If you have been unfairly treated at work due to race, gender, age, disability, or other protected categories, our experienced employment discrimination attorneys at Westview Law can help. Employment discrimination can include wrongful termination, pay disparities, hostile work environments, or retaliation for asserting your workplace rights.
Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee or job applicant unfairly based on race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or other protected categories, including race discrimination and gender discrimination. Such unfair treatment may include refusing to hire, demoting, reducing hours, denying promotions, or terminating employment for reasons unrelated to job performance or qualifications, such as age discrimination or disability discrimination.
Discrimination can also take place when an employer retaliates against an employee for reporting unfair treatment, filing a complaint, or participating in an investigation. If you are experiencing any of these situations, our employment attorneys can help you understand your employee rights, protect your workplace interests, and provide legal assistance to seek legal advice and take the necessary legal steps to seek justice.
Employment discrimination can take many forms, and it is not always obvious. Some of the most common workplace issues include:
It is against the law in both California and the United States to fire or demote someone because of their race, gender, age, disability, or any other protected category under the Civil Rights Act and Title VII. Employers cannot base employment decisions on personal characteristics unrelated to job performance, including factors tied to genetic information.
Unequal pay or benefits for employees performing the same work because of gender, race, or other protected factors violates laws like the Equal Pay Act and civil rights protections. These disparities can include base salary, bonuses, and other forms of compensation, including issues affecting the opposite sex.
A hostile work environment occurs when harassment, offensive comments, or discriminatory behavior create an intolerable workplace under discrimination law. Such behavior can include jokes, slurs, or repeated unfair treatment, including racial discrimination and sex discrimination.
Employers cannot punish employees for reporting discrimination, filing a formal complaint, or requesting reasonable accommodations, including cases involving pregnancy discrimination. Retaliation may include demotion, reduced hours, or negative performance reviews and can leave employees wrongfully terminated.
Discrimination in hiring, promotions, or training opportunities based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or national origin is illegal and may involve facing discrimination. Employers must evaluate job applicants and employees based on qualifications and performance, not personal characteristics, including aspects of their personal lives.
If you’ve experienced any of these situations, our employment discrimination attorneys can help determine whether your employer violated state or federal law and what legal options are available to you.
California and federal laws protect employees and job applicants from discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or other protected categories, including protections under the employment act and the disabilities act. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and federal laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Pay Act outline how these laws are enforced, making it illegal for employers to treat qualified employees unfairly or to deny opportunities based on protected characteristics.
Employers are also required to provide reasonable accommodations, maintain a workplace free from harassment, and ensure fair practices in hiring, promotions, and pay, including efforts to accommodate employees. These laws also safeguard employees from retaliation for reporting discrimination, filing a formal complaint, or requesting accommodations, protecting workplace rights.
Workers whose rights are violated may be entitled to lost wages, damages for emotional distress, reinstatement, or other legal remedies through a private lawsuit. Schedule a free consultation with our employment discrimination attorney to understand your legal options and take the next steps to protect your rights in the workplace with a recognized leader ready to assist you in your office today.
If you are facing workplace discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, or other protected categories, working with an experienced employment discrimination attorney can make a significant difference, especially when dealing with sexual harassment. Our legal team provides the guidance, support, and strong representation needed to protect your rights and pursue the best possible outcome, even in matters involving personal injury. Here’s how our employment law attorneys can help you.
Our employment discrimination attorneys carefully review your employment case, including performance reviews, employment contracts, and detailed records, while identifying employment law issues. This evaluation helps determine whether discrimination, wrongful termination, or retaliation has occurred and may involve breaches like a non-compete agreement. A clear legal strategy is then developed to move your claim forward effectively.
Strong evidence is critical in employment law cases. Our legal team gathers emails, personnel files, witness statements, and other documentation that show unfair treatment or discrimination in the workplace, including gender discrimination and race discrimination. Proper documentation strengthens your claim and supports your right to compensation.
Communication with employers or human resources departments can impact the outcome of a case. Our employment lawyers handle all interactions to protect your rights and prevent statements that could harm your claim, even when facing discrimination. This ensures a more controlled and strategic legal process.
Filing a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the appropriate state agency is a required step in many employment discrimination cases. Our attorneys ensure all documents are filed correctly and within legal deadlines, preserving your right to take further action.
If a fair resolution is not offered, our legal team is prepared to take your case to court. From settlement negotiations to trial, strong legal representation is provided to recover lost wages, emotional distress damages, and other compensation while holding employers accountable.
Victims of employment discrimination may be entitled to various forms of compensation depending on the impact of the unfair treatment. Our employment discrimination attorneys work to recover the full value of your losses and hold employers accountable under federal and California law. The most common types of compensation include:
Discrimination cases are rarely won with one dramatic document. They are won by showing that the employer’s stated reason does not hold up. Here is how that gets built, stage by stage.
We walk through the timeline: what protected characteristic is in play, what the employer did (fired, demoted, passed over, cut your hours) and what reason it gave. Then we tell you plainly whether we see a claim. Not every unfair boss is an illegal one, and you deserve to hear that early rather than after a year of litigation.
This is the core of the case. We look for comparators: people outside your protected class who did the same thing and kept their job or got the promotion. We also look for shifting explanations, since an employer that gives one reason to you, another to the unemployment office, and a third in litigation has a problem. Performance reviews that were glowing until you asked for an accommodation or reported something tell their own story.
California claims route through the Civil Rights Department for a right-to-sue notice, often dual-filed with the EEOC where federal law also applies. With the record assembled, we send a demand that lays out liability and damages. Many employers settle at this stage rather than let a jury weigh the comparison evidence.
If the company will not deal, we file and go get what it did not volunteer: personnel files for the comparators, promotion and pay data, internal complaints, and depositions of the decision-makers. Where lost earnings are significant, we bring in an economist to quantify them rather than guess.
Most discrimination cases resolve before a verdict. The ones that resolve on good terms are the ones where the employer can see how the comparison evidence will look to twelve people in a jury box.
The main drivers are economic: back pay you have already lost and front pay until you are made whole. On top of that sit emotional distress damages, and, where an employer acted with malice or oppression, punitive damages meant to punish rather than compensate. A prevailing employee can also recover attorney’s fees under FEHA, which is a large part of why these cases are worth bringing even when the salary at stake was modest.
What moves the number most is the quality of the comparison evidence and how quickly you found new work. Mitigation matters: taking a reasonable new job does not sink your claim, but a documented, genuine search strengthens it.
Illustrative only. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and every case is different. Nothing above is a prediction or guarantee about the value of any particular claim.
We handle employment discrimination cases on contingency. You pay nothing unless we recover for you. No hourly billing, no retainer up front, and the first consultation costs nothing.
It keeps our incentives lined up with yours: we get paid when you do. We do not post a fixed percentage online, because the right terms depend on the case’s posture and what it will take to try it. You will see the exact numbers, in writing, before you sign.
Your case is handled by named California trial attorneys, not by a case manager who forwards messages. Every bar number below links straight to the State Bar record.
David founded Westview Law and leads its litigation practice. He earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School and has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for Southern California three years running (2022, 2023, and 2024), a recognition reserved for a small share of attorneys under 40. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California, Bar #326605.
A veteran trial lawyer with a J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law and decades of experience in high-stakes, complex litigation. State Bar of California #138407.
Earned his J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif, the top of his class, and brings a background in federal civil-rights enforcement. State Bar of California #319557.
Employers settle discrimination cases for more when they believe the lawyer across the table will actually try the case. The results below come from complex commercial and business-litigation trials, not from discrimination cases. We show them as evidence of trial capability, not as a promise of what an employment claim will bring.
Breach of contract and fraud, tried to a jury in 2024 and recognized among the Top 100 Verdicts in California (independently listed by TopVerdict). Won by David M. Safvati.
A complex commercial trial that produced a $146M jury verdict ($73M compensatory plus $73M in punitive damages) and included cross-examining the board chairman of an international conglomerate. Lead trial counsel: Paul S. Marks.
A stipulated judgment in a real-estate investment fraud matter, resolved on the eve of trial. This is a result the firm reports from its own records; unlike the two verdicts above, it is not independently listed by a third-party service.
These are commercial-litigation results, shown as evidence of our attorneys’ trial experience rather than as employment discrimination outcomes. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.
Choosing the right legal team can make a meaningful difference in how your employment discrimination case unfolds. At Westview Law, the focus is on delivering strong representation while keeping your experience clear, supportive, and results-driven.
Westview Law brings decades of combined experience focused on employment law and workplace discrimination claims. This depth of knowledge allows the team to confidently handle complex cases under both California and federal law.
The firm has a history of taking on challenging employment cases and working toward favorable results. Whether through negotiation or litigation, the goal is always to secure outcomes that truly make a difference.
We approach every case with careful attention to your unique situation and goals. Westview Law takes the time to understand your concerns and builds a strategy that fits your specific needs.
Clear communication is a priority, and that starts with legal costs. You can expect straightforward pricing so you always know what to anticipate throughout the process.
From the initial consultation to case resolution, you’ll have guidance at every step. The team ensures you feel informed, prepared, and supported as your case progresses.
Westview Law understands how employers, HR departments, and insurers operate, giving clients a strategic advantage. This insight helps protect your rights and builds a strong, effective case from start to finish.
If your employer has treated you unfairly because of race, gender, age, disability, or another protected characteristic, you do not have to handle the situation on your own. Acting early can protect your rights, preserve important records, and improve the chances of a favorable outcome.
At Westview Law, our employment discrimination attorneys provide focused, trial-ready representation and personalized guidance throughout every step of your case. Schedule a confidential consultation today to explore your legal options, hold your employer accountable, and pursue the compensation and justice you deserve.
Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats employees or job applicants unfairly because of race, gender, age, disability, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or other protected categories. Discrimination can include wrongful termination, unequal pay, denial of promotions, hostile work environments, or retaliation for asserting workplace rights.
No. Discrimination does not always require proof that an employer intended to act unfairly. Evidence of adverse actions, such as pay cuts, demotions, or the denial of opportunities, can be sufficient to support a workplace discrimination claim.
Under FEHA, most employment discrimination claims must be filed within 3 years of the last discriminatory act. Federal claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must usually be filed within 180 days, which can be extended to 300 days under state law.
No. Retaliation for reporting discrimination, requesting reasonable accommodations, or filing a formal complaint is illegal. Employees experiencing retaliation may have a separate claim in addition to their original employment dispute.
Compensation may include lost wages, emotional distress damages, medical expenses, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees. The amount depends on the impact of the discrimination and the severity of the employer’s actions.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and may change over time, so you should consult a qualified employment discrimination attorney directly for advice regarding your specific situation. Past examples, case studies, or hypothetical scenarios are illustrative only and do not guarantee similar results.
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David M. Safvati
Founding Partner
Paul S. Marks
Of Counsel
Taylor Markey
Of Counsel
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