni 2.0

Trial training

Neva trained on the plaintiffs' trial team at a top Los Angeles litigation firm. Every case is prepared as if it will go to trial.

Direct access

You deal with the lawyer. Your calls and texts reach Neva, not a queue.

Straight talk

Plain English, honest about the odds, and a fee you know before we start.

Second generation

The first Cirkveni law office opened in 1992. Same instinct, rebuilt for now.

What a client said

“I would recommend Neva. She is knowledgeable, detailed, patient, and did a great job of explaining the process and answering my questions. I was very pleased with the experience and settlement.”

— Cathy P., Google review

5.0 on Google

Results depend on the facts of each case.

Questions people ask

Find out where you stand.

Text or call +1 (424) 230-3912, or take the five-question quiz.

Do I have a case?Text +1 (424) 230-3912 Call +1 (424) 230-3912